Schools camogie queens
Coláiste Bríde crowned for third year running
SOMETHING MAGICAL happened on the schools camogie scene in the early noughties, and it paved the way for a lot of what followed as the Wexford Senior teams annexed the All-Ireland titles of 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Those triumphant sides were backboned by a gifted group of players who had honed their considerable skills with Coláiste Bríde (Enniscorthy) during their reign as the best in the land from 2003 onwards.
And on April 23, 2005, their confident crew and a large travelling support made their way to Davin Park in Carrick-on-Suir for a final joust with a St. Mary’s (Charleville) side captained by future Cork leader Anna Geary, and also featuring Ashling Thompson at right half-forward.
Ground conditions were very poor for this clash of the titans, with our reporter David Medcalf noting that the holders were ‘more like mucky mermaids than hurling princesses’.
‘This one’s for Jacqui,’ team captain Bróna Furlong told the cheering fans as she accepted the trophy after a 1-8 to 2-3 success, referring to her Duffry Rovers clubmate, Jacqui Codd, who had been forced to retire from camogie through back trouble.
It was undoubtedly a clash of the big two, as they had also met in the previous year’s decider when two matches were required before Coláiste Bríde prevailed.
Indeed, there was a long history between the Enniscorthy and Charleville schools, stretching back to 1998 and 1999 when the Cork side had prevailed in their first two All-Ireland final meetings.
The tide started to turn in 2003, when home advantage in Bellefield helped Coláiste Bríde to lower the Mary’s colours at the semi-final stage before claiming part one of the three-in-a-row at the expense of St. Patrick’s (Maghera).
That triumphant team, captained by Ciara O’Connor, was prepared by Elva Moriarty, Jimmy Guinan and Martin Storey, with the latter still involved behind the scenes in 2005 when the management duties had been taken over by Anne O’Leary, John O’Shea and Neil Moynihan.
Five of the victorious team had played in all three final wins: Oulart-The Ballagh trio Una Leacy, Ciara Storey and Stacey Redmond, Monageer-Boolavogue attacker Anna Murphy, and versatile team captain Bróna Furlong who also donned the green of Ireland as an international athlete.
Leacy was outstanding in this particular win, with four of her six points coming from play. It meant that her combined personal tally for the four finals (including the replay of 2004) was an impressive 3-9.
With two days’ rain lying on the pitch and relentless drizzle, it was quickly clear that the contest would be based on determination as much as skill.
Coláiste Bríde led by 0-5 to 0-2 at half-time, and the contest was really decided in the third quarter when they dug deep to prevent Charleville from building any momentum as they were favoured by the slope on the pitch.
Two Una Leacy points were followed by the killer blow on 41 minutes when Ciara Storey swung her stick at the ball as it emerged from a scrum on the edge of the square, with her shot creeping across the boggy ground and into the goal at the right-hand post.
Leacy’s sixth point followed, but there was a nervy finish as St. Mary’s struck for 2-1 without reply before the celebrations could commence.
The final whistle of Tipperary referee John Morrissey was greeted with some happy mud-wrestling by players who left an indelible mark on schools camogie from 2003 to 2005.
Coláiste Bríde: Vikki Murphy (Monageer-Boolavogue); Sara Nolan (Rapparees), Sharon Kehoe (Oulart-The Ballagh), Johanna Breen (Monageer-Boolavogue); Olivia Murphy (Monageer-Boolavogue), Siobhán Cullen (Oulart-The Ballagh), Stacey Redmond (Oulart-The Ballagh); Síona Nolan (Monageer-Boolavogue), Bróna Furlong (Duffry Rovers, capt., 0-1); Lorraine O’Connor (Oylegate-Glenbrien), Una Leacy (Oulart-The Ballagh, 0-6, 1 ’45, 1 free), Ciara Storey (Oulart-The Ballagh, 1-0); Anna Murphy (Monageer-Boolavogue, 0-1), Ciara Garahy (Monageer-Boolavogue), Maeve Frayne (Rathnure). Subs. - Louise O’Leary (Rathnure) for Sara Nolan, Aideen Doyle (Rapparees) for A. Murphy, also Yvonne Walsh (Monageer-Boolavogue), Laura Hogan (Rathnure), Christine Fortune (Oulart-The Ballagh), Hannah Doran (Oulart-The Ballagh), Emma O’Connor (Rathnure), Kerrie Dunne (Oulart-The Ballagh), Sandra Carr (Rathnure), Sinéad Jordan (Marshalstown), Jenny Fenlon (Monageer-Boolavogue).