He was a selfish Bastard

How often have you heard someone say something like the title of this particular posting? Maybe what you have heard someone say something like they don’t think of their parents and those they are leaving behind them. I speak of course of people that take their own life through one way or another – in other words Suicide.

Unfortunately such people are often of a certain generation, those that would have grown up in the day’s pre Vatican Two when Ireland and the world were much different places. In those days whether it was a church rule or a state rule or a mix of both for someone to take their own life was not really accepted and those that did and I am sure many would have, they were not buried in consecrated ground. This was the case if you were a Catholic anyway. I don’t know if you were buried if you were a member of say the Church of Ireland, the Methodist, Presbyterian Churches or any other religious grouping.

            On Saturday evening I took a book out of a drawer in my bedroom that I had purchased late last year on one of my many visits to Eason’s in Dungarvan. I had never heard of the Author – Collette Wolfe. After buying the book I did hear her speak with Damien Tiernan on WLR’fm’s Deise Today programme. It may even be even Maria McCann who stands in from time to time for him, I honestly can’t remember, and when the interview was been conducted I was not paying the same attention to the programme that I would have on other days, especially if the presenter was talking to someone that had written a nonfiction book.

In the last few years I have read some very good book;

Damaged by Paul Stewart

Walk Away and Forget Him by Gerry Maguire

First Hand by Eoin Hand

Nobody Will Believe You by Mary Manning

The Romford Pele by Ray Parlour

The Best Is Yet To Come by Alan O’Mara

The Boy on the Shed by Paul Ferris

Crying Into a Saucepan by Nikki Hayes

Sober by Tony Adams

Donal’s Mountain by Finbarr Walsh

A Different Shade of Green by Alan McLaughlin

Hard Knocks and Soft Spots by Paddy Doherty

People like Me by Lynn Ruane

Walk While You Can by Fr. Tony Coote

The Baby Snatchers by Mary Creighton

Overcoming by Vicky Phelan

Some of you might say some of these books are not for me. There is a priest’s name there, there is sporting people there, you might think that you are not into religion or sport and would rather than give these books a miss, but while there might be religion or sport mentioned in some of them, the main story in the book makes them well worth reading. For example Fr. Tony Coote’s book is about his battle with Motor Neurone Disease, Lynn Ruane has sat in the Seanad but her story in the book is not about her time there, but her fight to come off drugs, Paul Steward played soccer for a number of leading teams including Man City, Spurs and Liverpool but the point of his book is about the sexual abuse that he suffered as a youngster, Tony Adams played soccer for Arsenal and England talks of his battle with Alcohol and the work he is doing since beating his addiction to help others, Alan O’Mara played Football for Cavan but his book deals with the depression he has battled with for some time.

I thought that it would be hard to top two books that I read last year, Vicky Phelan’s and Fr. Tony Coote’s and those of Lynn Ruane and Nikki Hayes which I read the year before, but Collette Wolfe’s to me was a real page turner.

On Saturday evening while lying in bed I read two or three chapters before falling to sleep. I like to give myself a week to read a book and as Collette’s book “If I Could Hold You Again” has 296 pages not been a fast reader I gave myself a week to read it. On Sunday evening I could find nothing on the Television that interested me so I went to bed about half nine, turned Sky News on low in the back round so I had a little noise in the room, something I like and picked up reading the book from where I left off. By twenty to one this morning I had the book read, which for me suggests it was a page turner.

Collette in the book devotes much of it to the death of her youngest daughter at the age of 18. She died just over a week after celebrating her birthday. Collette and her Husband was abroad on holiday when they got a phone call that no parent or anyone wants to get. There only son phoned them to say their youngest daughter was found dead by her only sister. At first the pair of holiday makers thought that maybe she was killed in a crash, but when they rang back home they found out that she had taken her own life.

On the day of Collette’s daughter’s funeral the found out why she had taken her own life, she was on the end of some bullying by a number of people that she knew.

People that claim that those who take their own life are “selfish bastards”, “cowards” or who use any other phrase including “they don’t think of their poor parents” in my opinion don’t know what they are talking about. For every person that takes their own life there is a reason why they did so, like in the case of Collette Wolfe’s daughter who she learned was bullied.

When it comes to young people who take their own life as a result of bullying, the most of it will come from “their school friends”, who are not really friends. If they were they would not be bullying a person the way they do.

There are other reasons that people take their life. Maybe it is because on health grounds. Maybe someone has got some bad news from a Doctor which they might have kept from others and feel that they cannot go on any further maybe knowing that their final days will be spent in great pain even if they will receive medication to help them with much of it. Maybe a person will be told that they have contracted some disability and face a time in the future where they will need someone to help them with some thinks that most of us take for granted, like dressing or washing. Maybe they don’t want to be seen as any sort of a burden on anyone. Maybe they cannot face the day when they do not have their own dignity when it comes to something like going to the toilet. Maybe someone thinks there is something wrong with them, something like thinking they have found a lump on their body and cannot face going to a doctor.

Unless someone leaves a note or a diary which they kept we will never know why some people take their own life. Perhaps it is as a result of pressure put on a person by others. How many times have we heard about parents putting pressure on their children when it comes to exams they are sitting to make sure that they get a certain mark in exams, and if they don’t there is sometimes a lot of shouting. This pressure can come in many ways. How often have we seen parents think that their son or daughter will get better marks in their exams if they were sent for grinds or study groups after school.

Sometimes I feel the pressure comes from a person’s teachers. I was lucky enough when attending Saint Anne’s Post Primary School in Cappoquin that I can some good teachers. Some were even excellent teachers. Two of the very best of the teachers in the school are to be found today on my Facebook list of friends. But there were some bad teachers as well. Maybe they were not all that bad; it maybe was just that I did not relate to them.

For five years in the Cappoquin School a report was sent home on our performances twice a year after Christmas and summer exams. Maybe it was the done thing at the time and I don’t know if it is still done, but the majority of the teachers in their comments would say something along the lines “Thomas could do better”. I am sure that many of the 250 odd students in the school on any given year would have had something similar said about them.

Personally I always ignored such comments. I knew I was doing my best, or I felt I was doing my best. I may have been able to get better marks in some subjects maybe if I had a better teacher, or one that I could relate to. Nearly 30 years on I will never know now if I could or not. Maybe if I was a student today I might do somewhat better than I did back in the late 80’s and early 90’s as the way teachers are trained has possibly changed and the way things are done are different. Back when I was in school there was no explaining from some teachers. I felt we were told this is the way a thing is done and there was little or no explaining. I am 99% certain that has changed today.

Back when I was going to school I had no intention of going to College or University after my leaving cert. For the last 18 months or so in school I could not wait till it was all over all over for me. But I feel maybe that if I had plans to go to third level education getting comments like “Thomas could do better” knowing I was doing my level best could have pushed me over the top and if pupils are getting the same comments today it is pushing some over the top maybe damaging their mental health.

People who take their own life are not the “Selfish Bastards” or the “Cowards” that some people claim they are. They are many reasons why people take their own life and we have to get this into our thinking and do away with the stupid comments that some make when they hear of someone taking their life.

If you have ever spoke about someone that had taken or attempted to take their own life, calling them all sorts of names and coming out with comments like they don’t think of the parents, family and friends they are leaving behind can I urge you to pick up a copy of Collette Wolfe’s excellent book in a bookshop, online or in the library and read it. Take in what is said in the book. Maybe you have heard someone make such comments. Maybe you can after reading the book yourself recommend that they read it or say it have heard it recommended and suggest that they read it. People who take their life do so for a reason and the sooner we get rid of the stigma attached to suicide that existed in the past the better.

Seamus O’Brien A Gentleman and an Outstanding G.A.A. Official

The G.A.A. is full of heroes and heroines, men and women who unselfishly get involved at different levels within the Association.

Some of those men and women are players. Others are players who when their playing careers come to an end decide to stay involved maybe as a coach, an administrator or a referee. Some former players have risen to the top of what they set their sights on whatever they decided to do once their playing days are over. Some of those that have carved out a successful career (if you want to call it that) in the G.A.A. once their playing days are over were good, sometimes even excellent players. For others who get involved in coaching, administration or refereeing they might not even have kicked or pucked a ball - let alone have a successful playing career.

I am someone who would not have played any competitive hurling or football game, but would have stood on a playing area while in school and made a bit of a nuisance of myself for others who could actually play, or at least done so much better than I could.

Not playing has not stopped me from having an interest in the games I so much love. For over a decade I got involved in the administration side of things at Club level as well as at Bord na nÓg Level at Divisional and County Level and also serving on two different sub committee’s of the County Adult Board for a few years before getting involved in what I am doing right now, something I enjoy most when it comes to the G.A.A.

In my time as an Administrator and a Reporter (if you want to call me that) I have come in contact with a number of different people who have helped and advised me along the way. I have worked alongside some very good men and women, all of whom I valued what they tried to pass onto me and assisted me in whatever when they could when I might have gone to them for any help that I might have needed.

One man that I always loved working alongside was Abbeyside man Seamus O’Brien, who I worked alongside with at Divisional and County Board levels with Board na nÓg and again when the two of us were members of the County Communications and Publications Committee under the chairmanship of another Abbeyside man Joe Cleary for a number of years.

Seamus is someone that I would have known to see practically all my life. From a very young age I would addend games which the Sliabh gCua/Saint Mary’s G.A.A. Club along with my late Father Michael and his sister Joan and would often see Seamus at games. Occasionally I would have saluted him at games or if I passed him if I saw him Dungarvan but it was not until 1999 when I got involved in West Waterford Bord na nÓg as its secretary that I really got to know Seamus who was the register for West Waterford and the County at the time and quickly began to really admire his encyclopaedic mind when it came to all things G.A.A.

On getting involved Seamus took me aside and gave me a copy of the most up to date rule book at the time and advised me to go through it and to get to know the different rules, telling me that if ever I was unsure of something I could call him at any time and if he was not available when I rang he could get back to me as soon as he could, and he was true to his word anytime I did have to contact him. Even at the limited number of meetings we held while I was secretary if something came up and there was an element of doubt, either I as secretary or John O’Brien and then Eddie O’Shea as Chairman would only have to look at Seamus and say his name and without checking any rule in the book he was able to answer anything that needed to be answered and he was never wrong in what he would say when we would check up on a rule number to quote it in any correspondence that went out to clubs.

Seamus O’Brien was born in 1921 and all throughout his life was actively involved in the G.A.A. It’s fair to say that he was even looking forward to seeing the Waterford hurlers playing that weekend and reporting on the game in the Dungarvan Leader next Wednesday.

In 2007, fifty years after he began to write a weekly column in the Dungarvan Leader, Dungarvan Town Council decided to honour the Abbeyside man.

On that occasion, the then Mayor of Dungarvan, Cllr Damien Geoghegan said of Seamus “Seamus has made a difference to those around him, and has enriched, through his many talents, the lives of the people whom he has encountered and has also enhanced the quality of life in his own community. What Seamus has achieved was done without fuss or the fanfare of publicity, usually working quietly and efficiently in the background, yet always achieving a great deal, generally for the benefit of others.” This quote really summed up Seamus and will be how he is remembered.

Seamus as a young man took up a position within the post office as a telegram boy and later became a postman in the Piltown and Kilmacthomas before taking up a position in Dungarvan in the early 1950’s.

Working in Kilmacthomas proved to be a lucky thing for Seamus as it was here that he met Cáit McGrath who he later married and spent 50 years together and raised a family of eight between them who were all very important to Seamus, as were his Grand Children and Great Grandchildren in later life.

It is through the G.A.A. that most knew Seamus, not just in Waterford but up and down the country.

He took up a position of Secretary of the Abbeyside Hurling and Football Club in the mid 1950’s and in 1960 he was elected as secretary of the West Waterford Board, a position he remained in for over two decades.

In the early 1970’s Seamus made a bid to become the County Board Secretary when the position became available, but he was narrowly missed out in a contest against Seamus Grant, a man that he became great friends with though the G.A.A.

In the 1970’s he became the Counties Central Council Representative and held onto the position until he had to relinquish the position as a result of the (Controversial – in the eyes of some) five year rule a few years previous which limits all non full time officers with the exception of the Treasurer to holding the same position for more than five years.

As a Central Council representative he was invited to be part of many different committees and National Level where he became an important figure as he had amassed a great knowledge of the G.A.A. and its rules down the years and could be called upon at any time to give clarification on any issue.

Within the county Seamus was also seen as an important figure to be on any committee. He served as Secretary of the Fraher Field Committee for a time and was also a secretary of Coiste Peil.

He was invited by a number of successive County PRO’s to be part of the County Communications where he could at short notice pen a piece for an upcoming match programme or pull together some facts and figures. He was also involved in Bord na nÓg at Divisional and County Level for many years.

In 1957, Seamus began to write the ‘Commentator’ Column each week for the Dungarvan Leader. The Column was always well thought out and views expressed were always fair. It was a must read each week for many of the papers readers.

Seamus not only served the area he lived in through the G.A.A.

He was heavily involved in many different committees and groups. In his earlier days he was involved with the Scouts in the Abbeyside area. In the early 1940’s he joined the FCA and continued to be involved until 1967 when he retired holding the rank of Captain and Company Commander of the Dungarvan Companies 13^th Battalion.

He was very involved in putting the Abbeyside Parish Newsletter together and was also heavily involved with the Abbeyside Reference Archive group where he served as Chairman of the group for many years.

He was also involved with the Abbeyside, Ballinroad and Garranbane Senior Citizens Group and was also a chairman of the West Waterford Emigrants Committee.

Seamus was actively involved in all he did throughout his life, and it was only a short view days before his death that he rang me to know if I knew something off hand that he was trying to find out for his column in the Dungarvan Leader.

In March of 2013, the Inaugural Abbeyside Community Sports Awards took place at Minnie’s in the village.

How apt it is now, that the people of the area who are involved in the different sports club in the area honour Seamus with one of its inaugural ‘Hall of Fame’ awards. The others to be honoured on the night were John Woods, John Walsh, Br Finbarr Spring O.S.A. and former Waterford hurler Austin Flynn.

When a person dies, the words Gentleman or Lady are often brandished when talking about the person that has died.

Seamus O’Brien was one of these Gentlemen. There can be no doubting about this. Seamus was a friend to everyone that had the honour of knowing him, and he counted those he worked with on different committees as his friends as well.

He was a man that you could turn to for advice and he would give you great advice. When he suspected that there might be something on the mind of someone, Seamus would lend you his ear, and what was said to him it could be said hardly went any further.

If and when the history of the G.A.A. in Waterford is compiled, it has to be assumed that on more than once occasion Seamus O’Brien will get a mention as someone that had as much interest in the up and coming players down the years as he had in the county senior hurling and football teams of the day.

This could be proven around the turn of the Millennium when there was moves within Croke Park to abolish the annual Tony Forristal and Sonny Walsh Tournaments in Waterford City, something that Seamus was not in favour of and would have met with Central Council delegates and officers of Bord na nÓg and Adult Bord’s up and down the country at the time to try and win their support to make sure that this did not happen. Thankfully because of the hard work of Seamus and others at the time, the Tournament remained and is still growing from strength to strength today, two decades on, attracting the stars of the future to venues in Waterford City over the last weekend of August each year.

Seamus died on May 29, 2013.

Covid19 and What Happens With the GAA

In 2001 the G.A.A. saw part of its playing year closed down for a number of weeks when Ireland was hit with Foot and Mouth disease. Luckily for the G.A.A. at the time the shut down happened in the months of February and March and it was able to play Catch Up after a few weeks where there was no activity.

Nineteen years on the G.A.A. and other sporting groups not just in Ireland but all around the globe have been forced to close down once more because of the Covid19 Virus which most of us will have known about since before last Christmas but only entered Europe in more recent times and in Ireland in the last few weeks.

This time around the G.A.A. and other sporting groups will not be so lucky to playing off its different competitions. Already major sporting events planned for this year – events like the Aintree Grand National and the European Soccer Championships which were to be staged in a number of cities all around Europe including Dublin have been put back twelve months. Announcements will surely be made of other events like The Tour de France, Wimbledon, the different Formula 1 races and the many sporting events that take place in America could all fall by the wayside as well. We are told however that the biggest sporting contest planned for 2020 the Olympic Games will go ahead, but really it is hard to see this go ahead right now.

Of course one major sporting event – The Cheltenham Race Festival has gone ahead. Why it went ahead is mindboggling. It is hard to understand how Boris Johnson and co across the water allowed so many people gather in the one area for a number of days happen. I and I know many others can but think of the title of the BBC Comedy – Only Fools and Horses when you think about the event going ahead. Maybe it was a case of money talks and this is why the event went ahead.

On the world stage when it comes to the G.A.A. what happens to this year’s All-Ireland Hurling and Football Championships in hurling and football as well as in the Ladies Codes will not capture the imagination of many around the world, but they will of people here in Ireland and in areas around the world where Irish people have settled and made their home.

The G.A.A. are often criticised – sometimes rightly and other times wrongly, but they along with their sister associations – The Ladies Football and Camogie Associations deserve praise for announcing so quickly last week after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar while in America ahead of Saint Patrick’s Day announced that schools, colleges, crèches, Libraries were to close, they too announced that they were going to call a halt to all fixtures planned to the end of the month. This was a rough date of when fixtures would be resuming but I think we all know that games will not be resuming in April.

The Waterford G.A.A. County Board to their credit have announced that fixtures planned for April will not go ahead now, suggesting that maybe fixtures at a National Level will not take place either at this point. A number of other counties have also announced that there will be no fixtures in the month of April.

Suppose the Covid19 Virus comes to an end in a month or six weeks and sporting bodies decide to resume hosting fixtures once more, it could mean that the G.A.A. will have some major headaches.

As things stand the National Hurling Leagues are down to the knockout stages. These fixtures could well be completed in three weeks. The G.A.A. could complete them in an even quicker time should they play the quarter and semi finals within three or four days of one another, with one round of games going ahead in the middle of a week, but where would this leave player welfare. It’s safe to say that the G.A.A. would not go down this road, but it is one that is available to them.

In football things are a little more different. Heading into last weekend there was two rounds of fixtures to be played in the all four divisions before the finals were to be played.

In previous years the G.A.A. could have decided to suspend the league competition if they were cleared to play games again in six to eight weeks and go straight into the provincial championships and they could if they so wished have played the remainder of the leagues in late November or December. Another option would be to declare them null and void as things stand.

   But we cannot go straight into the championships in 2020 without playing out the remainder of the leagues especially in football.

Last year as we all know the G.A.A. head a special congress in Cork to get the right to introduce a second tier football championship, where teams that play in Division four of the National League, the teams that finish from third to eight in Division three and the bottom two teams in division two would play for the Tailteann Cup provided they did not reach a provincial final whereby they would compete for the Sam Maguire Cup.

And what makes things interesting when it comes to which championship sides compete in when it comes to football, seven of the eight teams in division two can still win the competition, while Cork who leads Division Three could still miss out on a promotion place if they were to lose their last two games in the group section.

If the G.A.A. were to postpone or declare the remainder of the leagues ‘null and void’ it would mean that an emergency special congress would have to be held to decide a new format for the Tailteann Cup or take a decision to postpone the start up of it for another twelve months and the teams competing in it would be determined by where they would finish in next year’s National League.

And we must not forget that the Club is the most important unit in the association. Whatever about the inter county championships in 2020, if and when games resume the Club Championships at all levels have to come first. Without the clubs we would have no inter county championships as the best available players are picked from the different club championships to represent their county in inter county competition.

Thinks Hopping Up In Division One of National Ladies Football League

It was a day of change in Division One of the Lidl National Ladies Football League as the eight competing sides begin to fight it out for the four semi final positions with two rounds of games to be played.

Donegal made a giant step move in a bid to become one of the four sides that reach the knockout stages of the competition when they recorded a 2-6 to 0-8 win over Donegal in Ballyshannon.

Geraldine McLaughlin once again proved to be top scorer for the Ulster side as she hit 1-5 of her side’s tally on the day.

They turned around at the break leading 1-3 to 0-5 lead. The home side opened the scoring with a free from Geraldine McLaughlin but the vistitors followed up with scores from Sadhbh O’Leary, Saoirse Noonan and Orla Finn to go two points in front.  

Amy Boyle Carr netted for the home side on 21 minutes and this score was followed up by Geraldine McLaughlin’s second of the game putting her side two points in front, but that lead was halved when Orla Finn pointed for the Rebellettes. Prior to the break McLaughlin and Finn would convert for their respective sides giving the home side the slanderous of leads at the break.

The same two players began the second half with an exchange of scores before the most telling score of the game came on 38 minutes when Geraldine McLaughlin tipped through the visitors defence to land her side a second goal in this game.

McLaughlin and Finn again swapped scores before Niamh Hegarty secured the win for the home side with a point.

While Galway’s senior hurlers were playing and beating their counterparts from Tipperary at Pearse Stadium in Salthill, 25 miles North-East of the seaside venue the Ladies Footballers from the same two counties were doing battle at Tuam Stadium, where the outcome was the same, a win for Galway.

With Cork loosing in Ballyshannon Galway took advantage to move top of the table bringing their points total to 12 from a possible 15, their loss of points coming in the opening round of fixtures when they lost 5-4 to 1-15 in Corofin to Waterford.

 The home side opened the scoring in this game with scores from Fabienne Cooney, Ailbhe Davoren and Andrea Trill to go three points in front with ten minutes played.

Caitlin Kennedy hit the Premier Counties first score of the game but it was followed up with scores from Róisín Leonard and Lynsey Noone. Anna Carey pulled one back for the visitors but another score from Lynsey Noon gave the home side an 0-6 to 0-2 advantage at the break.

Róisín Leonard opened the second half scoring with a point and on 37 minutes the same player drew a great save from Lauren Fitzpatrick in the Tipperary goal and as Lynsey Noon attempted to finish off a rebound she was fouled for a penalty from which Róisín Leonard made no mistake.

Ashling Moloney pointed for Tipperary before Lucy Hannon and Emma Morrissey swapped scores giving the home side a 1-8 to 0-4 lead with 19 minutes remaining.

Lucy Hannon, Andrea Trill and Tracey Leonard all hit late scores for the home side to move them top of the Division One league table.

In Swinford Mayo had a four point win over Westmeath who over the course of sixty plus minutes hit just two scores both of which resulted in the raising of green flags.

Rachel Kearns finished top scorer for the home side who finished the game with eight of her side’s ten scores in this game.

Scores were hard won for the second game in a row play at the Swinford venue. Natasha Gaughan opened the scoring on two minutes but it was another 20 minutes before another score would arrive.

Rachel Kearns hit a brace of late scores for the home side in this game while Ciara McManamon would hit one to give their side a 0-4 to no score lead at the break.

Lucy McCartan opened the second half scoring with a goal for the visitors but Rachel Kearns would follow up with four points in a row to put the home side 0-8 to 1-0 comfortably in front.

Rachel Kearns would follow up with a brace of further scores for the home side but in between the visitors would make things a little more difficult for the home side when Leona Archibold planted a penalty to the back of the the Mayo net.

Meanwhile in Dungarvan’s Fraher Field Three in a row All-Ireland Champions – Dublin were made fight hard to earn a second win in this year’s Ladies National Football League when they played Waterford at.

The old adage that goals wins games proved to be once again true here as Mick Bohan’s side hit a brace in each half to help them to a four point win.

Waterford played with the wind at their backs in the opening half of this game and raced into a six point lead by the thirteenth minute a lead which they had stretched to seven by the 24 minute, but two late first half goals proved decisive as Waterford turned around with a 0-10 to 2-2 advantage on the board.

Róisín Tobin who is one of the longest serving player in this group of players after the retirement of Michelle Ryan opened the scoring in the first minute and the home sides lead was doubled a minute later when Kelly Anne Hogan put over from a free.

Long serving supporters of the Waterford Ladies Football Teams will remember Róisín Tobin in her early days playing with the county at Intermediate level did so as a wind back but in recent years she has moved very successfully into the forward line and have even come back from a serious injury a few years back, and she hit her second of the game on four minutes to put Waterford three up.

Kelly Anne Hogan put over a brace of frees to stretch Waterford’s lead to five by the ninth minute and when Chloe Fennell put over four minutes later it was looking extremely good for Waterford.

Dublin hit their first score of the game on the quarter of an hour mark when Siobhan Woods pointed from play and three minutes later Carla Rowe pointed from a free.

Katie Murray extended Waterford’s lead on 21 minutes and Kelly Anne Hogan followed up with a brace of successful frees putting Waterford in the driving seat.

But Dublin are not All-Ireland Champions with the past three years for nothing and in the dying minutes of this game they began to call on all of the experience picked up over the last few years.

Siobhan Woods netted their first goal on 26 minutes and while Róisín Tobin would hit her third goal of the game on the half hour mark, Dublin gave themselves renewed home going into the second half when they would have the wind at their backs when Noelle Healy netted their second goal of the game in added time which left them trailing 0-10 to 2-2 at the break.

Caoimhe McGrath and Katie Murray landed scores for the home side in the first ten minutes of the half without the visitors responding.

But two goals in two minutes for the visitors proved decisive. Carla Rowe pointed on 42 minutes and two minutes later the same player netted from the penalty spot conceded by full back Róisín Dunphy who was sent to the stand by the referee for the next ten minutes after he flashed a yellow card in her direction.

And on 46 minutes seven time All-Star Sinead Ahearne netted a fourth goal for her side 4-3 to 0-12 in front. Once the visitors had taken the lead they were not going to give it up easily and they added points from Carla Rowe and Eabha Rutledge putting them further in front.

Both sides decided to send on replacements over the following minutes which broke the flow of the game, but there was time for one more to be hit in stoppage time and it went to Waterford with Caoimhe McGrath the player to hit it.

Déise Ladies Beat Previously Unbeaten Clare to Secure First Win of 2020

Goals midway through the opening half from Beth Carton and Sarah Lacey and a brilliant save from Ciara Jackman helped Waterford secure a first win in this year’s National Camogie League on Saturday last when they proved too god for a previously unbeaten Clare at Cratloe. 

The home side went into this game in great form sitting top of the league table after two games with maximum points after wins over Offaly and Kilkenny both away from home and with home advantage for the first time in this year’s campaign they expected to keep their unbeaten record intact against a Waterford side that had secured just one point from a possible six going into this game however their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages took a setback as a result of this loss factoring in that they must still play Cork in their last game in the group stages.

Waterford opened this game brightly with two early points the first from Lorraine Bray who put in another outstanding hours work in the white and blue shirt and it was followed with a score from top scorer Beth Carton from a placed ball.

The home side settled after this and by the eleventh minute looked as if they could record a third win in a row as points from Eimear Kelly and Laura McMahon was followed up with another from Eimear Kelly and then Orlaith Duggan to give the home side a 0-4 to 0-2 lead.

However the home side could not follow up on this lead and when Beth Carton cut in from the right hand side and unleashed a shot past Sarah Loughnane to give Waterford the lead once more, one that they would never give up.

The De La Salle sharp shooter doubled Waterford’s advantage when she followed up converting a free into the wind and when Sarah Lacey recovered from injury that kept her out earlier in the league when played in by Beth Carton again finished past Sarah Loughnane to give Waterford a 2-3 to 0-4 lead with fifteen minutes played.

Eimear Kelly pulled a point back for the home side but with wind advantage she put two more wide before Beth Carton made no mistake at the other end. The same two players would again swap scores to keep Waterford’s advantage at five points. Eimear Kelly put over a good score for the home side to marginally cut Waterford’s lead but Waterford would turn around in a good position as Niamh Rockett put over a brace of scores with Beth Carton from a placed ball in between the Saint’s Anne’s player scores to give Fergal O’Brien’s side a 2-8 to 0-7 advantage at the interval.

Not happy with what they saw in those opening 30 minutes the Clare management kept their charges on the field for much of the time allotted for the break. When they did return to their dressing room what was said clearly had an effect on the players. They were quickly back out but were made to wait for the restart by the Waterford players.

Aoife Power scored an opportunist early second half goal for the home side after a Eimear Kelly ball into the Waterford goal was broken down by Áine O’Loughlin to make it a four point game. Eimear Kelly put over a free to make it a three point game and on 39 minutes the home side once more had a chance to eat into Waterford’s lead but All-Ireland winner with Gailltir a week earlier Ciara Jackman starting her first game for Waterford this year made a fantastic save from Áine O’Loughlin to keep Waterford in front.

Beth Carton hit Waterford’s first score of the second half to steady the ship somewhat and quickly followed up with another to put her side back in front by five. Aoife Power pointed for the home side which was followed up with Waterford’s final score of this game courtesy of another Beth Carton score.

The home side pressed hard to get something from this game in the closing minutes. When a close in free was awarded to the home side instead of Eimear Kelly who was on free taking duty on the day, Áine O’Loughlin was called upon to strike. She opted to go for goal but her shot rose over the crossbar and the same player would follow up with the final score of the game to leave three between the sides at the sound of referee Just Heffernan’s full time whistle.

Next up for Fergal O’Brien’s side is a home game at a venue to be confirmed against Kilkenny on Sunday next.

Waterford: Ciara Jackman; Sibheal Harney, Iona Heffernan, Clare Whyte; Aoife Landers, Shona Curran, Lorraine Bray; Caoimhe McGrath, Orla Hickey; Beth Carton, Fiona Morrissey, Jenny McCarthy; Sarah Lacey,  Niamh Rockett, Aisling Power.

Subs: Kate Lynch for Aoife Landers (28), Annie Fitzgerald for Aisling Power (44), Claire Murphy for Fiona Morrissey (57), Kate McMahon for Sarah Lacey (63)

Scorers: Beth Carton 1-8, (0-7f); Sarah Lacey 1-0; Niamh Rockett 0-2; Lorraine Bray 0-1

Clare: Sarah Loughnane; Ciara Grogan, Clare Hehir, Roisin Minogue; Sinead Conlon, Ciara Doyle, Alannah Ryan; Michelle Caulfield, Orlaith Duggan; Gretta Hickey, Laura McMahon, Máire McGrath; Eimear Kelly, Áine O’Loughlin, Aoife Power.

Subs: Robyn Conway for Michelle Caulfield (HT), Bridín Dinan for Máire McGrath (51).

Scorers: Eimear Kelly 0-6 (5f); Aoife Power 1-1; Aine O’Loughlin 0-2 (1f), Laura McMahon, Orlaith Duggan 0-1 each.

Referee: Justin Heffernan (Wexford)

GaillChear for All-Ireland Champions

What a difference twelve months can make. On the first Sunday of March in 2019 Gailltir’s senior Camogie team were in Croke Park for the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Final where they came up against Down Champions Clonduff. On a freezing cold day where Gailltir net minder Ciara Jackman was photographed holding a hot water bottle to try and keep warm while the action was at the other end of the field, the side in sky blue and navy made the journey back to Waterford and its outskirts a disappointed side having lost 0-10 to 0-9, the most cruel of losing margins to lose a game.

On the first Sunday of March in 2020 Gailltir were back in Croke Park for the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Final, this time the opposition was Offaly side Saint Rynagh’s, the side they beat in last year’s semi final. After beating last year’s winners in the penultimate round of fixtures in this year’s championship, the Barony Ladies travelled to G.A.A. Head Quarters in a confident mood but still very much respecting the side that they were about to face.

Played in front of an attendance of 3,705 this was a game that went to the wire. It is fair to assume that many in that attendance were there to see the Senior Final between Sarsfields and Slaughtneil; the only losers in this game were those that may not have entered the ground to see both games. Traditionally on All-Ireland Final day many people stay away from the curtain raiser to the main game of the day or come in late as this game proved to be a much more enjoyable game to the one which followed with a great amount of skill from both side’s on show.

The Ladies from the Barony made a great start to this game and found themselves 0-5 to 0-1 in front with 18 minutes played while playing with the wind at their backs. By the break the Offaly side had cut Gailltir’s early lead marginally and despite conceding the first score of the second half The Saint’s by the 42 minute of this game were two points in front and looking good for a first All-Ireland win at this level.

However, Gailltir refused to give up and were able to call on their experience gained in recent years playing at different levels and they were to reap the rewards of not giving up hitting 1-1 in stoppage time at the end of the hour to win this game courtesy of the only goal of the game.

Gailltir were first on the score sheet in this game which was played at sunny but windy conditions at G.A.A. Head-quarters when playing into an empty Hill 16 end of the ground Ciara O’Sullivan shot over the head of Ellen Gilligan in the Saint Rynagh’s goal, but the Offaly side were soon on level terms with their brilliant teenage star Kate Kenny shot over at the other end three minutes later.

Ciara O’Connell picked up an early yellow card for the Midlander’s and from the resulting free Annie Fitzgerald who top scored for the Sky Blues over the course of the championship made no mistake and when her cousin Aoife Fitzgerald pointed it was starting to look good for Gailltir.

Gailltir have a nice blend of youth and experience in their set up. Much is spoke of the young up and coming players in the club and rightly so, but the importance of experience players like Trish Jackman, Margo Heffernan, Emma Roche and Áine Lyng cannot be spelt out enough, and it was Áine Lyng who captained this year’s side who shot over the next score for the Sky Blues and then followed up with another to put her side 0-5 to 0-1 in front with 18 minutes played.

The Offaly side came more into the game after this and were to make it a three point game when Siobhan Flannery put over her first of the game on 19 minutes. Aoife Fitzgerald and Anne Corcoran followed up with scores for the side in Sky Blue with four minutes of the half remaining, but the side in Royal Blue would finish the opening half strongly with points from Siobhan Flannery and centre back Linda Sullivan to send the sides to the dressing rooms with Gailltir holding a much deserved 0-7 to 0-4 lead.

The second half started as the first half did with an early score from Ciara O’Sullivan to stretch her side’s lead to four, but over the following minutes it was the Offaly side that proved to be the more economical in front of goal.

Siobhan Flannery put over a free to reduce the defecate between the sides and when Kate Kenny put over a brace of score’s and Flannery scored again the sides were level at eight points each after 40 minutes.

Siobhan Flannery was punishing Gailltir for any frees given away and on 42 minutes she pointed again to give her side the lead for the first time. Gailltir scored for the first time in 13 minutes when Annie Fitzgerald once more split the posts and it was followed up with scores from Shauna Fitzgerald and other from Annie Fitzgerald to give Gailltir a 0-11 to 0-10 lead with 52 minutes played.

A side can never say they are in a good position to win till the final whistle is sounded or at least they are out of sight of their opponents, and after Annie Fitzgerald got her third score of the game the Offaly side hit back with a quick-fire double from Gráinne Dolan and Siobhan Flannery to take the lead once more with seven minutes remaining.

Annie Fitzgerald leveled matters with four minutes remaining of the hour to be played but within sixty seconds the Offaly side had gone back in front when Siobhán Flannery got her seventh score of the afternoon and their surly were some in their camp believing that it was going to be their day and they would gain revenge for last year’s All-Ireland semi final loss to the same opposition.

But Gailltir were not going to throw in the towel without a fight. There was no way that they were going to make that journey down the M9 without Agnes O’Farrelly with them.

Deep in added time at the end of the hour when Gailltir won a free under the Cusack Stand no side would want anyone other than seven time All-Ireland Púc Fada champions Trish Jackman to stand over it. Her effort driven with precision landed in the danger zone was won by Shauna Fitzgerald surrounded by a number of Royal Blue shirts managed to pick out Una Jackman who let fly into the roof of the Saint Rynagh’s net putting her side into a two point lead.  

And before the roars of the Gailltir players had died down Gailltir won another free which Trish Jackman once more stood over and this time her effort did not fall short as it sailed over the crossbar at the Canal End of Croke Park to secure the win for Gailltir becoming only the second Waterford Club side to win at Croke Park on All-Ireland Final Day.  

Gailltír: Ciara Jackman; Leah Sheridan, Margo Heffernan, Hannah Flynn; Emma Roche, Clodagh Carroll, Trish Jackman; Katie Lynch, Shauna Fitzgerald; Ciara O’Sullivan, Áine Lyng, Annie Fitzgerald; Anne Corcoran, Aoife Fitzgerald, Emer Walsh

Subs:  Claire Dunne for Margo Heffernan (46), Úna Jackman for Emer Walsh (50).

SCORERS: Annie Fitzgerald 0-4(4fs); Una Jackman 1-0; Aoife Fitzgerald, A Lyng, Ciara O’Sullivan 0-2 each, Anne Corcoran, Shauna Fitzgerald, Trish Jackman (f) 0-1 each

St Rynagh’s: Ellen Gilligan; Róisín Daly, Elaine Sullivan, Sinéad Moran; Ciara O’Connell, Linda Sullivan, Emma Corcoran; Helen Dolan, Róisín Egan; Aoife McLoughlin, Sinéad Hanamy, Gráinne Dolan; Louise Mannion, Siobhán Flannery, Kate Kenny

Subs: Trish Nugent for Ciara O’Connell (21), Claire Dunne for Áine Lyng (62)

Scorers: Siobhán Flannery 0-7, (7f), Kate Kenny 0-4, Linda Sullivan and Gráinne Dolan 0-1 each.

Referee: Owen Elliot (Antrim).

Remainder of Gailltir Panel: Elena Gallagher, Áine O’Keeffe, Emily Mahony, Róisín Flood, Sorcha Cantwell, Clodagh Hoctor, Emma Flynn, Jodie Tuohy and Sarah Maher.

Management Team and Background team: Orla Murphy (Manager), Gail O’Sullivan, Andy Moloney, Catherine Whitty, Sally O’Grady, Denise Ferguson, Oisin Breathnach, Paul Lyng, Colin Kehoe and Edel Forrest.