Cashel captain Una O’Dwyer looks ahead to Sunday’s club final

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CASHEL captain Una O’Dwyer has won every available honour in the game of camogie. Yet, she is as enthused as even leading the Tipperary club team out in search of their second All Ireland senior club title against Connacht champions Athenry this Sunday in Newbridge. It has been a long year, she claims, and she hopes there is enough left in the tank to get them over the line.

“”I hope there is one more serious match left in us. We’ve had a tough campaign, especially in Tipperary, so we are delighted to be back in the All Ireland final,”” says O’Dwyer, who dismisses the idea that they will enter this very attractive tie as favourites.

“”Favourites tag doesn’t mean anything this time of the year. You have to take into account weather and ground conditions. We would only be regarded as favourites because we won the All Ireland two years ago. But, that is a long time back and I would say Athenry have had a better campaign than us last year, and they are going well again this year.

“”This game will be extremely tight. I don’t see it any other way. Athenry are very tough and very balanced. It is not going to be easy for either team. How good is any field going to be in November? Club championship is a difficult slog. We have fought hard to get here, but so too have Athenry. There is one more hour and we have to give it everything””

Sinead Millea, who suffered a broken ankle two months ago, is back doing light training, and this is a lift to the team. On the flip side, there is a worry about Mairead Morrissey who has a finger injury, but she is expected to be fit.

The Galway girls lost out to Cashel in the final of 2007, and have not won this prestigious championship since 1977. Backed by county senior stalwarts Regina Glynn and Therese Maher, they will be out to atone. They too will have to prepare without the injured Jessica Gill and Deirdre Ward.

Meanwhile, the junior final sees an all new pairing in St Anne’s Dunhill of Waterford and Lavey from Derry. Neither side has been victorious before, but the Deise girls will be boosted by their win over The Harps from Laois who were seeking a record four-in-a-row All Ireland titles.

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