Goal hero O’Reilly delighted to deliver for Galway veterans
The 19-year old stood out, not only as the youngest member of this All-Ireland winning outfit, but as the sole individual never to have tasted September defeat in the maroon and white.
While Galway performed their familiar bridesmaids role in the 2010 and ’11 deciders, O’Reilly was filling the sitting room cabinet with a bag of underage All-Ireland titles.
Tony Ward drafted the full-forward into the senior set-up last winter and, though lining out alongside Brenda Hanney and Ann-Marie Hayes in their famine ending win — the Killimor pair boasting all most two decades of service between them — one would be forgiven for thinking it was O’Reilly who wore the tag of seasoned campaigner.
The NUIG Arts student delivered the game’s sole goal on 27 minutes, but it was the squandered goal opportunity at the end of the first quarter which played on her mind. O’Reilly slipped inside the Kilkenny cover, but instead of shooting for goal, she offloaded to the unmarked Hanney who failed to make sufficient connection.
“I definitely should have converted that one, I would have regretted missing that one, but, thank God, I finished the second one and it counted. I am just glad it hit the back of the net.
“There were two Kilkenny girls hanging out of me, but I just stayed going, head down, I thought the Kilkenny goalkeeper was going to block it but thankfully it went in. We dominated the third quarter and, though we didn’t move out of sight, I wouldn’t say we were nervous. Maybe it was tired legs because we had fought so, so hard for 50 plus minutes. We held on in the end and I am so delighted we came out on top.”
O’Reilly singled out Therese Maher in the match programme as the sportswoman she most admires and the youngster was quick to pay homage to those who had finally prized their hands onto the O’Duffy Cup.
“It’s an absolute dream result. It is a dream result for those who have been fighting for so many years. The likes of Therese Maher, Brenda Hanney and Ann-Marie Hayes have been waiting so long to get their hands on an All-Ireland medal, having come up short on so many occasions and they truly deserve what they got today.”
Further down the tunnel underneath the Hogan Stand and captain Lorraine Ryan is clutching the O’Duffy Cup, tightly, the second Galway lady to bring camogie’s biggest prize across the Shannon.
“It’s unbelievable, there are no words to describe it,” smiled the wing-back.
“I think we are still in shock to be honest. It will definitely take a while for all this to settle in. I am just so, so happy for the girls inside, they have worked so, so hard.
“We worked hard this year, but we have worked hard over the past four and five years, coming up short by two points two years in succession. We have had our hearts broken over and over again. These group of girls just came back and came back, and I am so delighted that we got our reward today.
“Conditions were difficult and it did take a while for both teams to settle down, we fought it out, we kept going, kept believing. Even when Kilkenny had their purple patch, we kept believing, we got onto each other, kept each other going and finally we got through it.
“Credit to the forwards for the goal chances created, it showed we were pressing the opposition at the right end of the field. We took the one we needed and it counted.”
