Ann Downey says player belief was the key for Kilkenny

How fitting that it should be Ann Downey who masterminded the end of the Kilkenny famine.

As a player, Downey was involved in Kilkenny’s first 12 All-Ireland final victories. As a manager, she yesterday delivered title number 13. Downey served as captain in 1994, Kilkenny’s last O’Duffy Cup success prior to this four-point win. That she’ll no longer wear the title of ‘Kilkenny’s last winning camogie captain’ doesn’t bother her in the slightest. She wore it for long enough.

“It was a monkey on my back alright, to be quite honest,” said Downey who returned as manager for the 2016 campaign having previously held the job from 2009-11. “I had to keep reminding the girls at training that I was kind of sick of it. I’m just delighted that they’ve made their own history.