It was a dramatic finale and it was played out before the fourth biggest attendance in history yesterday. The Camogie Association can be pleased with the outcome of the Liberty Insurance Finals Day at Croke Park and it gives a strong platform to build again for next season.
There was a strong crowd in early to see Dublin and Kerry play for the Junior Title and there were queues to access the Hogan Stand from early.
This was the biggest attendance since 2009 when the Final was staged on the same bill as the Bord Gais Energy U21 Hurling Final.
Since then the average attendance has been 17,298 but this is the fourth consecutive year in which the number has climbed and RTÉ’s coverage of yesterday’s action will have brought it to an even wider audience.
The resurgence of Galway or Wexford would likely bring greater crowds again and Cork playing back to back weekends at Croke Park in Camogie and Ladies Football will have meant there could have been more even with this pairing who have now served up a third in a row final of high drama.
“I don’t know why we do it to ourselves, a point in it” said Gemma O’Connor, who was getting her hand on a ninth Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Senior Camogie medal.
“At half-time, the message was to keep our composure. Beforehand you’re trying to get yourself riled up, to get into the right frame of mind, the fighting attitude – then at half-time it’s all about ‘This is where we are now and we need to be composed.’ It’s no time to lose your head.”
“We knew it’d be a tight game from start to finish. The Championship has been quite open but we knew the Final would be so defensive, we don’t give each other an inch. I don’t know what way it is to look at, sometimes you’d wish the play would open up a small bit, but you just want to win at all costs, that’s the bottom line.”
“(When I was) Starting out it was 15 on 15, you minded your own patch, your own player, and you capitalised on what happened next. Now it’s so tactical… I wouldn’t say it’s a negative thing, Kilkenny are at it, the lads’ footballers are at it, the hurlers are at it, it’s about outsmarting your opponent.”
“But at the end of the day it’s also about the player on the ball, the decision maker, and the players making the run to create space, running to the corner flag so the ball can be hit into space. “It’s about smart people making smart decisions. This game is all about decision making.”
“You asked why it’s so tight between Cork and Kilkenny – I think it’s because we’re so similar, the teams are physical, skilful, the panels show extreme skill, talent and workrate. That’s why there’s so little between us.”
“For the last three years, really there has been nothing between us, a point in every game we’ve played,” added Kilkenny Manager Ann Downey.
The standard of Camogie has improved but for us today, our standard was probably only at 80 per cent. We had to get it up to 100 per cent to get over the line.”
She maintained that the hurt would be doubled from last year given that it was a last-gasp defeat once more.
“Now they go back to their clubs and you’d be hoping they have Camogie with their clubs now and it might lessen the burden for them. They’ll have a long winter now I guess. Two years in a row – they are devastated inside there. They’re just gutted.”
“All I can do is congratulate Cork. Briege Corkery winning her 18th medal – it’s a great testament to them that they can lose Rena Buckley from last year and still come back and win it again. They are a great side with great players but for us, we’ll have to go to a new level to try and beat them.”
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Image Credit: Tommy Dickson, Inpho.ie
