“It’s a feeling that I never felt before and will never feel again”
Waterford minor captain Jamie Comerford and his teammates celebrate winning the Irish Press Cup. Photos: Noel Browne
Looking out at a sea of white and blue that evaded FBD Semple Stadium before referee Colm McDonald could sound the final whistle that saw Waterford land a brilliant Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor hurling final, captain James Comerford raised the Irish Press Cup aloft to joyous celebrations.
The Ballygunner clubman became only the fourth man from the Déise to get his hands on the famed trophy after emphatic 1-18 to 0-10 win over Clare at a rain swept Tipperary venue, but the weather didn’t dampen the spirits as the players celebrated with family and friends on the hollowed turf.
This was their day to savour as a brilliant dominant performance from start to finish yielded a result that you could only be proud of and after coming across Rice Bridge is raising the cup, Comerford and his teammates were in fine form at Walsh Park for the homecoming on Sunday afternoon.
A large crowd were present at the home of the GAA in Waterford to celebrate a great success where players mingled with the young eager fans posing for photos and signing countless hurleys as the county embraced a special final triumph.
In an era where Waterford had only managed to win one game at minor and Under 20 level prior to this year, they were finally celebrating a fantastic achievement as captain Comerford reflected on a momentous day for Waterford hurling.
Speaking to the Waterford News & Star, the Déise captain said: “Words can’t describe it to be honest. I just can’t put into words because it’s a feeling that I never felt before and I never will again. It just means so much to all of us.
“I can’t thank the supporters, management, the players and our parents enough. It’s memories for life and it’s friends for life. That’s the boundaries of an unbelievable team. Joxer and the lads have done a brilliant job because they’ve brought us closer and closer together every training session.
“I think that’s the cornerstone of any great team that you can call these lads my best friends for life. We spoke about confidence from the very first day that we stepped into training, but we also spoke about belief.
“We had the belief in each other and we had the belief in the management. They believed in us and we believed in them and it has been rewarded with an All-Ireland title. It all came down to trust and honesty at the end of it all.
“We’ve just relieved because we knew that we could do it from the very start. There was never any doubt in our ability going into the game because we are a team with great character. We work and believe in each other and that’s all that matters.”
