By Daragh Ó Conchúir, at Croke Park
Clanmaurice (Kerry) 2-16
Ahascragh/Caltra (Galway) 1-1
Usually, the cant at the end of a final is not to look to the future, but to relish the now.
And while there could be no doubts that the small panel of Clanmaurice players, their backroom staff, family and friends were going to give it holly for a few days at least after going back-to-back in the AIB All-Ireland intermediate club camogie championship, manager John Madden was looking to next season, unprompted.
“The thing about this group, they’ve gone to the well so many times,” said Madden, as he watched the woman he called “the heart of the club,” club secretary and team captain, Patrice Diggin give her acceptance speech having been presented with the trophy.
“They just don’t know when they’re beaten and they come back time and time again and I know they’re gonna love having a crack off senior next year. I think they’ll all stay together because they’ll want one crack at it. It’s brilliant.”
It isn’t all that long ago they were losing a junior final but they have travelled all sorts of roads together, overcome countless hurdles, with not enough players but more than enough, even when they won an All-Ireland semi-final starting with 14 and with a heavily pregnant 15th willing to stand in a corner if need be.
Thankfully it didn’t come to it on that occasion but the spirit is in keeping with their path to the highest level.
“I just can’t get over the heart in these girls. I love playing with them and I’m sure they’d say the same thing about the girl beside them. We love going out there every day and it showed there today. We enjoyed every minute of it.”
Goals from Jackie Horgan late in the first half and early in the second stopped Ahascragh/Caltra in their tracks, after a 24th minute major by Aoibhe Glynn had given them hope but they could not cope with the physicality of the Kerry side, nor the breadth of threat.
With much focus on Diggin and Horgan, the likes of Caoimhe Spillane and Kate Lynch flourished in the resultant spaces, with Laura Collins’ industry at the centre of many a score.
Murphy and Niamh Leen were colossal in defence and there was no questioning the merit of their two-in-a-row and the chance now, to test themselves against the very best.
“We were stressed enough coming into it,” Murphy revealed. “But to be fair to our management, they did their homework and they got their match-ups right… But we’ve been trucking along a long few years so that definitely stands to us.
“Amy (O’Sullivan) was injured last year and she had a good year’s training under her belt and has been flying through the campaign. Patrice was injured as well last year and is flying it as well now. Training has been going great and we’ve always stuck at it. We’ll keep going.”
“We asked them for a performance and they gave it,” Madden noted. “In the first half we were under the cosh. I know we went in six points up but we weren’t convinced it was enough but in the first five minutes after half-time we really drove it on.
“We kind of drifted off for 15 or 20 minutes and their goal kind of woke us up. In other games we’ve faded after half-time but in fairness to the girls, in those ten minutes after, they gave a great performance.
“The girls’ game management is simply unbelievable. But the one thing that stood to them is their workrate. Every one of them fought for every ball. They never let off. That’s the one thing we asked for.”
Murphy was anxious to catch up with the rest of her colleagues, to get what would surely be a serious shindig under way but her words were far from throwaway, offering meaning in every syllable.
This is a collection of players that have overcome all sorts of odds, some they shouldn’t have to, others that are just circumstances. It all feeds them, even though they have now built up an enviable roll of honour and medal collection between them all.
“I don’t think we’ll ever go away, hopefully,” the full-back said grinning. “I think it adds fire to our bellies and I think that is an aspect to us, that we’re always coming up against different things in life, be it sicknesses or whatever. Everyone has their own things going on and it’s a small panel but we’re definitely not lacking in heart.”
SCORERS FOR CLANMAURICE: J Horgan 1-3; C Spillane, P Diggin(3fs) 0-4 each; K Lynch 0-3; A Behan 0-2
SCORERS FOR AHASCRAGH/CALTRA: A Glynn 1-0; S Noone 0-1
CLANMAURICE: A Fitzgerald, R McCarthy, S Murphy, M Costello, A Behan, N Leen, A O’Connor, P Diggin, D O’Leary, C Spillane, K Lynch, L Collins, AM Leen, J Horgan, A O’Sullivan. Subs: E Ryall for O’Connor (55), J O’Keeffe for Horgan (56), C Moloney for O’Sullivan (57)
AHASCRAGH/CALTRA: L Noone, D Kelly, H Cullinane, M Higgins, .R Blehane, S Noone, C Ní Cheallaigh, A Fitzpatrick, A Ní Cheallaigh, C Power, A Glynn, C Murray, L Kirwan, E Reaney, S Murray. Sub: M Mulryan for Power (ht); J Higgins for Murray (40), L Glynn for Blehane (40), E Blehane for Glynn (52), G Gerard for Ní Cheallaigh (57)
Referee: Gavin Donegan (Dublin)
