Ulster Camogie Club Championships Round-Up

Hard work must continue for Rossa

O’Donovan Rossa captain Muirinn Quinn believes that any of the Belfast sides successes have been built on hard work and this must be the case as the aim to lift the All-Ireland Senior Club title once more. On Saturday Rossa were too strong for Slaughtneil in the NWP Recycling Ulster Senior A Club Championship Final as three first half goals helped them to a 5-8 to 1-4 victory.

Speaking after the game Muirinn was quick to be looking to the next step to national success.

‘We were aiming to winning the county title, then Ulster and the All-Ireland is our next focus. There are no real breaks when you are going for an All-Ireland title. We have set these goals ourselves. All our successes have been built on hard work and commitment. We want to make the club proud of us again. The team and the management have been great throughout the year. It’s an honour to captain this team and this club means a lot to my family.’

Slaughtneil were new to this level playing in their first Ulster Final after winning the Derry Championship for the first ever time this year and Muirinn believes Rossa’s experience helped in the game.

‘We are just buzzing now and it’s great to be back winning Ulster titles. We have a lot of work ahead of us but we’ll enjoy tonight. I felt we were always in control throughout the game and we have experienced players all over. I have complete faith in this team, we got goals at the start and that always helps.’

Rossa now face Connacht opposition in the All-Ireland Senior Semi-Final in February.

—

Unbelievable feeling for last gasp Ballycran

Ballycran captain Bríd McGrattan was close to speechless after Saturday’s last gasp NWP Recycling Ulster Senior B Club Championship Final victory over a dogged Eglish side at the Morgan Athletic Grounds in Armagh. It took a fantastic late goal from Nicola Braniff to seal it for the Down side late in the second half. An overwhelmed McGrattan found it hard to overcome the shock of their late victory

‘I’m speechless. It’s unbelievable for us to win our first Ulster title. I’m in tears here and I can’t believe this just happened. It was a great game, great venue and Eglish came out really strongly in the first half. We weren’t happy with ourselves at half time and thankfully we came out in the second half and a showed the kind of team that Ballycran are. Hopefully this win will inspire a lot of people and it feels great to be able to bring this cup back to the Ards Peninsula’.

Bríd was grateful to Nicola Braniff for her late goal and also to the influence that their management have over the team.

‘Nicola Braniff is a class player and she showed it today. When you need her to step in and get goals she’s there. I am delighted for Sean McGourty, he has been managing us since I started playing senior camogie and I’m delighted he has stuck with us as he’s brought us to a new level. Stephen Bell has refreshed everything and training is so hard’. We are ready now to have a go at the All-Ireland and we want to win

The Ballycran captain did have sympathy for her Eglish counterparts and remembers when she was on the losing side to Eoghan Rua in the 2011 Ulster Final

‘Eglish were really good today and we know exactly how they feel. It will make them more eager and determined to come back next year and we wish them all the best’.

Ballycran will now face Connacht opposition in February’s All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Semi-Final

—

Experience key for Crosserlough

Crosserlough coach Conor McEvoy believes that the experience gained in their run to the 2011 NWP Recycling Ulster Senior C Club Championship Final was key to their success in this year’s final. After being narrowly defeated by Cushendall last year, Crosserlough edged out St Patrick’s Dungiven in Aughnamullen by 2-06 to 0-07.

‘Last year’s Final was a wet day and was put back for various reasons and to be honest Cushendall were a better team. We went away and looked at our own game. We got a few players in which helped throughout the team. When you play in Ulster year on year then your game gets better. We said at the start of this year that last year was a long way to the top and it was going to be tough to get back to where we were. We took things game by game and actually lost our first championship game in Cavan and have had to win every game since and we play best when its knockout’.

We are delighted to have won the Ulster title. We weren’t sure who was favourites today but we were just going to concentrate on our own game and luckily we got the victory. Either team could have won and we got the goal in the second half at the right time and I believe that won the game for us. We’ve won Ulster now and we are hoping to go to the All-Ireland series and do Ulster proud and go as far as we can.’

Speaking straight after the game team captain Siobhan Reynolds was quick to praise the team for their work rate which was key to the team’s victory and offer commiserations to her Dungiven counterparts

‘This victory means a lot to the club, the families and to myself. We went through the mill last year so it’s great to come here and win. We’ve won everything in the county this year so it’s a great feeling. It was a physical game and the goals came at the right time for us and Colm has always been telling us take your points and the goals will come. The girls in the forwards work rate was great and Lorraine Day in midfield was unbelievable and all over the field the girls put in so much effort’

We know what it’s like to come to an Ulster Final and lose and I know how Dungiven are feeling. It will make them determined to come back stronger and we wish them all the best for the future’.

Crosserlough must go to London now on November 4th to face London County champions Tara who defeated Cushendall in the All-Ireland Quarter Final.

—

‘Blayney Camogs create history

2012 is turning out to be a great year for Castleblayney as they defeated Mullaghbawn in the Bridie McMenamin Shield Final in Aughnamullen. This was their third trophy of the year with another league title to play for next week. This success has been a long time coming for the Monaghan side according to their manager Paul Forde

‘It’s been a long 8 years to get where we are and I took over three years ago and we were getting beat by anything from 15-30 points. I brought it back to basics and built the girls up and we have some great young players coming through every year which helps. We were close to folding and they stuck at it and worked hard. We won the Monaghan Championship, league and now Ulster title and have the Armagh Div 2 league final next week as well’

Whilst the scoreline of 3-07 to 0-07 suggests a comfortable enough victory for Castleblayney they went in at the break with a one point lead and Forde reckons this spurred the girls on further in the second half

‘We found ourselves a point up at half time which was great because there was a bit of a wind there. Our girls always come to life in the second half. At the end of the day our girls gave it a wee bit extra and when they did we upped our game’.

Team captain Roisin McKenna also was calm at half time due to the nature of the teams performances this year and was filled with pride as ‘Blayney created history

‘We always leave things to the second half and to the last minute as we are a second half team. Coming out in the first half we were unbelievable and in the second half we gave it our all and came out on top thank God. It’s been a great year and we are the first Monaghan club to win an Ulster title so we are proud we have made history and I am proud to captain a great bunch of girls. Its been tough with girls at college lately and training has still been good. Since Paul came on board we’ve turned ourselves around and we have the Armagh League Final next week so we are targeting four trophies this year’. It’s been an unbelievable effort from the girls all year.’