Scene set for camogie classics

CAMOGIE’S centenary calendar comes to a close on Sunday with all four provinces battling to capture honours in the senior or junior All-Ireland club finals at Parnell Park.

Down side Liatroim Fomtenoy take on Roscommon’s Four Roads in the junior decider while top billing goes to the latest duel between old sparring partners Granagh-Ballingarry of Limerick and Kilkenny representatives St Lachtain’s.

Granagh bid to retain the title they won for a third time last year against a St Lachtain’s outfit appearing in their first decider. The pair have met in two semi-finals in the past four years and, although Granagh won both, a bruising challenge match earlier this season ended all square.

“I suppose some people would see us as favourites,” Granagh captain Deirdre Sheehan admitted yesterday. “We played them last year in the All-Ireland semi-final and we beat them by about seven points, but they’re a very tough, physical side and we’ll all have to stand up and be counted on Sunday. It would be very special to win it in centenary year though. In ‘98 we were the last side to win it as a 12-a-side game and we were the first to win it as a 15-a-side game in ‘99. It’d be nice to add the centenary year to those two.”

Whoever wins at the weekend, it has been a landmark year for the association, even aside from reaching the century of existence.

Staging a number of key games before male senior ties this summer raised the profile as did the decision to have the inaugural International Camogie final as a curtain raiser to the first Rules test at Croke Park last month.

Another first step will be taken next month when the first ever camogie Allstars selection is announced.

“It has been a fantastic year for us in Cumann Camogaiochta na nGael,” said the association’s PRO Maire Uí Scolaí at Croke Park yesterday.

“It is a year that has put camogie on the map, both here in Ireland and abroad. On Sunday we will bring the curtain down on the inter-county scene with what I hope will be two cracking club finals. This year we have four provinces represented and that is a fitting way to end the year.”

Talks are at an advanced stage to amalgamate the association and Ladies Football under the one umbrella with the GAA while a Strategic Development Plan that will guide them for the next four years is already in operation.

“We have almost 90,000 people playing the game here now,” Uí Scolaí said. “This year we had almost 25,000 people at our All-Ireland final this year, which was the third highest attendance for any senior final this year. Not only that, but it was the highest attendance for any female organisation in this country. We have a fantastic product to sell and we have to get out there and prove it is every bit as good as the men.”

Sunday, All-Ireland club championship finals, Parnell Park, Dublin.

Senior: Granagh-Ballingarry, Limerick v St.Lachtain’s Freshford, Kilkenny, 2.30pm Junior: Four Roads, Roscommon v Liatroim Fontenoys, Down, 1pm.