Another Waterford Camogie Side Capture Munster Title

Camogie in Waterford has come on a long way over the last number of years. It is not all that long ago when few in the Déise County knew anything about the game, but thankfully in the last few year’s more and more are getting interested in the game, more players are playing the game, and Waterford are moving in the right direction.

When Waterford’s fortunes began to change is hard to say for certain, but I for one would love to think it was the winning of the 2003 All-Ireland under 16 ‘B’ Final against Armagh in Portlaoise that started it all.

Some people might say that it was ‘only Armagh’ that Waterford beat in that year’s All-Ireland Final. To say that it was ‘Only Armagh’ would be very unfair on the Waterford panel of players and on the Armagh side that Waterford played that day. It does not matter who you beat in an All-Ireland Final, it takes a good team to get to a final. And the great does not matter either. To get to an All-Ireland Final in any grade is a tremendous achievement; something any team would love for them to happen.  Remember the old saying that Mighty Oaks grow from little acorns.

Three National League Titles have been won since that All-Ireland win in 2003; two All-Ireland Finals have been won at Adult level since that win in 2003 as well as numerous Munster and All-Ireland Finals. There is no doubt about it that most if not all of the players involved in these later wins were influenced by the players on that 2003 All-Ireland winning team or the players that were part of successful sides after that win.

And let us not forget that since 2003 there is different sides that have won or competed in different colleges competition which saw some Waterford sides win Munster and All-Ireland finals, and in the last two years Waterford players were nominated for eight All-Stars of which Waterford won three, and then there is what is happening at Club level, where Saint Anne’s, Lismore and Gailltir have appeared in Adult All-Ireland Finals in recent years, of which Lismore is the only side up to now to win one.

Waterford’s latest success in Camogie came yesterday at the Cappamore G.A.A. and Camogie Grounds in Limerick. This is a ground that is becoming somewhat of a happy hunting ground for the game in Waterford, as just eight days earlier Gailltir captured the Munster Intermediate Club title beating Toomevara in the final.

Waterford’s most recent success was a 2-13 to 0-11 win over Clare in the Plate Final of the Munster Minor Championship. I might hear some say ‘Plate Final’ but remember what I said earlier ‘Mighty Oaks grow from little acorns’ and this win coupled with the Under 16 ‘B’ All-Ireland Final win earlier this year and the Munster Minor ‘A’ Championship success last year can only have a positive success for the game going forward as the players in these successes challenge for a place on Waterford’s senior and junior teams along with some of the more established players in the county who are already part of these teams.

Under the guidance of Kevin Barry assisted by Thomas O’Brien, John Fitzgerald, Michael Power and Taylor Murray, Waterford played with a strong breeze at their backs in the opening half and opened strongly. Aoife Fitzgerald put an early free following a foul on Abby Flynn. But from the restart Waterford and the Gailltir player made no mistake in splitting the posts once she had the ball under control. And when Waterford followed up with points from Róisín Dunphy and Sarah Lacey who was part of the senior set up this year, Waterford were in a very good position.

The sign of a good side is how they come back after such an explosive start by their opponents and this Clare side hit back with points from Lorna McNamara and Gretta Hickey to leave just one between the sides in Waterford’s favour with 12 minutes on the clock.

Now it was up to Waterford to show what they were made of and they duly obliged as Abbey Flynn and Clodagh Carroll both struck points and Aoife Fitzgerald hit a brace over the next eight minutes to put Waterford into a five point lead.

But with Half time looming and with the wind at their backs in the second half, Clare put themselves into a very good position going into the second thirty minutes as Robyn Conway hit a brace of scores and Lorna McNamara hit one to leave just two between the sides, but Waterford would turn around in a better position as a late Aoife Fitzgerald point gave her side an 0-8 to 0-5 lead at the break.

As expected Clare with the wind at their backs in the second half came storming back at Waterford and it took a point from Aoife Fitzgerald 11 minutes after the restart for Kevin Barry’s side to level matters at nine points each on the score board.

Waterford were having great performances from the likes of Róisín Dunphy, Abby Flynn, Ciara O’Sullivan, Sheena McGuckian, Sarah Lacey and top Scorer Aoife Fitzgerald, and with the subs coming in also playing their part Waterford soon began to get on top again.

Points from Abbey Flynn and Aoife Fitzgerald Waterford found themselves in a good position, and then the telling scores came and went in Waterford’s way.

Abby Flynn netted a brilliant goal ten minutes from time, showing all the skill that supporters of the game know she has and moments later another of Waterford’s brilliant up and coming players Sarah Lacey had the umpire reaching for a second green flag.

Aoife Fitzgerald rounded off a brilliant performance by her as she grabbed two more scores to secure a deserved win and title for her side.

Waterford: Megan Foran; Sheena McGuckian, Izabella Markiewicz, Niamh Curran; Sorcha Cantwell, Mary Kate Curran, Róisín Dunphy; Keeley Corbett-Barry, Clodagh Carroll; Mide Delaney, Ciara O’Sullivan, Abby Flynn; Sarah Lacey, Aoife Fitzgerald, Annie Fitzgerald.

Subs: Leah Sheridan for Sorcha Cantwell, Hannah Flynn for Niamh Curran, Mairead O’Brien for Mide Delaney.

Scorers: Aoife Fitzgerald 0-8, Abby Flynn 1-2, Sarah Lacey 1-1, Clodagh Carroll, Róisín Dunphy 0-1 each.

Remainder of the panel: Elena Gallagher, Holly Ryan, Ciara Sheahan, Aoife O’Byrne, Gillian Whelan, Sarah Maher, Rachel Walsh, Jodie Touhy, Emma Flynn, Shiona Dunphy, Dearbhla Beresford, Annie Quinn, Róisín Kirwan.