Déise Ladies Seek Double All-Ireland Glory Over Lilly Whites

In the 1990’s Waterford were the top side in Ladies Football.

Between 1991 and 2000, Waterford won five All-Ireland Finals. They lost a further one final against Monaghan and two to a brilliant Mayo side in that time. 1993 and 1996 was the only years when Waterford did not play in Croke Park, loosing out to Kerry in that year’s Munster Final.

In the same time Waterford won three Division 1 League Finals.

Waterford remained competitive for a number of years after this.

In the early years of the new Millennium Waterford won two Minor ‘A’ Championships (2000 and 2001), but the record books show that for the first of these titles, despite Waterford winning 7-12 to 1-6 against Tyrone, the title was taken off Waterford for fielding a sixth sub in the game.

A Division One league final was won in 2002 after Michael Ryan’s charges beat Mayo 2-9 to 1-9.

But the players that had served Waterford well for over a decade, many of whom in addition to the above titles as well as titles at Minor and under 16 level had helped Ballymacarbry to win nine All-Ireland Senior Club titles in ten years soon began to retire and for a while Waterford found it hard to find replacements up to the standard that those retiring were at.

Early in 2009 it was no real surprise to see Waterford loose their Senior Status for the first time since they beat Wexford in the 1986 All-Ireland Final, the first Ladies Football Final to be played in Croke Park.

Since loosing that relegation play off to Meath, there has been plenty of more honours won by Waterford at Adult and underage levels.

Winning seven Munster Senior Intermediate Finals in a row is the stand out achievement in this time. Waterford since dropping down to the Intermediate grade have made two trips to G.A.A. Headquarters at the end of the championship, loosing to Donegal 2-12 to 0-16 in 2010 and two years later lost out to a very strong Armagh side on a 1-12 to 1-5 score line.

After suffering three of their last five defeats to opposition from Ulster sides at Croke Park, Waterford will be somewhat happy that they are not playing opposition from the most Northern Provence this weekend.

While Waterford’s opponents will not be from Ulster when Ladies Football is a strong sport, in Kildare Waterford face very difficult opponents.

The Lilly-whites played in the senior grade since beating Sligo in the 2004 Junior All-Ireland Final at G.A.A. Headquarters until they were relegated at the end of 2014 and in that time they have for many years played in a division above Waterford in the National League so will come into the game as a very seasoned side.

They will come into this weekend’s decider fielding a very strong fifteen and will be able also to call from a strong bench for reinforcements.

Rebecca McGuirk will start between the posts, while Tara Hallinan, Aisling Savage, Aisling Curley, Rachel Reidy, Paula Keatley, Lydia Furey, Rachel Cribbin and Naoise Berry will fight it out for the defensive positions.

In the middle of the field, team captain Aisling Holton will partner Joanna Timmins but up front it is where Kildare are going to be at their strongest.

Ellen Dowling, Trina Duggan, Mikaela McKenna, Róisín Byrne, Eadaoin Connolly their hat-trick hero from their semi final win over Offaly, Maria Moolick, Niamh Mulhall and Grace Clifford will be all fighting it out for just six shirts.

The Lilly-whites have had a good year in 2015.

They finished in mid table in the Division 2 League and in the Leinster Championship they beat Wexford in the semi finals on a 4-11 to 0-6 score line and then Offaly in the final on a 2-22 to 5-7 score line.

In the All-Ireland quarter final, Kildare were again pitted against Wexford who they beat this time 2-18 to 2-7 and in the All-Ireland semi final a few weeks back they beat Offaly 5-5 to 0-6 at Parnell Park.

What can be said of Waterford that has not been said already? Very little is the answer.

At this point anyone that has seen the side play this year will know that Pat Sullivan and his selectors have put together a very good panel.

They have got players like Katie Hannon, Maria Delahunty and Sinead Ryan who have not played as much inter county ladies football as many would have liked to see them play back into the set up and they have made a huge difference.

Twenty-four year old Katie Hannon has established herself as the sides goalkeeper this year despite the fact she never played in goal in a Ladies Football game prior to this year, but she did play in goal for four years playing soccer in UCC something that would have given confidence to the management team.

Sinead Ryan has come in at Full Forward and has proven to the most dangerous player in front of the opposition’s goal since Aine Wall did so in the late 80’s and 90’s.

In front of her Maria Delahunty has been a revelation. She has tormented many sides with her speed and has also punished them for any indiscipline with some accurate kicking of frees both from her hands and more impressively off the ground from up to just over 45 metres from goal.

Moving established players to new positions has also worked for Waterford this year.

Who would have thought that the very successful centre field partnership of Elaine Power and Michelle McGrath would have been broken up?

Pat Sullivan and his management team did so earlier this year. I wonder did they know at the time that the move they made would prove to be as successful as it has proven.

Elaine Power has moved to the half back line and has proven to be outstanding there this year. Michelle McGrath in her new position of Full back has proven to be as an equally inspiring move.

And the movement around the team does not stop just there.

Linda Wall, one of the best forwards in the country for much of the past decade and a half has proven to be a revelation at corner back and still shows her attacking instinct by breaking forward to kick some important scores.

Mary Foley has made the opposite move. The Abbeyside player in the last few years was excellent at corner back or wing back but has moved to corner forward and has found a new lease of life.

Mairead Wall another player that played in attack in recent years has moved to play in the opposite corner to her older sister and is without doubt one of the most under rated players in the country.

Louise Ryan who was a mascot for the senior team along with her sister Michelle in the 90’s has also found a regular place in the team this year at wing back.

And then there are younger players.

Aileen Wall is a player that many are aware of. She has put in many fine performances over the past few years. This year she is again outstanding. Emma Murray, one of a set of triplets involved in the panel this year has come in and is playing like a player that has been involved for many years in the set up. She has formed a formidable centre of the field partnership with Karen McGrath younger sister of former captain Michelle.

Megan Dunford has been outstanding all year. In parts of the league final loss to Sligo back in May, the 16 year old was outstanding and Waterford could have lost by more than the four points they did without her.

Hannah Landers is known about with a few years now, but at the age of 20 is coming into her best years, and what can be said of the brilliant Gráinne Kenneally. The Ballyduff player is without doubt one of the most brave players in the game at any level, often putting her body where some of the top men footballers may think twice about, all in a bid to do whatever she has to for the team.

And no team is complete without back up.

Nora Dunphy, Nicola Fennell, Ciara Kearney, Emer Scanlon, Aoife Landers and Michelle Ryan are all players between 20 and 29 who have clocked up many hours between them playing ladies football.

Shauna Dunphy, Caoimhe McGrath, Kate McGrath, Mary Kate Morrissey as well as sisters Aoife and Katie Murray are all teenagers who have got time to show what they can do this year and did not fail to impress and if called upon at G.A.A. Headquarters this weekend again will not leave the side down.

It’s hard to see Pat Sullivan and his management team make any changes to the team for Sunday’s encounter unless they are forced to do so.

That will mean Katie Hannon will start between the posts. The two elder of the Wall sisters Mairead and Linda will be in the corner back positions with Michelle McGrath in the middle.

The half back line will see Elaine Power, Megan Dunford and Louise Ryan line up alongside each other with Emma Murray and Karen McGrath in the middle of the field.

Maria Delahunty will continue at centre forward, with Aileen Wall on one wing with one from Hannah Landers or Gráinne Kenneally starting on the other wing and the other in the corner behind her. Sinead Ryan will be at full forward and Mary Foley will complete the line up.

To predict the outcome is not easy.

Either side are going to be worthy champions.

Kildare playing Senior with the past decade and playing in a higher grade in the league to Waterford for the past few years has to be a help to them.

But this is a hungry Waterford side.

Some of the older players in the panel have experience of playing senior football for Waterford and I have no doubt that before they call a day to their inter county career that they would love to be playing in the top flight for another year or two and if Waterford were to come out on top, their experience in helping the younger players to move up to the next level would be vital.

A great deal of the panel have five, six or seven Munster medals at this grade and some have them at senior level, but it would be terrible to see them in a few years to retire without having at least one All-Ireland medal in a collection. It would be a bit like many see great hurlers like Ken McGrath, John Mullane, Dan Shanahan, Paul Flynn and Tony Browne retired without a Celtic Cross. (The latter two do have under 21 medals)

So who will win?

The bookies will probably side with the Leinster Champions. After all they are just down from Senior and as I have pointed out, that has to count for something.

But I feel that this could be Waterford’s year.

I have been watching Ladies Football going back to the 80’s and have seen some good players and some good teams.

All year I am impressed with what I have seen from this Waterford side.

Since Waterford qualified for this game, I had a feeling that I could see a Déise Double happen at G.A.A. Headquarters this autumn. The Waterford Intermediate Camogie team have helped to make the first part of it happen just over a week ago. I believe in the next few days their football counterparts will complete the feeling I have had.

 

Kildare and Waterford – the Story of 2015

 

National League - Round 1	Kildare	2	9	Meath	1	11
National League - Round 2	Kildare	1	8	Cavan	4	13
National League - Round 3	Kildare	2	8	Armagh	2	19
National League - Round 4	Kildare	1	2	Donegal	5	19
National League - Round 5	Kildare	2	3	Westmeath	0	13
National League - Round 6	Kildare	10	17	Down	3	10
National League - Round 7	Kildare	2	19	Clare	1	12
Leinster Semi Final	Kildare	4	11	Wexford	0	6
Leinster Final	Kildare	2	22	Offaly	5	7
All-Ireland Quarter Final	Kildare	2	18	Wexford	2	7
All-Ireland Semi Final	Kildare	5	5	Offaly	0	6
	Totals	33	122		23	123
Average For	20.1 Points
Average Against	17.5 Points

 

National League - Round 1	Waterford	0	9	Wexford	2	2
National League - Round 2	Waterford	5	12	Fermanagh	0	3
National League - Round 3	Waterford	5	13	Sligo	0	6
National League - Round 4	Waterford	2	12	Tipperary	3	5
National League - Round 5	Waterford	5	6	Roscommon	2	9
National League - Round 6	Waterford	0	0	Longford	0	0
National League - Round 7	Waterford	5	11	Leitrim	3	9
League Semi Final	Waterford	4	15	Roscommon	0	9
League Final	Waterford	2	8	Sligo	2	12
Munster Round 1	Waterford	3	16	Limerick	4	7
Munster Round 2	Waterford	6	18	Tipperary	1	4
Munster Round 3	Waterford	2	12	Clare	0	11
Munster Final	Waterford	1	14	Clare	2	7
All-Ireland Quarter Final	Waterford	1	15	Sligo	0	8
All-Ireland Semi Final	Waterford	2	17	Leitrim	2	6
		43	178		21	98
Average For	20.5 Points
Average Against	10.8Points

 

Waterford Camogie Stars reach the Promised Land.

Waterford got a new look County Camogie Board for 2015. We also got a new look Intermediate Camogie management team.

Within a short while the changes they were making soon quickly became to be seen. We were asked soon to join a journey. It was a long journey. It was a successful journey. It was a journey that saw Waterford win some silverware within the game at inter county level.

The Division two league final was won on May. The Under 16 ‘B’ All-Ireland was added in August and now in September the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship has been added.

The journey did not start this year. Its one that has being ongoing with a number of years now. The length of that journey now is one that does not matter. Camogie in Waterford is where it wants to be with a long number of years.

But the journey is not over yet.

Waterford is merely pulling in for a short break. There is still part of the journey to go. It’s a journey worth seeing out now. It would be easy to park up and say we are where we want to. In doing so you run the risk of doing a U-turn and go back to where the journey started. It’s one that many undertake. That would be a foolish journey to take. Its worth continuing on now and see where the road leads to.

Its important now that Waterford drive on.

Waterford next year will get to play the biggest and best sides in the country. That’s where most players want to be.

Waterford will take a year or two to settle in the senior grade in both the league and championship. But they will know that sides that have made similar jumps in recent years have settled and established themselves and Waterford will be no different.

Waterford head to the top flight next year safe in the knowledge they have some very established players in their set up.

Players like Nicola Morrissey, Claire Whyte, Charlotte Raher, Shona Curran, Niamh Rockett, Jennie Simpson, Claire Murphy, Deirdre Brennan and Trish Jackman are all players of note and between then have clocked up many miles travelling to Camogie games and training sessions.

And while Waterford has some very established players there are some terrific young players around.

Names that spring to mind include the likes of Kate McMahon, Iona Heffernan, Lorraine Bray, Beth Carton, Aisling Power, Dawn Power, Brianna O’Regan, Saoirse Bonner, Molly Curran, Orla Flynn, Sibeal Harney and Elizabeth McGrath all who have come off successful underage teams and who were part of the Waterford panel for the first time this year or in the case of some, it was their second or third year involved.

There is also players that are involved in the third level competitions in recent years, the likes of Vikki Falconer who captained WIT to win the Ashbourne Cup this year, Valerie O’Brien who was part of the same WIT team, Becky Kavanagh and Jenny McCarthy had good runs in the Purcell Cup this year, and they were all lead this year by Caithriona McGlone from Lismore, a player that needs no introduction to the big stage.

And in the next few years expect the numbers in this group grow. There are some brilliant young players coming throw that could well be added to the panel in the coming year or two.

While Waterford’s past achievements when it comes to Camogie are great, none can compare to the latest achievement. To win the highest honour in the highest grade you compete is all you can ask in any sport.

Waterford’s seven point winning margin was impressive, early in the game while it always looked that Waterford would win, the margin of victory did not always look to be as big as it was.

Waterford as can happen at times was a little slow to settle into the surrounds.

Kildare had a good start to the game.

They raced into an early five point lead.

The first goal of the game came on three minutes.

Susie O’Carroll picked out Noelle Earley with a good pass and having lost her hurley just seconds earlier in an attempt to clear her goal area, Deirdre Brennan raced back to her goal line but was powerless to keep the Clane hand passed effort from hitting the net.

The hand passed goal is something that is long gone out of hurling but is something that many in Camogie would like to see abolished especially those that play in goal or defence as it can be difficult to defend against at times.

And when Melissa Lyons and Emer Reilly followed up with points for Kildare it was looking that Waterford’s afternoon’s work in G.A.A. headquarters could be a difficult one.

But the sign of a good side is one that refuses to panic and Waterford never panicked even if chances that they had did go wide of the uprights.

Beth Carton got Waterford off the mark with a pointed free and the brilliant De La Salle player followed it up with another effort from a placed ball to cut Kildare’s early lead to three.

That lead was further cut when Player of the Match Lorraine Bray split the posts and when Jennie Simpson followed up with a fine effort to cut Kildare’s lead to one heading to half time having played against a strong wind it was beginning to look good for Waterford.

The turning of the game for Waterford in their semi final win over Meath was bringing on Shona Curran at the break.

In this game the Waterford management team did not wait till the break to bring on the powerful Lismore player. She came on with two minutes showing to be played on the giant screens at either end of the ground and she made an immediate impact.

She played in a ball towards the Kildare goal which at the time she appeared to not be happy with but her effort fell to one of the smallest members of the panel Aisling Power who collected and got inside the Kildare defence and shot past Róisín O’Connell in the Kildare goal to give Waterford a 1-4 to 1-2 lead heading into the break, a lead that Waterford would never give up.

It’s often claimed that the most important time to score a goal could be at the end of the first half as it gives a side confidence heading into the second half.

But you could also claim that the most important time to find the net in a game is very early in the second half. Just look at what Kilkenny have done time and time again down the years. How many times have they come out for the second half after a close first half and blitzed a side with a number of important scores and go on to win a game.

Which ever is true is up to each person to decide, but for Waterford in this game it did not matter which is the best time to score.

If Aisling Power’s goal at the end of the first half was important so too was Beth Carton’s at the start of the second half.

Referee Jenny Byrne awarded an early 20 metre free on the Hogan Stand side of the field as Waterford attacked The Hill, and with Beth Carton standing over the ball only she knew that she would go for a goal and she kept the ball low and hard along a very skiddy surface as a result of the heavy rain that fell before the game which deceived everyone and went to the back of Róisín O’Connell’s net.

Having gone so near yet so far in the last few years since Waterford’s last Camogie win at Croke Park when the Mark Cooney managed side beat Down to win the Junior Final back in 2011, Waterford were now in a good place and were not miss out on this occasion.

While Emer Reilly pulled a point back for Kildare shortly after Waterford netted their second goal, Waterford hit the next three scores to extend the lead.

Nicola Morrissey hit the first of the three scores in a row. Niamh Rockett hit the second. The Saint Anne’s player was withdrawn on forty-six minutes to be replaced by Valerie O’Brien and before the Saint Anne’s player had a chance to join the rest of the subs sitting in the Canal End of the centre of the Hogan Stand she was sent straight back on to replace Nicola Morrissey and within seconds she split the posts.

And when Lorraine Bray hit her second of the game to give Waterford a 2-7 to 1-3 lead heading into the final ten minutes of the game, it was looking good for Waterford.

Susie O’Carroll pulled a brace of points back for Kildare, but Waterford would finish as they were for much of the game the stronger of the two sides as Trish Jackman from a free and then Lorraine Bray late on landed further points for Waterford to give Waterford a 2-9 to 1-5 victory and more importantly a first ever All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie title.

Waterford: Deirdre Brennan; Kate McMahon, Claire Whyte, Vikki Falconer; Charlotte Raher, Jennie Simpson, Iona Heffernan; Trish Jackman, Caithriona McGlone; Nicola Morrissey, Niamh Rockett, Beth Carton; Aisling Power, Lorraine Bray, Dawn Power. Subs: Shone Curran for Dawn Power (28), Valerie O’Brien for Niamh Rockett (46), Niamh Rockett for Nicola Morrissey (48), Claire Murphy for Caithriona McGlone (56), Dawn Power for Aisling Morrissey (60)  

Scorers: Beth Carton 1-2(1-1fs); Lorraine Bray 0-3; Aisling Power 1-0; Trish Jackman (f), Jennie Simpson, Nicola Morrissey, Niamh Rockett 0-1 each

Kildare: Róisín O’Connell; Clodagh Flanagan, Carol Nolan, Fiona Trant; Clodagh Farrell, Regina O’Gorman, Angela Lyons; Caroline Forde, Orla Bambury; Louise Keatley, Siobhan Hurley, Emer Reilly; Susie O’Carroll, Noelle Earley, Melissa Lyons. Subs: Hannah McDonnell for Caroline Forde (50), Deirbhile Byrne for Fiona Trant (52)

Scorers: Noelle Earley 1-0; Susie O’Carroll (1f), Melissa Lyons 0-2 each; Emer Reilly 0-1

Referee: Jenny Byrne (Dublin)

“After the first league game against Tipperary I knew that that this could be our year”

When it comes to this Sunday’s All-Ireland, it’s a feeling of mine that the winning of the game could well come down to experience.

When it comes to the Waterford set up there is a number of very experienced players who have been playing Intercounty Camogie for Waterford at different levels for over a decade now, some of whom have played in Croke Park already on All-Ireland final day in the recent past and who will be able to tell many of the panel who are making their first appearance to Croke Park to be part of a participating team on All-Ireland Final what to expect on the day.

One of the most experienced of these players is Jennie Simpson.

The Saint Anne’s player was part of the Waterford under 16 ‘B’ All-Ireland Final winning team back in 2003 when the side beat Armagh 6-11 to 1-4 at O’Moore Park in Portlaoise.

The a part of the Ardkeen Camogie Club, Jennie this weekend will be joined by Charlotte Raher of the Saint Anne’s Club and Gailltir’s Trish Jackman on the bus to Croke Park.

That under 16 team was a very successful one with many of the side going on to play for Waterford at the highest level at the time in the years that followed including the likes of Aisling O’Brien, Laura Buckley, Emma Hannon who was involved in the league this year for Waterford, Áine Lyng, Ciara Keogh and Martina Cashin has gone one to play for Waterford at a higher level.

The experience that Jennie has gained in the years since 2003 is going to be invaluable to the team when the sides takes to the field.

She is a player that has done it all. In addition to the under 16 medal won in 2003, she has helped Waterford win the Junior All-Ireland Final in 2011, thee National Leagues, the most recent of which came as late as last May when Waterford beat Laois at Dr. Cullen Park. She also has an Intermediate Munster Medal in her collection of medals, while in the green and red shirt of Saint Anne’s she has helped them win two County Senior Championships in 2009 and 2012, a Munster Club medal in 2009, a County senior league medal last year and has also won an Ashbourne Cup medal and has two Soaring Star awards.

The experience she has gained over the years helped her in the semi final win over Meath at Nowlan Park.

In the three previous All-Ireland semi finals Waterford had finished second best. And when Waterford went eight points down before the break and nine just after it, while some might have been wondering, here we go again, another semi final defeat, no such thoughts crossed the mind of the Saint Anne’s player. All she wanted was for the referee to blow her whistle and to get the rest of the players into the dressing room, to calm things down and to get the side hurling the way that she knew they could.

She has also been quick to signal out the part that the new young players brought into the panel this year by Sean Fleming, Brother Philip Ryan and Christ Dempsey have played

“They have added a new leaf of life to the panel” she says. “They bring the skill to a new level and are not scared to express themselves when it comes to the big games” she says. “It’s great to be playing with the likes of Beth Carton and Kate McMahon who are only out of under 16 team as well as Dawn Power and Aisling Power. If anything they can teach us (the longer serving players) a thing or two as well and that’s a great thing about having them in the panel” she adds.

After Waterford qualified for Sunday’s final with their semi final win over Meath, it quickly came to light that the County Adult Board had senior hurling games fixed for the same day as the Camogie Final with Cappoquin, Roanmore, Lismore and Dungarvan all having games and all four had members of their camogie clubs involved with Waterford meaning that supporters and often families had to make a tough call as to which of the sides they would go to see play.

Thankfully the county board has made it possible for supporters to see both games as they brought games forward by a day, something that Jennie is delighted with.

“We are delighted that the games (hurling) have been switched to Saturday” Jennie says. “In the past, club games were on the Sunday and people’s boyfriends and family members would be playing that same day and would make people have to choose on what to do” she says. “Hopefully we will get people to support us. We are aware that it (the match) is on the television (and on WLR.fm) but it would be great if we could get support. “We (the whole panel) appeal to everybody to try and get up (Croke Park) to watch us. We would appreciate the support if people could travel” Jennie added.

As a long serving player, Jennie has played under many different coaches down the years.

One of the coaches that Jennie says stands out  and who helped her develop as a player would be Helena Jacob from Wexford who was over the WIT team when she was playing with them. “She just believed in me and that developed me as a player and drove me on for county and gave me that belief as a player”. She also lists former Waterford Camogie Manager Mark Cooney as influential in her long career, as it was he who helped lead Waterford to the All-Ireland Junior Final win in 2011.

And what of current manager Sean Fleming.

Jennie recalls how when the panel met in Dungarvan at the start of this year, numbers were low and people didn’t know how things would work out in 2015.

However she says that after the first league game against Tipperary she knew that that this could be our year. “We just took one game at a time. We never looked any further then the next game. We were always focused on that and to win the league was great we knew after that was to top the group and go forward form there.

Waterford has what it takes to complete a League and Championship double.

Its about two and a half years ago that I got talking to a member of the then Waterford Intermediate Camogie Panel in a series of private messages over and back on one of the social media forums.

I had seen the side play a few times in the league and told the player in question that I felt that there was something in the group of players that would make it a good year.

It was a good year for Camogie, but maybe a good as year as I thought it might be. Mark Cooney let his side to the semi finals of the league where they lost out to Kildare. He lead his side to a Munster Intermediate Final where they beat Tipperary at Cahir and he lead the side to an All-Ireland semi final where they lost out to Galway at The Ragg.

I’m sure many of those reading here will be familiar with the hit ‘Meatloaf’ had many years ago – Two out of three ain’t bad. Well I suppose you could argue that if you enter three competitions in a calendar year and you win one of them, then one out of three for Waterford Camogie in 2013 wasn’t bad either.

In fact if you take any year in the last few years for Waterford Camogie and look back at what was achieved it could well be argued that it was a good year.

In 2009, 2010 and 2011 Waterford played in the Junior All-Ireland Finals, winning the latter. In 2012, 2013 and 2014 the Intermediate team reached the semi final of the competitions. This in fact was an excellent finish to the year for Waterford even if defeat would be their lot as for a number of years when a team moves up a grade in any competition all that is expected of you is to survive for a year or two before moving to the next level.

Pick any other year and you can pick out some great progress with Camogie in Waterford, some of which might be over looked by some.

Waterford reached the last three under 16 ‘B’ All-Ireland Final’s, a Minor ‘B’ All-Ireland Final was won, Lismore won an Intermediate All-Ireland Club Final in 2014 and reached the final in 2015. Gailltir in the last three years won two All-Ireland ‘B’ Féile Finals and this year Regional Divisional One final playing against some of the strongest clubs in the country. De La Salle in the last few years have done well at Féile and of course Trish Jackman keeps the Waterford flag flying highest when she heads to the Cooley Mountains each August Bank Holiday weekend.

As you can see from the above which is just a fraction of what is happening with the game in the county, Camogie is alive and well in Waterford and with some very dedicated people leading the game both at Club and County levels I for one don’t see standards slip any time soon and would fully agree with sentiments made by County Camogie Chairperson Ita Murphy and Inter County player Aisling Power recently, that Camogie in Waterford can go from strength to strength and it is surly only a matter of time before the county is challenging for even bigger honours.

This weekend another step is being taken in the promotion and development of camogie in Waterford as the County Intermediate team take on Kildare in the All-Ireland Final in Croke Park at 2pm.

We all know of the year that Waterford Senior Hurlers had this year, winning the league, reaching the Munster Final and then the All-Ireland Semi Final’s and I’m sure that many will agree that what was achieved far surpasses what any of us expected.

I began this piece by saying that I thought 2013 was a good year and it was, but 2015 is proving to be an even better year.

This Sunday’s game is Waterford’s twelfth competitive game of the year. Waterford’s record in the games played would be wrong to describe as good. It is excellent.

The Division two league final was won without loosing a game. In the championship Waterford reached the All-Ireland Final not loosing a game. Waterford have not gone unbeaten this year as they lost out to Clare (who played Division one in the league and senior in the championship) by just three points, showing that they are more than capable with what is a very young team of holding their own with what some might call more experienced sides.

Waterford’s opponents this weekend Kildare are also having an excellent year.

Sunday is their twelfth game as well. There record is good as well.

However in their previous eleven games they have lost to their first competitive game of the year to Laois. They lost to Kilkenny in the Leinster Championship semi final. And the Lilly-White’s also to Waterford twice this year, firstly in the league semi finals and then in the last of the round robin games in the league section of the championship.

These defeats to Waterford this year will have the Kildare players hoping that some complacency will set in with the Waterford players. The hope will be with the Kildare players will be as Waterford have beaten then twice this year that the side will travel to Croke Park this weekend over confident that they can make it a hat-trick of wins over them this year.

Will Sean Fleming, Brother Philip Ryan and Chris Dempsey allow their charges in an over confident mood? I doubt it. The three-o will know that each game is a different game and what happened in the past is history. It’s as former Waterford Senior Hurling manager Michael Ryan says, every games starts of 0-0 to 0-0 on the scoreboard.

Waterford will know that although they beat Kildare twice this year, Kildare will be no pushover this Sunday.

Kildare will field a very strong side against Waterford. They are unlikely to show many changes in personal to the side that beat Cork recently in the semi finals, but the side could show some positional changes.

Roisin O’Connell will start between the posts. The full back line will consist of Clodagh Flanagan, Carol Nolan and Fiona Trant while Clodagh Farrell and Angela Lyons will fill the wing back positions with Louise Keatley and Regina Gorman fighting it out for a start at Centre back.

In the middle of the field last time out it was Caroline Forde and Hannah McDonnell but the likes of Noelle Earley and Emer Reilly could also come into the reckoning.

Should Emer Reilly not get the nod for a start in the middle of the field, expect her to do so at wing forward with which ever from Louise Keatley and Regina Gorman misses out at Centre back to start on the opposite wing with Siobhan Hurley in the middle.

The full forward line could well read Noelle Earley if not selected at centre field, the dangerous Susie O’Carroll at full forward and Melissa Lyons in the other corner.

And what of Waterford?

Well there could well be two lines of thinking. When a side win a big game such as the semi final win over Meath you often given a vote of confidence to the side that starts, but in that game players like Shona Curran and Valerie O’Brien having spent part of the summer in The States came in for the second half and put in big performances. So the question that management team will have to ask themselves do they include the pair from the start this time out.

At the back Waterford are unlikely to show much change from the win over Meath.

That means Deirdre Brennan will start again between the posts with the half back line made up of fellow Butlerstown player Kate McMahon, Claire Whyte from Saint Anne’s at full back with another Butlerstown player, WIT Ashbourne Cup winning tea Vikki Falconer in the other corner.

The Centre back spot could well be given to long serving Saint Anne’s player Jennie Simpson while fellow Saint Anne’s player Charlotte Raher will start on her right and Ferrybank’s Iona Heffernan on the left.

In the middle of the field the hard working pair of Trish Jackman and Lorraine Bray could well be given the nod, but from here on in, it’s anyone’s guess.

Beth Carton will start at number twelve but the rest of the forward line will be interesting.

Last time out the half forward line read Nicola Morrissey, Niamh Rockett and Beth Carton, but when Valerie O’Brien came in she did well and will be hoping to have done enough to earn a start this time out.

Against Meath the full forward line that started was Aisling Power, Caithriona McGlone and Dawn Power and they will be hoping to get the nod to start this time, but so too will Shona Curran who came in at the break and hit 1-1 in the second half and helped to get others involved as well, so she too will be looking for a starting spot this time out.

Both sides are going to set off for Croke Park this Sunday in a confident mood. Would there be any point in one or both sides travelling to GAA Headquarters not believing they can win and just to make up numbers.

Both sides go into the game on the back of good wins in the semi finals.

Kildare Waterford will find will play a bit like Meath in the semi finals, bringing players back behind the ball to try and curb the damage Waterford can do to them.

Having had the benefit of a game against a defensive side in Meath last time out when Waterford came from nine points down early in the second half to win by one, you can’t but feel that Waterford has it in them to win, with maybe the bench again playing a big part if the game is close.

Waterford and Kildare – How they faired in 2015

Kildare:

Kildare 0-5 Laois 1-11 (National League Round 1)

Kildare 3-13 Wexford 0-6 (National League Round 2)

Kildare 3-14 Galway 0-5 (National League Round 3)

Kildare 2-13 Westmeath 0-7 (National League Round 4)

Kildare 2-10 Antrim 1-7 (National League Round 5)

Kildare 1-7 Waterford 1-15 (National League Semi Final)

Kildare 1-8 Kilkenny 3-18 (Leinster Senior Championship)

Kildare 3-7 Kilkenny 1-6 (All-Ireland Championship Round 1)

Kildare 5-8 Antrim 0-6 (All-Ireland Championship Round 2)

Kildare 1-10 Waterford 4-11 (All-Ireland Championship Round 3)

Kildare 1-12 Cork 0-11 (All-Ireland Championship Semi Final)

 

Waterford:

Waterford 2-21 Tipperary 0-4 (National League Round 1)

Waterford 1-9 Cork 1-8 (National League Round 2)

Waterford 2-14 Meath 1-13 (National League Round 3)

Waterford 2-13 Kilkenny 1-6 (National League Round 4)

Waterford received a Walkover from Down (National League Round 5)

Waterford 1-15 Kildare 1-7 (National League Semi Final)

Waterford 3-10 Laois (National League Final)

Waterford 1-10 Clare 0-16 (Munster Senior Championship)

Waterford 6-8 Antrim 1-3 (All-Ireland Championship Round 1)

Waterford 3-5 Kilkenny 0-12 (All-Ireland Championship Round 2)

Waterford 4-11 Kildare 1-10 (All-Ireland Championship Round 3)

Waterford 3-10 Meath 3-9 (All-Ireland Championship Semi Final)

Waterford Camogie can only get stronger says 2014 Under 16 All-Ireland winning Captain Aisling Power

I have often heard older supporters of hurling in Waterford say that for hurling to be strong in Waterford it needs clubs from West Waterford like Dungarvan, Cappoquin, Lismore, Ballyduff and Tallow to be strong.

I have many of those that made such claims name out some of the greats that have played for Waterford down the years from these areas and there is something in what they say as because when hurling was at its strongest in Waterford it had players from these clubs involved.

It’s up to each individual to debate whether Waterford hurling is strong right now and in such a debate there would be many points thrown over and back across the table.

If there could be a debate as to whether hurling is strong right now in Waterford or not, there can be no debate when it comes to Camogie.

In the last decade or so some great work has taken place and this work is now beginning to pay off.

And what is interesting to see is that of the clubs that need to be strong for Waterford hurling to be strong in the eyes of some, in three of the clubs mentioned above camogie at this point is very strong in Dungarvan, Lismore and Cappoquin.

When the Waterford panel take to the field sometime after 1-30pm on Sunday at Croke Park, Dungarvan will have one player involved while both Lismore and Cappoquin will each have three players each involved.

One of those that will be running out onto the field is Cappoquin’s Aisling Power who is one of the younger members of the panel.

She was captain of last years All-Ireland under 16 winning team and such is the progress that she made over the past few years that when Sean Fleming was appointed as manager of the team this year, he along with fellow selectors Brother Philip Ryan and Chris Dempsey had no hesitation in calling the seventeen year old into their new look set up.

She says that twelve months ago after captaining the under 16 side to All-Ireland glory that she would be called up to the Intermediate side. She tells how she got a phone call from Sean one day asking her if she would be interested in playing with the intermediate team. She admits that she knew straight away that she would love to be part of the team but she did not know straight away if she wanted to be involved or not. Sean, Aisling says told her to go along to the training sessions and as she turned up more for training that seeing what was happening she wanted to be involved more.

With so many players from last years successful under 16 and minor teams asked to be part of this years team, Aisling says that it helped settle into the new set up quicker. She has also paid glowing tributes to the more established players in the panel the likes of Trish Jackman, Jennie Simpson and Nicola Morrissey for helping the new players settle in.

We (the younger players) have a huge respect for them and know that what great players they are, and she regards it to be an honour to be sitting with them in the same dressing room with them. Aisling points out that she would have known the players from watching them play with their clubs and for Waterford and points out that they have been very encouraging to be around and for the way they advise the younger players on how to do things when it comes to the Inter county scene.

Like many players who have got to play on the big stage, Aisling is quick to point out that there is plenty of people who have helped her get where she is.

She says that the different coaches that she has worked with down the years have all shaped her to be the player that she is, but she is quick to heap most praise on her father for what he has done for her.

My father helped me be the player I am today he would always bring me down to the pitch, puck around in the garden with me and bring me to all the matches. It's nice to have someone like that to look up to. Also my grandad (former referee Jim Joe Landers) would have and still does share his information about the game to me and gives me good advice.

To get to an All-Ireland Final takes a lot of commitment and the commitment put in by the present Waterford Intermediate Camogie team is no different to any other side playing at such a stage be it in the men’s or women’s games.

‘The girls have put in a huge effort’ Aisling points out and points out that the whole panel are fantastic to encourage each other. We have had a few early morning training’s and everyone gives 100% (in them), like they would if it was an evening training session. ‘It can be difficult at times’ Aisling says ‘but everyone is committed to the cause and if we do win the All-Ireland it will be 100% worth it.

If Waterford do overcome the challenge of Kildare on Sunday afternoon, it will mean that not only will Waterford be playing Senior Camogie in 2016 but they will also be playing against the top guns in the game in the league next year as well after Waterford’s league final win earlier this year.

Other sides have made the same jump and have settled in well and are more than holding their own and there is little to suggest that Waterford will be no different.

County Camogie Board Chairperson Ita Murphy recently said that she could see Waterford challenge for Senior All-Ireland’s in a few years time such is the talent that is coming through in the county, and this is something that Aisling agrees with.

‘I can defiantly see Waterford Challenging for senior All-Ireland’s’ the Cappoquin teenager says.

‘Waterford has a lot of great up and coming camogie players and there has been a lot won over the last few years. With the work that’s being done in the underage grades Waterford Camogie can only get stronger and I believe it will’.

I doubt that there are many that will disagree with what Aisling sees happening in the future.