Rude health and rising hope

When someone who's had the career that John Mullane has had finds themselves saying “getting involved with camogie is one of the best things I’ve ever done” - that’s something you certainly sit up and take notice of.

Camogie was front and centre on the sporting stage this weekend in Waterford and it certainly didn’t disappoint. De La Salle are county senior champions for the third time in four years and they are certainly deserving of their success. It was a victory which epitomised exactly why camogie in this county has never been in ruder health.

After the Déise crashed out of the All-Ireland at the hands of Cork during the summer, Waterford manager Mick Boland spoke afterwards about two things. The first was how building depth is the key to bridging the gaps to the likes of Cork and Galway, and the second was how the club championships are the ideal platform for players to put up their hands and say they want to be part of the solution. On the evidence of what I’ve watched in the past week, I’d say Mick Boland will be rubbing his hands together.

There’s no denying that De La Salle and Gáilltír are a level above the rest in Waterford - but the rivalry they have has spurred one another on to no end in the last five years. You could see it in the game itself on Saturday at the SETU Arena - no quarter given, no love lost, friendships forgotten and full focus on victory. It was as fiery an affair I’ve ever seen in a camogie match.

Of course, the usual suspects weaved their magic. Speaking to Tomas McCarthy after the game, Mullane described Beth Carton as the best camogie player in the country. I’d dare anyone to try and disagree with him - and if you take a look at any matches in the last five years or so, it’s very very hard to disagree with that sentiment. Beth is a master at work - and while scoreboards might show that it was a so-called ‘quiet day’ by her usual standards - the work for both of Maggie Gostl’s goals was mesmeric.

For the first goal, Carton was picked out by Brianna O’Regan, she plucked the puck out out of the air, drew four Gáilltír players towards her, rode the challenges, drew space ahead of her and found Gostl with a pinpoint pass. Gostl’s finish was akin to prime Mullane himself - it was clinical, classy camogie. Carton’s pass to send Gostl through for the insurance goal wasn’t half bad by any measure either.

As for Gostl, this was her finest hour at the senior grade. She has long been touted as a star of the future and Saturday’s final felt like a coming of age moment. Her skill, movement and decision making really caught the eye - and she’ll be a regular fixture on De La Salle and Déise team sheets for as long as she wants to be.

Laoise Forrest was her brilliant best in vain for the reigning champions, through no fault of her own as a teak-tough De La Salle defence barely gave an inch all afternoon. Molly Comerford terrorised defences not just in Waterford but in Munster last season, but up stepped Shayla Condon at the age of 17 - her first county final - to deliver a masterclass in marking. She was phenomenal, and a deserving winner of the Player of the Match award. Another player not just for the future, a player for the now.

As for Keeley Corbett Barry, what a unique distinction for her to have won senior ladies’ football and senior camogie titles in the space of 8 days following her previous success with Comeragh Rangers. Marching on to Munster at club level is any players’ dream, but Keeley will get to do it twice. The dual player is an almost extinct creature nowadays, something which makes the achievement all the more impressive. The fact Keeley Corbett Barry is joint captain for both clubs exemplifies the weight of her words and the scale of her influence. Not since some of the Portlaw contingent in the 1970s has this achievement been seen, and it seemed very doubtful that it would ever be achieved again.

De La Salle are a special team and they should have no fear in Munster. With Carton, Gostl and Abby Flynn firing up front and the likes of Corbett Barry, Condon, Allanah McNulty and Brianna O’Regan holding fort - the sky is the limit. They’re a team worth shouting about.

Lismore are intermediate champions and An Rinn and Ballyduff Upper took junior honours - and throughout all teams, the blend of youth and experience is there for all to see. Music to Mick Boland’s ears.

What stands out most from the weekend, though, is the sense that the structures being put in place across the county are beginning to bear real fruit. There’s a clear alignment now between what’s happening at underage and at senior club level, and the results are visible on the field. The quality of skill, fitness, and tactical awareness on display would rival any county in Ireland. More importantly, the enthusiasm around the grounds - from young girls waving De La Salle flags to proud club volunteers working tirelessly behind the scenes - shows that the heartbeat of camogie in Waterford is strong and steady.

It’s easy to focus on the established names, but what should fill supporters with optimism is the calibre of players stepping up behind them. The younger players are not just making up the numbers - they’re shaping games and taking them by the scruff of the neck.

That blend of old and new, of seasoned leadership and fearless youth, is exactly what any county needs to stay competitive. When the day comes for the torch to be passed, it’s safe to say that Waterford camogie will be in very safe hands indeed.