At 24, Cathy Mulholland is one of the ‘veterans’ of the Down County Camogie scene. The Ballyholland player first played at centre-half back for Down at minor level (u16 in Camogie) in 1993 when Down won the Ulster Minor Championship and League double, a feat the County has not repeated since.

Further Minor league success followed in 1995, a year when Cathy made her first league appearance for the Down Senior team against Fermanagh and also picked up an Ulster Senior Championship medal with Down. That year really was the start of a purple patch in both Down’s and Cathy’s Camogie career. “Things really took off after 1995. We dominated Ulster until 1999, except for 1997 when, for some reason we couldn’t even win an argument! But 1998 was something else. Down’s team that year was really special. Everything we did went according to plan. In Ulster we won the Maguire Cup (Ulster League) and the Ulster Senior Championship. At National level we captured both the National League and the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship titles but what really demonstrated our dominance then was the fact that on the Ulster team that won the Inter-provincial (Gael Linn) title in 1998, seven of the team (then 12-a-side) were from Down!”

In 1998 Cathy headed to Manchester Metropolitan University where she studied Sport & Leisure until 2001 before moving to Liverpool John Moores University to complete her teaching studies. During this time, she regularly commuted back home to play for Down, even though the County was struggling somewhat - epitomising her dedication to her county colours. “Some people thought I was mad but it was something I wanted and had to do. I enjoy playing for Down and I wasn’t going to let a bit of water stop me.”

Now with the travelling over and happily teaching at Bloomfield Collegiate in East Belfast, Cathy’s dedication could be about to pay off. A win on Sunday against Roscommon in the All-Ireland Junior Championship semi-final would see Cathy fulfil her lifetime’s ambition to play in Croke Park. “To be honest, I’d swap all my medals to be able to run out with Down in the All-Ireland final on September 19th. Especially in this, the Camogie Association’s Centenary Year. It has to be every Gaels ambition to play in Croke Park. My brother Shane was lucky enough to play there for Down in a National League game in 1998 and now I want to do the same.”

But first things first…Roscommon! “I know it’s going to be a tough one for us. Fair enough, we beat them well in the league but that was quite a while ago although I’m sure it’s something they’ll think about travelling to Kilclief! There has actually been no mention of that game amongst the team. We’re treating this as if we’ve never played them before, giving them the respect you give any opposing team. To us they could be Cork or Tipperary.”

Cathy is one of eight players from the successful 1998 Down team who are still involved with the County and she is all to aware that time is moving fast for them. “Those of us who have been around the County team for a while know that we may never get this opportunity again, and that is something that drives us on week in week out, especially after the struggle of the last few years. And we’re still smarting from letting the Kildare league game slip through our hands when we had them on the ropes. They went on to win the National League…that should have been us. We certainly don’t intend that to happen again on Sunday. I can’t even think about losing. It’s not in the equation. Sunday’s game is a final, simple as that…I don’t play to lose finals.”

If this single-minded attitude is translated into action on the pitch…Cathy may just fulfil her dream!

All-Ireland Junior Championship semi-final
DOWN vs ROSCOMMON

@
Kilclief 2pm Sunday 15th August 2004

Paul Welsh
Fairplay sport and leisure
PEIL one sport one passion
E-mail: info@fairplay.ie
Web: www.fairplay.ie