All-Ireland Club Camogie Championship
Finals Press Conference,
Páirc an Chrócaigh.
To celebrate its Diamond Jubilee in 1964 Cumann
Camógaíochta na nGael initiated
the first ever All-Ireland Club Championship competition.
In this its centenary year, 2004, forty years
later, the competition has grown in stature and
has been further enhanced by the introduction
of an All-Ireland Junior Club Championship. These
competitions have become a most important date
in the Camogie calendar.
An indication of just how popular these competitions
are is that three of the four teams playing on
Sunday will be appearing in the finals for the
very first time. Not only that but all four provinces
will be represented.
Since 1964 a total of twenty two clubs have inscribed
its names on the Carroll Cup, with several clubs
having won the coveted trophy on more than one
occasion. In 2003 Crossmaglen Rangers, County
Armagh, became the first Club to win the Phil
McBride Cup.
Granagh-Ballingarry, Limerick, claimed its first
All-Ireland club title in 1998 and since then
it has added two more titles in 1999 and 2003.
Playing for the defending champions will be the
four Sheehan sisters- Vera, Aoife, Deirdre, team
captain, and Marie O’Gorman.
This will be a real family affair for the Chawke
family as Mike manages the team, his wife Ber
will play in her usual centre-half back possition,
while their daughter, Fiona, will play up front.
Many of the Granagh-Ballingarry players are past
pupils of the famous St. Mary’s, Charleville,
who have won numerous All-Ireland Senior and Junior
Post-Primary titles.
The reigning All-Ireland Senior Club Champions
will defend its crown against first time All-Ireland
finalists St. Lachtain’s of Freshford, Kilkenny
St. Lachtain’s will not lack experience
as the well know Gillian Dillon Maher, daughter
of the former Kilkenny hurler Pa Dillon is the
proud owner of three senior All-Ireland medals
with Kilkenny. Many other players have worn and
are still wearing the Black and Amber of Kilkenny
including captain Imelda Kennedy who scored a
total of 0.05 in the All-Ireland Club Championship
semi-final. Marie O’Connor ia a neice of
former Kilkenny great Bridie Martin McGarry who
was chosen on the Camogie “Team of the Centurary”
earlier this year.
Liatroim Fontenoy, County Down and Four Roads,
Roscommon, will be appearing in their first ever
All-Ireland Club Championship Final.
The Down and Ulster Champions will be hoping
to make up for the County’s recent the All-Ireland
Junior Championship defeat. Liatroim Fontenoy
players Máirín McAleenan, Clare
McGovern, Anne Morgan, Lisa McCrickard and Brenda
Gallagher played on that All-Ireland team.
Tom Naughton, Manager, Four Roads, the Roscommon
and Connaught Champions, will be hoping to lead
his charges to their first ever All-Ireland title.
He will be looking to Cáit Kenny for a
repeat of her form in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Cáit will ably assisted by Niamh Coyle
who captained the Roscommon Minor team which reached
the All-Ireland Finals this year.
Representatives of all four clubs attended the
Press Conference in Croke Park today where Síle
de Bhailís, Ardstiúrthóir,
Cumann Camógaíochta na nGael said
“It is marvelous that the four provinces
will be represented in the All-Ireland Club Finals
by teams which have a long tradition of playing
Camogie for their clubs, schools, counties and
provinces.”
When these two finals take place on Sunday next
it will bring down the curtain on the playing
activities for 2004 – a year that has seen
many new dimentions added to Camogie as we celebrated
our centenary.
Paths to the finals:
Munster Senior Championship final: Granagh-Ballingarry,
Limerick 2.08 Milford, Cork 2.06
All-Ireland Senior Club Championship semi-final:
Granagh-Ballingarry 1.11 O’Donovan Rossa,
Antrim 0.04
Leinster Senior Championship final:
St. Lachtain’s, Freshford, Kilkenny 4.12
Good Counsel, Dublin 0.02
All-Ireland Senior Club Chammpionship semi-final:
St. Lachtain’s 5.06 Davitt’s, Galway
0.05
Ulster Junior Club Championship final: Liatroim
Fontenoys, Down 2.17 Castletara, Cavan 1.02
All-Ireland Junior Club Championship semi-final:
Liatroim Fontenoys 1.16 Kilnamona, Clare 1.08
All-Ireland Junior Club Championship semi-final:
Four Roads, Roscommon 1.06 St. Laurence’s,
Kildare 0.02
For further information you may contact:
Máire Uí Scolaí,
National Camogie PRO
Phone/Fax: 01 2849805
Mobile: 087 2797090
Web site: www.camogie.ie
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