A TREMENDOUS season for Naomi Carroll concluded on Saturday last when she was presented with the Irish hockey club player of the year award.
At a function in the Alexander Hotel, she was also presented with her first Irish senior cap which she earned during the year.
Speaking to The Clare Champion this week, the Cratloe resident agreed “it’s been a wonderful year”.
In addition to helping her hockey club Catholic Institute to Munster league and championship success, she played a bit part in helping Clare to the Munster senior camogie title. She is also a leading Gaelic footballer and helped Banner retain the Clare senior title.
Her hockey club award was in recognition of the contribution Naomi made to Catholic Institute’s winning of the Munster league and championship for the second year running. Naomi was also part of the Irish U-21 team that won the Celtic Cup and European Championships held in Portugal in July.   She made her senior international debut in August, scoring two goals in her second match against Wales.
The new hockey season has already started and Naomi’s aim is to establish a regular place on the Irish senior team and to help Catholic Institute do well in the National Senior Cup.
The second year student at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick notes “It’s hard to manage involvement in all three sports, particularly with the weekly travelling to Dublin for hockey”.
However, she intends to continue with this busy schedule. “It’s been a fantastic year in all three codes,” said Naomi, who also plays camogie and ladies football with her college.
This weekend, her attention will be on hurling and the involvement of her parish Cratloe in the Clare senior final where they play Newmarket. “We will be out in force on Sunday,” she said, acknowledging she is looking forward to the hurling decider.