Munster is what they all crave in Ballymacarbry

2000 was the last time the Waterford side won a Munster Senior title but this could be the year when they finally bridge that gap

MISSING SOMETHING: Aileen Wall has 14 Waterford senior titles but is still to win a Munster medal.

It is 41 county titles and counting in the history books but for Ballymacarbry only one figure matters – 2000.

That was the last time the Waterford side won a Munster Senior title but this could be the year when they finally bridge that gap.

Later today they face a gruelling trip to Kerry and defeat at Waterville for Frank Casey’s charges would mean even more heartbreak. Their history-making victory over Mourneabbey would all stand for nothing.

Although she is still only 28, Aileen Wall has soldiered through the years and has already racked up 14 county senior championship wins. Her illustrious career is similar to her Déise stronghold however, glittering but missing something.

Munster is what they all crave in Ballymacarbry and they certainly won’t go down without a fight in the final four against Southern Gaels this afternoon.

“To be honest, the only county title that ever matters is the one that is ahead of us,” said Wall.

“There were girls on our team this year who won their first senior county title.

“It was an amazing achievement for them. Then you have people like Michelle Ryan and Michelle McGrath, our captain, who are getting extraordinary numbers of medals.

“For the whole team, it’s the one in front of us. We don’t mention that number, it’s everybody else that mentions that number, not us. We only look at the year ahead and thankfully we came through again this year.

“We want to push on this year in Munster. Getting over Mourneabbey was a massive thing to do but there is still a tough task ahead now with Southern Gaels.” 

“You think that you are just never going to bridge that gap but we really turned it around this year. It was like we won the Munster final after the final whistle blew. We had to come down to earth then and we had actually nothing won.

“It is important to celebrate those wins. We haven’t had the chance to ever say we have beaten Mourneabbey, they have always been the ones that we have slipped on.

“We definitely took that and enjoyed it. We can see the chance that is ahead of us to win a Munster final.

“But it’s important we keep our eye on the ball now and take each match as they come. We have nothing won at this stage."

Southern Gaels clinched the Kerry SFC title with a free-kick shoot-out victory over Finuge/St Senans recently and they come into this game with many aces in the pack. Síofra O’Shea, Rachel Dwyer and Megan O’Connell will likely garner most attention from their Waterford opponents.

“The only thing we have our eye on at the moment is Saturday,” said Wall.

“The preparation that we have done has been exceptional. I really believe we will get over Saturday but everything would be a bit in vain if we didn’t. Hopefully, we can do the job.”