Lyng lauds young Cats’ winning mentality

SUNDAY’S All-Ireland final joust with Cork may be unfamiliar territory for the modern Kilkenny camogie generation, but Lizzie Lyng proves an exception to that trend having strong acquaintances with the Cork set-up.

Lyng, who is joined on the Cats panel by her sister and Rower Inistioge clubmate Eimear, has plenty knowledge of Cork camogie circles from her time in UCC where she became an integral members of the college’s camogie outfit, picking up a few Ashbourne Cup medals en route.

Now she is starting to sample that successful feeling on the senior stage with Kilkenny, whose set-up is benefiting from the arrival of an influx of All-Ireland minor winners.

“It’s been four All-Ireland minors in-a-row for Kilkenny recently and those players have brought that winning feeling through with them, they really know what it’s like to win.

“The winning feeling was lost in some of our senior players for a while because we had a few hard years along the way. However, these young players coming through have boosted us all, and finally, we get to know what it’s like to win again.”

Lyng is greatly enthused by the progress that Kilkenny have made at underage level which was embellished by their National Senior Camogie League title last year. However in the championship the nine campaigns since the turn of the millennium have been bossed by Cork.

“This is their eighth consecutive final, so, yeah, we always expected them to be there or thereabouts again this year”, says Lyng.

“Cork will take some stopping. In saying that, across the country it’s actually very, very even now. Cork, Kilkenny, Wexford, Tipperary, Galway; we are actually quite close in terms of standard.”

Meanwhile, Kilkenny trainer Paul Murphy has described it as ‘an absolute privilege’ to be working alongside Kilkenny boss Ann Downey.

After a lengthy and celebrated playing career Downey has thrived since assuming the Kilkenny managerial reins, with Carrick-on-Suir school principal Murphy, praising her input.

“What can I say; it’s an absolute privilege and honour to be working with a manager of Ann’s calibre. She is a real professional with heaps of managerial and playing experience.

“But the players themselves deserve enormous credit. I’ve been involved with Kilkenny now for five years and they’re a great, versatile bunch.

“The reality is you’ve basketball players, Gaelic footballers, volleyball players, soccer players and the lot. They could turn their hand to any sport and we are just happy that they have dedicated themselves to camogie.

“The mood is very positive in the camp right how, training is going well and our preparation has been very good to date”, remarked Murphy, who had previous sporting success when he trained Carrick United to the FAI Junior Cup title in 2008.