*Niamh Mulqueen chases after Ciara Hill. Photograph: ©INPHO/Evan Treacy
OVERCOMING Armagh was a case of third time lucky when it came to outcomes in the semi-finals of the All-Ireland Junior camogie championship for midfielder Niamh Mulqueen.
Broadford’s Niamh Mulqueen has been part of a number of Clare teams that have reached All-Ireland semi-finals which ended in defeat so “it’s savage to have got through to the final and we want to go on and get the result now so all our fingers and toes are crossed”.
Speaking after training on Thursday evening last the midfielder acknowledged that having the senior and junior teams train together all year has been beneficial to Clare camogie.
“When you are training with girls who are playing senior with their clubs and the county for the last few years, you are trying to be as good as them and you are trying to drive them on and your standard is lifting. As a group, we are all improving week by week as shown in the last few years when both teams have contested Munster finals and you can see both panels improving from working together”.
“We are all training together and driving each other on and some days go better than others. The senior team will get better as the junior team gets better. The junior team has been getting better and we are in the final and hopefully we can win and get up to intermediate. Having an intermediate and a senior team would be brilliant, the gap isn’t as big. We all would love to be playing senior but it’s great that we are here and playing in Croke Park. I have never played there before and I don’t know if I will be there again so fingers crossed that the final will go well. For most of those involved it will be their first time playing in Croke Park”, Niamh told The Clare Echo.
Reflecting on recent seasons, Niamh said “we have got to the concluding stages a few times. We played Kerry in Cusack Park a few seasons back and they cleaned us on and went on to win it. That was their first team and they were much better than us on the day. We lost to Armagh in another semi-final and they went on to lose narrowly. We lost to Antrim in another semi-final and they went on to win it out. We have been so close every single time so hopefully we can go on and win it out now”.
Clare’s opponents in the final will be Tipperary. “They will be very very good. It’s both counties’ second teams”, according to the midfielder who is happy that camogie is improving in Clare. “Look Scariff/Ogonnelloe went through Munster and into the All-Ireland series and that is excellent and drives on everybody else. There is nothing between the top clubs in our county. I have never played senior club but it’s great to play with people who play at that level as it makes you want to lift your standard to their level”, she added.
It’s been a long season, Niamh pointed out. “We have been focused on the county team and we haven’t been allowed to train with our clubs all year. The final is on August 6 and the club championship starts on August 11 which leaves us with just the Wednesday to train with the club. The focus has been on the county and, thankfully, we have got to where we want to be but it’s very hard then to turn around and be expected to play with your club next week. They have been training a certain way all year, they have a plan, they have a structure with the way they puck out the ball and when you are not used to that because you haven’t been with them, it’s very hard to just hop back in”.
Last year Clare and Tipperary juniors met and Clare emerged with a one point win in the Munster championship. “Our team has improved and they have improved. Any of the counties where senior and junior panels train together they seem to be doing very well, it does work”, Mulqueen added.
The Clare midfielder expects a big Clare following at Sunday’s final. “A number of clubs have bus loads organised. Clare haven’t been in a camogie final in Croke Park since 2008. Hopefully supporters will see the hard work we have put in, we have been training since last October. These are the days people will remember. It makes it all worthwhile to be through to the final and hopefully we can get over the line”, she concluded.
