Memory of Western front defeat drives Cronin

LOOKING on as a spectator at last year’s Gala All-Ireland senior camogie final in Croke Park, former Cork star Denise Cronin concluded Wexford deserved their victory over the Rebels.

However, she reacted very differently to Galway’s win over Cork in the 1996 final, when the Westerners won their only title. Back then, it was personal. She was playing. And she didn’t even have the consolation of believing that Galway were the better side. It gnawed at her that Cork had let victory slip through their hands.

“It hurt the most because it was the first final I lost as a player,’’ she explained. “I’ll never forget the devastation. At the time you think it’s like a death. You put so much effort in and you are totally focused on the All-Ireland and trying to win it and you are raging hot favourites...

“And then the bubble bursts and you’re applauding people down on the pitch. They put it up to us on the day. We had been eight or nine points up and we ended up losing by two.

“Watching last year’s final you got the inclination that things weren’t going to go right for Cork. The ball fell to Wexford the whole day, but the thing is that Wexford deserved their win. When you are looking back over it, you wouldn’t begrudge them it. It’s disappointing for the girls that some days you walk off Croke Park and feel you left it behind, but Wexford genuinely won it last year.’’

She played her camogie with Glen Rovers and won six All-Ireland senior medals with Cork before bowing out in 2003. At the height of her career she was still able to maintain an involvement in training under-age teams in the club and at the time they were successful enough. And after retiring, she devoted herself exclusively to the Glen for two years before she fell out of the loop and became a spectator at club and inter-county games.

Bringing in some experienced people as selectors, she recalled the difficulty in settling on their team for the opening League game, which happened to be against Wexford.

“We were close enough to them with the players we had, even though we hadn’t much training done. We decided to take a look at things again and bring in another few players.

“Obviously, it worked out. They were enthusiastic. They had been there (in the squad) and so close for long that when they got their opportunity they decided to take it. They put their heads down and worked very hard.’’

The Cork manger says that they will approach Sunday’s final with extra caution after having lost to Galway already — in what was their only defeat in the championship. She described it as a game in which they really put it up to them, didn’t give them any time on the ball. And that aspect of their play both impressed and concerned the management.

“Once you are doing that you are doing something right. It meant we had to go back to the drawing board and try and work out a game-plan. It benefited us and it benefited Galway. We were after winning three games on the trot. It brought us back down to earth.’’

While recognising that little could be done to avoid a clash with the Cork senior hurling championship semi-finals, Denise agrees that it’s regrettable at the same time.

“It’s probably unfair on family and friends, people who would like to be in Croke Park but want to see the county championship games as well.

“I would like to be there myself. My best friend has two brothers playing with the Glen and she wanted to be in Croke Park. I suppose everyone is affected to some degree.’’