Laura Loughnane is predicting a very bright future for Galway’s next crop of champions, after a young intermediate side chiselled out a 0-13 to 0-11 victory over Cork in a tight Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie final.
For the Eyrecourt attacker, who scored three excellent first-half points, it was sweet redemption after her club had fallen to Cahir at the mecca of Gaelic games in the club intermediate decider of 2016.
But while she enjoyed being on the right side of it, she played down her own role and paid tribute to the slew of young guns who were involved in Cathal Murray’s new-look unit.
“I still can’t believe it. There’s just a lot of emotions but I’m delighted,” said Loughnane
“It’s a completely new team this year. It’s basically made up of 17, 18, 19-year-olds and seven or eight of us bringing up the average age. I’m so proud of them, they’re unbelievable.
“The older girls learned a lot this year from the younger girls and they learned hopefully a bit from us. I’m so glad to have won it with this bunch because they’re unreal.
“It’s a dream to be in Croke Park with your county. We’re Galway’s second team so the support that’s come to see us is unreal. Your only club girls coming up and congratulating you it’s wild.
“Most of the girls are minor girls that are here today. That’s what’s coming through. I can’t wait, when my time is up in a few years, to sit back and watch them coming up. I’ve no doubt most of them girls will be playing senior camogie in the next few years.”
“I’ve floated in and out with the intermediates but I was in Croke Park with the club and we lost it. So it’s good to right the wrongs today. That made up for it. I hit a few bad wides but hopefully it balanced itself out with the ones that went over.”
