Gaels girls on the glory trail

The people of Kilkee and the peninsula villages owe West Clare Gaels for taking their minds off how they, and the rest of the country, are going to pay off the national debt.

The esteem in which the three most westerly settlements hold their All-Ireland-seeking ladies was underlined in the 10 days or so before the Gaels travelled to Ruislip to play Parnell’s in the All-Ireland quarter-final on October 30. Had the locals not fished deep into their pockets to help defray the €11,000 cost of the London trip, West Clare Gaels would not have been able to successfully wrestle with the financial magnitude of their cross-channel expedition. Investments haven’t resulted in burgeoning dividends in Ireland lately but that was an exception. 
The Gaels, who won their first senior county title on September 4, held off Parnell’s before hammering Connacht champions St Patrick’s from Leitrim in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final. While West Clare Gaels’ place in Sunday’s All-Ireland intermediate final against St Conleth’s from Laois is mostly down to their own year-long efforts, their supporters and benefactors helped at a crucial juncture. The bond that is apparent between the panel of players and their supporters is therefore one of substance. The team, which has harvested glad mid-winter tidings for their patch of the county, have in turn been backed to the hilt, vocally and financially.
Of course their opponents, who are from Portarlington and its hinterland, will bring their own bond of communal tightness to Nenagh. They left home at 7.30am on the morning of their semi-final meeting with St Gall’s from Belfast. The game was fixed for the Fall’s Road. When St Conleth’s returned home late that night they did so following a one-point win in Casement Park. That was on the cusp of another one point, extra-time win in the Leinster final. As much as West Clare Gaels had to battle before they even reached their quarter-final venue last month, St Conleth’s have proven that their propensity for battle is admirable. They won’t shirk if they are a point or two adrift of West Clare Gaels a few minutes from time in North Tipperary.
If the western girls get their way though, they could be well ahead come that stage. Including their 4-10 to 1-14 county final win over the Banner, the Clare champions have kicked 20-67 in their last five games. That’s a mighty impressive return of just over 25 points per game since the first Saturday in September.
Defensively, West Clare Gaels haven’t been quite as resolute though, conceding 10-44 in the same handful of games. That adds up to an average concession of almost 15 points per game and they have let in at least two goals in every game since the county final. So while the Gaels will be very keen to retain their attacking verve, they will be equally intent on tightening up defensively. That said, they won’t want to significantly alter the strategy that has culminated in a second All-Ireland final appearance inside four years. They are an attacking team who have racked up huge totals throughout 2010.
When Michelle Downes leads her team onto McDonagh Park on Sunday, they will wear the blue of Munster, while St Conleth’s will don the green of Leinster, owing to the colour clash between the clubs.
The midfield combination of the West Clare Gaels captain and Maria Kelly, has been central to their side’s epic journey. Kelly is one of her team’s primary attacking threats along with Niamh Lardener, Majella Griffin, Katie Geoghegan and Bríd Troy. Niamh Lardener has netted eight goals in her last five matches, while Katie Geoghegan has struck 4-9 since the Munster semi-final win over Athea in Kilrush. While these respective returns show that West Clare Gaels harbour a varied attacking edge, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Majella Griffin has notched 2-35, inclusive of their county final-winning evening in Cooraclare.  St Conleth’s will be well versed in West Clare Gaels’ offensive attributes and may even place an extra defender amongst their back six early in the game.
The Gaels will field quality defenders of their own, including Sinéad Kelly at full-back, Fiona and Deirdre Troy and Kathleen Foley, although Fiona Troy is struggling to shake off a semi-final injury. Their initial task will be to cut down on any available space in the early minutes and hope that their attacking colleagues can find space of their own at the far end.
The most disappointing aspect of West Clare Gaels 2007 All-Ireland junior final defeat was the fact that they didn’t play to their optimum. If they had they may well still have lost but they left Toomevara knowing that they hadn’t reflected their real ability.
That experience could be of some aid in the build-up to Sunday’s final, although it may not matter much during it. Back then, West Clare Gaels reached the final after an emphatic semi-final victory. Ditto last Sunday week. The difference this time may be how they deal with easily winning the semi-final. West Clare Gaels know that will result will mean nothing to St Conleth’s, which will bring a more physical and competitive edge than the Gaels have had to deal with of late.
To win, the western girls will have to match their opponents’ physicality, bring their attacking zest to Nenagh and cut down on their average scoring concession per game.
They will have the backing of a frenzied following from Kilkee, Carrigaholt and Cross reddening their ears and urging them towards in what would be an era-defining achievement.
One needs the other. West Clare Gaels wouldn’t be where they are without their supporters, who owe them one last lending of their vocal chords, which may be of no use for some days if West Clare Gaels win. If that happens, all involved will be quits.