Camogie: Mullagh a talent-laden combination

The last time Mullagh won the AIB All-Ireland senior club title, they created quite a shock on the way by beating champions Glen Rovers in the semi-final over two decades ago. 

Emer Hardiman was the star of the final, scoring a hat-trick of goals in the 4-13 to 2-7 victory over Tyrone representatives, Eglish.

Her husband Packie Dervan, who played on the Kiltormer team that won the All-Ireland senior hurling club final in 1992, is manager of the current crop while a team-mate of Hardiman’s, Eadaoin Murphy is a selector.

Hardiman’s sister Colette is also a member of the panel.

There is more big-game experience in the form of trainer Eugene McEntee, who has won four hurling All-Irelands with Portumna, including one as captain.

The 1991 senior camogie final was played in Ballinasloe and it is a testament to the progress made in providing profile to the sport’s major games, that the final has been played at Croke Park as part of a double-header with the intermediate decider since 2011.

Killimor won the inaugural Croke Park senior final and a Galway team hasn’t managed to prevail since, with Killimor and Ardrahan losing the last two to Milford.

Mullagh accounted for both teams en route to garnering the county championship which meant that no-one in Milford was taking them for granted in the All-Ireland semi-final.

That still didn’t save the three-in-a-row chasing outfit from being turned over however. Just like Glen Rovers were 24 years ago.

There are a lot of omens there.

Oulart-The Ballagh don’t deal in omens though. A team containing four All-Ireland inter-county winning captains (Ursula Jacob, Karen Atkinson and the Leacy sisters, Mary and Úna) won’t be spooked by anything that occurs outside the white lines.

Most were present when they won the club All-Ireland in 2012 so expect them to be ready, even though a local tragedy involving the death of a young teenage boy in a car crash did disrupt preparations last week.

With inter-county All-Ireland winners on both sides at a variety of levels, there will be no shortage of quality and the only shock here would be if the result wasn’t in doubt entering the final quarter.

Waterford champions, Lismore are an hour away from retaining their intermediate crown but they have a Piltown team packed with an array of different talents standing in their way.

Kilkenny star Katie Power can be a prolific scorer and she has Republic of Ireland soccer international, Karen Duggan as a team-mate, as well as national U18 400m hurdle record holder, Kellyann Doyle.

Lismore have their own big guns of course. They won last year’s title after a replay with another Noreside team, Ballyhale Shamrocks, and Triona McGlone scored three goals to spark riotous celebrations.

She has been finding the net with regularity again this year. Nicola Morrissey and Grainne Kenneally are two more influential performers.