Car Tourismo Banner
Home » Sports » Legends in the making

Legends in the making


Emma O'Driscoll, captain of Kilmaley and Ruth Kaiser, captain of Newmarket with the Senior A cup before the county final on Saturday. Photograph by John KellyWill it be three-in-a-row for Kilmaley or will Newmarket end a five-year wait and win back the blue riband of Clare camogie?

That’s the question camogie followers across the county are asking this week ahead of Saturday’s senior championship final.
Having won the title for the first time in their history in 2008, Kilmaley are now chasing a third success on the trot, a feat that is becoming less common in team games.
When Kilmaley made the breakthrough in 2008, they beat Newmarket in the final. These sides met in the semi-final last year when Kilmaley were a trifle fortunate to win by the minimum margin before beating Sixmilebridge in a low-scoring final.
There are many similarities in both clubs. They both have a strong association with the GAA club in their parish and many of the players that will make up Saturday’s teams include sisters of those who make up their hurling teams.
Indeed the ties between the clubs in both parishes are even stronger. Brian Enright is the Newmarket team manager and he is secretary of the senior hurling club where his brother Bob is the senior team manager. Sineád Keogh is the chairperson of the camogie club and her husband Pat is the hurling club chairman.
The O’Learys, McMahons, Arthurs and McInerneys are names that are synonymous with Newmarket hurling and it’s the same for the camogie club.
“There is a strong sense of family in the club as you can see from the names mentioned. We have a number of sets of sisters involved and these include the four Kaisers. Ruth is the captain and she is joined on the panel by Carol, Iris and Nikki while their mother Marie Louise is the club secretary and the driving force behind the club,” according to senior manager Brian Enright, who took over the role of manager this year having served as a selector for the past four.
Brian’s backroom team includes former player Tricia O’Grady who trains the side, Noel McInerney, Paddy Meehan and Elaine McMahon.
“While there appears to be very little between the teams, we have only beaten them once in recent times and that was in last year’s league final which went to a replay,” Enright noted.
Gerry Kennedy is the Kilmaley manager and he has no doubt but that “Newmarket will be up for this one”.
His management team includes Martin Enright, trainer Freddie Markham and Gerry’s brother, Terry, who is the team coach.
Like Newmarket, many of those who make up the team are sisters of those who form the club’s senior hurling team. These include Clare and Helen McMahon, sisters of Diarmuid, Conor and Brian; Lisa Kennedy, the manager’s daughter; Shonagh Enright, daughter of selector Martin; Ashling Darcy, Katie and Niamh Cahill and the O’Hallorans.
Emma O’Driscoll is the team captain and the line-up also includes the Considine sisters, who have represented Clare in both camogie and ladies football and Denise Lynch.
Does the fact they are going for a third title on the trot put extra pressure on Kilmaley?
“There is no pressure. In fact, there was more pressure at the beginning of the year when we were trying to get things going. Many of these girls have been part of the successful teams of the past couple of seasons and got little break,” replied the Kilmaley boss.
Like his counterpart in Newmarket, Kennedy agrees there is huge interest in the game throughout the parish, which should ensure a big following at the game.
“The team gets great support from all involved in the GAA club. Everyone wants to be part of the county champion’s team and it doesn’t matter whether you are going for three-in-a-row or any number in a row.
“They all want to be county champions and it’s the same no matter what club you represent. We know that we face a stiff test this week. Newmarket have studied our form all season and they will come prepared on Saturday,” to Kennedy said. Incidentally, Ke a member of Kilmaley’s inaugural county championship winning senior hurling team 25 years ago, a team that will be honoured on county final day this year.
Will it be Emma O’Driscoll or Ruth Kaiser who will accept the championship cup on Saturday evening?
Kilmaley have the edge in experience, but Newmarket might have the edge in terms of hunger for success.
All are agreed, however, on is that it promises to be a very close contest with no more than a score or two separating the sides. At the end of the day, Kilmaley’s experience may swing it in their direction.
The senior A final takes place in Cusack Park on Saturday at 12.45pm.

 

East Clare promise for senior B final

Scariff-Ogonnelloe take on Kilkishen in the senior B final for the Glenomra shield this Saturday in a meeting that promises to be an exciting contest.
Megan Bradley, Ogonnelloe and Sarah Skelly of Scariff, joint captains of Scariff/Ogonnelloe with Sarah Donnellan, captain of Kilkishen, who will contest the senior B camogie county final. Photograph by John KellyThe East Clare clubs were in the same group in the senior championship. The amalgamation outfit emerged victorious on a day when Kilkishen were without inter-county star Kate Lynch, who will be back in action this week.
Scariff and Ogonnelloe both competed at intermediate level where Ogonnelloe reached the semi-final only to lose to Truagh while Scariff is currently awaiting a shield semi-final fixture.
In the semi-final, the combination side beat Wolfe Tones but Kilkishen received a walkover as Bodyke-Tulla withdrew from the competition.
In this week’s final, the amalgamation side will be looking to Maireád Scanlan, Áine O’Brien, Susan Vaughan, Róisín and Marie O’Brien and Sara Skelly, while Kilkishen will be hoping that Kate Lynch, Monica Moroney, Sara Donnellan, Lisa Loughnane and Marie Collins will give them the edge. It should be close but Scariff-Ogonnelloe are fancied to repeat their earlier win over their neighbours. The B final goes ahead at Tulla at 4.45pm on Saturday.

About News Editor

Check Also

Clare always up for Down challenge

Clare won’t be lacking in confidence going to Páirc Esler on Sunday as they shoot …