Miracle stuff from Myshall
AZAP PRINT CARLOW SENIOR CAMOGIE FINAL
Myshall 2-8, Naomh Bríd 0-10
By Leo McGough
Hearty congratulations to Myshall on completing a simply magnificent 25-in-a-row in last Sunday’s Carlow Senior Camogie Final and a scarcely believable 43rd title in 48 years. ‘Goals win games’, they say, and so it was on Sunday in Netwatch Cullen Park, Myshall’s brace of green flags the decisive strikes in their 2-8 to 0-10 victory.
Heartfelt condolences to Naomh Bríd who for a fifth successive year suffered the agony of county final defeat but the fact that Leighlin parish club scored as many time as the champions must be as source of hope for the future. 11-7, 11-7, 11-6, 16-9, now 10-10. Those were the scores on the board in the five finals when green and white flags are counted as one. On goals alone the combined tally over the five finals is 9-2 in Myshall’s favour, the ‘majors’ a major factor in their continued dominance.
One often wondered how these mighty Myshall women maintain such a hunger for the fray, each passing win celebrated as if it was the first. This year, though, we wondered no more, aware that this 2024 title was always destined to be extra-special, dedicated as it would be to a fallen comrade who passed away in January. As Myshall captain Marian Murphy, declared from the steps of the Tommy Lennon Stand, “Olivia we love you, we miss you.”
That the late Olivia Jordan (nee O’Neill) was in Myshall’s hearts was obvious and she was with them every step of the way, not just in a metaphorical sense as the skipper revealed that in her acceptance speech “we wore a very special name on our sleeve”.
These mighty Myshall warriors have always worn their heart on their sleeves, heart that has seen the ladies from the foot of Mount Leinster scale Provincial and National heights, twice All-Ireland Junior Champions, then the pinnacle (so far) their 2017 All-Intermediate triumph.
However one senses that each and every Carlow title is cherished and even more so in recent years with the perception that the reign of the Queens of Carlow Camogie was nearing an end. Many neutrals quietly fancied Naomh Bríd, the long times heirs apparent, to claim the crown on Sunday.
And, you know, while Myshall were again thoroughly deserving winners a deep-dive of Sunday’s contest would reveal that a gifted goal at one end (albeit superbly finished) and an open goal missed at the other (albeit under severe pressure) provided a six-point swing and that in a game that ended with just four points separating the sides would have been a massive swing, a title-changing swing as it would have left the final score at 1-10 to 1-8 in Naomh Brid’s favour. Over simplification, maybe, but proof of just how close the Leighlin parish side came to losing their crown and added reason to the ‘Olivia Factor’ for celebrating this latest county title with such gusto.
The ‘gifted goal’ in question came in the 14th minute when with Myshall leading 0-3 to 0-0 courtesy of smartly taken points in the 3rd, 9th and 13th minutes from the sticks of Kim Doyle (set-up by a Leanne Nolan delivery), Caoimhe Jordan (off a 50m free won by Sarah Sheehan) and Ciara Quirke (a delightful point from the left corner having received as astute pass form Sarah Sheehan). The short puck-out following that Quirke point was well intentioned but it was brilliantly intercepted by the experienced Ciara Quirke who having caught the sliotar had nothing but goal on her mind. Cutting in from the left corner, an incisive 20m run, a dummy-shot in breaking a tackle and then the shot itself, low and hard, saw the green flag waving at the dressing room end.
The general consensus was Naomh Bríd needed a good start to have a chance but now they found themselves 1-3 to no score in arrears at the end of the first quarter. Mind you their response was positive, Eibhe Lawler finally opening their account in the 16th minute when pointing a free won by Niamh Roche. A minute later the challengers looked to have created a real goal chance as a ball floated towards Rachel Sawyer, unmarked inside the last line of the Myshall defence but in that last line was No 3 Michelle Nolan whose crucial intercept averted the danger. A minute on again it was the Naomh Brîd full-back line who were averting danger, their combined covering preventing Ciara Quirke getting off her shot after a good catch close to goal.
You could see Naomh Bríd, despite playing into the stiff enough wind, were getting more of a foothold in the possession stakes and were building in confidence, this confidence leading to a flowing movement involving clever popped hand-passes and astute stick passes that if it had culminated in a score would have given the maroon and white clad ladies a massive momentum swing. Then the cavalry arrived in the shape of Kate Nolan whose brave block-tackle gave rise to the ‘Myshall Roar’ echoing from the stand.
That intervention was in the 20th minute, two minutes later Naomh Brid, instead of short-passing, decided to go long and Rachel Sawyer had again slipped inside the last line of the Myshall defence. This time the dual star won possession, eluded advancing goalkeeper Lisa James and looked certain to finish to the now unguarded net but the chasing Myshall backs forced the raider from the centre of goal and her kicked effort flew wide of the posts.
Undaunted Naomh Bríd attacked again and recorded their first score from play, a sweet Eibhe Lawler point after a Niamh Forde pass, Emma Brennan having delivered the ball to the ’scoring zone’. Myshall, though, finished the half as they had started with three rat-tat-tat points in the 26th, 27th and 28th minutes, this time from sticks of Aime Nolan (after a thrilling run), Ciara Quirke (following a long Laura James puck-out) and Aime again (a delightful strike).
1-6 to 0-2 then at half-time, Myshall in the ascendancy and while the challengers would have the wind in the second half the introduction of team captain Marian Murphy (nee Doyle) would strengthen the Myshall ‘hand’. And so it transpired for while Lisa McAssey (nee Abbey), following a pass from Jackie Prendergast, picked off a fine Naomh Bríd point inside a minute of the restart, Marian Murphy replied with a sweet 33rd minute point following a great Sarah Sheehan line-ball.
And to prove lightning does strike twice, the puck-out following that point was followed by Myshall’s second goal. The puck-out itself couldn’t be blamed this time but the fact that Marian Murphy won possession and quickly found the speedy Aime Nolan in space created the opening for the No 13 to sprint down the right wing ball on stick before drilling a rising shot to the Deerpark end rigging. 2-7 to 0-3, game over?
If events hadn’t transpired as they did we would have left out the question mark after that game over. The fact that the Leighlin parish side outscored Myshall 0-7 to 0-1 over the closing 22 minutes (albeit two were in injury-time) gave us reason to revisit that aforementioned six-point swing as during that time a huge Katie Garry Murphy free dropped dangerously in the Myshall goalmouth but was dealt with in cool, calm and collected style by net guardian Lisa James. Plus, in the 49th minute the challengers lost influential Emma Brenna to injury though she was reluctant to leave the battle
The first of those seven maroon points came from the stickof Eibhe Lawler in the 44th (a 50 yard free) and the 51st minute (good score from play) before substitute Kate Burke, a star of the county’s All-Ireland U-16 triumph, picked off two terrific points in the 52nd and 54th minutes which, despite her tender years, begged the question why Kate, No 14 on the programme, didn’t actually start? After that Burke one-two, Eibhe Lawlor pointed a 55th minute free leaving five points in it with five minutes to go.
Myshall, not content to ‘hold-what-we-have’ raided up field and having introduced the experienced Niamh Quirke into the full-forward line in the 52nd minute the former county star proved she was not just brought on to win yet another medal on the field of play but to play her part as Niamh got dug into a ruck close to goal that helped hold up play but at the end of which the ball ‘broke’ to her sister Ciara who rifled over a title-clinching point. That only leaves those two injury-time points, scored by Bríd’s Eibhe Lawlor and Ava Kiernan to close the story of scoring of a strongly contested county final played on an excellent surface and in benign October conditions.
Myshall’s ‘all-for-one-and-one-for-all’ team ethos that has stood them so well down the years prompts us to forego a ‘played well’ paragraph and simply salute them all on yet another great day at the office, one that meant that little bit more as ‘Oli’ was honoured in the best manner possible, bringing the cup ‘home’ to her beloved Myshall.
If imitation is said to be the best form of flattery then Naomh Bríd strive to replicate that Myshall ethos of selflessness and again we forego to ‘played well column’ to salute a dedicated group of girls who have rolled with the blows of county final defeats and stayed steadfast in their quest for a coveted county senior camogie crown
MYSHALL
1. Laura James
2. Kira Nolan
3, Michelle Nolan
4. Rhiannon Kenny
5. Gillian Doyle
6. Kate Nolan
7. Michaela Donoghue
8. Leanne Nolan
9. Caoimhe Jordan 0-1 f
10. Emma Coogan
11. Abbie Foley
12. Kim Doyle 0-1
13. Aime Nolan 1-2
14. Sarah Sheehan
15. Ciara Quirke 1-3
Subs: Marian Murphy (Captain) 0-1 for A Foley (h-t)
Niamh Quirke for E Coogan (52)
Therese Nolan for L Nolan (60)
Aine Behan for A Nolan (63)
NAOMH BRÍD
1. Tara O’Byrne
2. Emma Brennan
3. Anne Roche
4. Olywn Roche
5. Clodagh Lawler
6. Caoimhe O’Neill
7. Katie Garry Murphy
8. Helen Roche (Joint Captain)
9. Siofra O’Neill
10. Aibha Kiernan 0-1
11. Lisa McAssey (Joint Captain) 0-1
12. Jackie Prendergast
13. Rachel Sawyer
14. Eibhe Lawler 0-6 4f
15. Niamh Forde
Subs: Kieva Collins for J Prendergast (36)
Kate Burke 0-2 for S O’Neill (42)
Niamh Roche for E Brennan (49)
Referee: Patrick Murphy (Ballinkillen)
