NIAMH KEEN’ FOR SUCCESS IN TWO CODES

There’s a reason why Niamh Keenaghan is one of the last remaining dual players in Cavan.

It takes dedication beyond belief but she still cannot bring herself to dropping either Ladies football or camogie.

There are regular conflicts, whether it’s club versus college, county against college, or even county and county.

Keenaghan will play with Cavan in their Ulster camogie championship opener on April 30 before she lines out for the Ladies footballers in their provincial bow the following day.

It will be another hectic weekend but she will not turn her back on her two sisters who also play adult camogie for Cavan, or the Ladies footballers who are capable of anything in this year’s TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship.

“We have a brilliant chance to beat Donegal and win Ulster,” said Keenaghan.

“That would be our first goal and aim. We haven’t done much, we haven’t moved up or down, we have stayed in the middle. Us, ourselves, have to look towards getting medals or winning.

Hopefully

“Beating Donegal is our first aim and hopefully winning an Ulster final if we get past that stage. And I think when you look at Meath ladies and what they’ve done, I don’t think it’s beyond anyone to go and win an AllIreland final.

“But we take it game by game and step by step even though it’s definitely within our reach.”

Keenaghan turned 21 on Wednesday but predictably was too busy to party, instead spending her afternoon in the gym before a pitch session in the evening.

She hails from Laragh and plays Ladies football and camogie with the local Laragh United club.

Her love for camogie stemmed from her mother Treena’s passion for that game and that in turn has fed into the lives of Niamh’s two sisters Clodagh (22) and Aislinn (19).

All three line out together for the club and came up through the ranks there where Keenaghan picked up the game at the age of just four.

They were destined for inter-county stardom down the line but Ladies football did not become a viable option for Keenaghan until she attended secondary school at Loreto College.

A recent victory over Wexford only adds to the intrigue surrounding camogie in the county while the Cavan footballers continue to fight for their own breakthrough.

And Keenaghan has the unique opportunity to fight on both fronts again this year.

She is busy preparing for Championship and she cannot wait to keep her jam-packed schedule top heavy.

“My sisters would make it very hard for me to step away from playing county camogie when they are there,” said Keenaghan.

“Because you would be letting them down. I know we probably we kill each other sometimes but it’s brilliant playing alongside them.”