By Daragh Ó Conchúir at UPMC Nowlan Park
Finals are for winning. And winning is a habit. But you need not to be overawed by the occasion, to produce in the occasion.
Galway are All-Ireland champions, thanks to an injury-time point from their captain Carrie Dolan, against Cork, last August. Digging deep is in their DNA.
It doesn’t guarantee you victory that you know what the days silverware are handed out is about though. Cathal Murray’s squad had lost the last two Centra Camogie League Division 1A deciders.
But being comfortable gives you a better chance, not being overawed, not feeling enormity, not trying to end a lengthy famine.
So it was that Galway scored the last three points – a pair from play by Dolan and sub, Caoimhe Kelly’s second – to wrest back the advantage having trailed after the marvellous Mairéad O’Brien drove over her third score in the 49th minute. They edged out Waterford as a result, by 0-13 to 0-11.
Apart from the opening quarter, when Waterford looked crippled with tension, there was nothing between the sides in terms of application and endeavour. But know-how got the job done in the end.
“It was a huge battle, we knew what Waterford were going to bring down here today, so we’re just delighted to get the win,” said Ciara Hickey, who was a stellar performer for the Maroons.
“We knew at half-time that if we were there or thereabouts, there was a strong wind in it. We came in level (0-7 each), we were happy enough with our performance but we knew that there was more in the tank, so it was just about trying to push on in the second half.
“There’s older girls on the team that really stood up there when we needed them to. Impact off the bench was huge as well, Niamh Niland, Niamh McInerney, Caoimhe Kelly, all made such a huge impact, we were delighted.”
Former skipper, Róisín Black was one of the senior players that played a big role in proceedings.
“I don’t know how many times we were level throughout the match and that reflected the game itself. It was tit-for-tat and we’re just delighted to come out on the right side, it showed a resilience and a never-say-die attitude,” the flame-haired full-back noted.
“We have experience but we were at Waterford’s stage of development at one stage and we have the target on our backs this year. We have all the experience and it helps but it’s whoever is hungrier and whoever turns up on the day is going to be on top.”
Black was involved in a key incident in the second half as Waterford looked to be imposing themselves, when Lorraine Bray raced through but went tumbling under a heavy challenge from the defender.
The Waterford support were baying for a penalty but Liz Dempsey was unmoved. Was it a penalty?
“I don’t know, I’ll have to look back on it and see!” came the response, accompanied by a broad grin.
“Whatever the ref says, I’ll go by.”
Bray, who provided another trademark all-action performance, also smiled ruefully when queried.
Wanted to win a national title but it wasn’t hard to find positives, especially given they never landed a blow when reaching the 2023 All-Ireland final.
“I’d have given it!” the Waterford captain remarked. “Look, Liz has to be fair to both sides obviously and she can only call what she see on the day, so I won’t hold her against her anyway!”
As for the wider context, Bray was thoughtful.
“We’re disappointed. Hurt, I suppose. You come so close, it’s hard to be beaten by such a fine margin. But I couldn’t be prouder of the girls out there today. Unbelievable work rate to the bitter end – just a few balls here and there let us down in the end. Disappointed but super proud of the girls.
“You knew what you were getting against Galway. The physicality was second to none out there and we gave as good as we got as well. That’s the level you have to be at at inter-county senior level. The physicality was something else and you’d feel it tomorrow or the day after.
“What we were looking for coming out here was performance and I think we put in a massive performance. You need to be competing through the League and through Munster Championship until you get to the All-Ireland series and build from there. So we’re delighted we put in a performance and we didn’t let ourselves down.
“The supporters were brilliant, especially in the last 10 minutes. It’s lovely in Nowlan Park as you nearly feel they’re on the pitch with you. A huge thanks to everyone that travelled, especially in the times we’re in at the moment and we do really appreciate that support.”
She did not deny that nerves were a factor in slow start with wind, which may have been definitive in the end.
“I definitely think so. We haven’t reached Division 1A finals, we didn’t get the chance to play the Munster final year (due to the skorts brouhaha) and it’s important for the younger players to experience that and four ourselves to experience it, who’ve been around the block a long time. It’s still new to us. And it is all experience and you’ll have that in your back pocket going forward?
“Coming out of here with a performance is massive for us, that we didn’t let ourselves down. We have that consistency with us coming through the League and hopefully we’ll have that going through from the Munster Championship as well.”
