Daly on a high as good times roll for Éire Óg

By Shaun Casey

A MONTH ago, reaching an Ulster final at the Junior B grade was the height of Éire Óg’s ambitions, but now the Carrickmore girls are 60 minutes away from an All-Ireland final and they can’t wait for the weekend, says Aoibhinn Daly.

Following extremely close encounters against both Crosserlough and Derrynoose, which Éire Óg shaded by a combined three points to claim the provincial crown, it’s now Fr Murphy’s of London that stand between Éire Óg and a spot in the All-Ireland decider.

It’s unknown territory for the Tyrone champions, who made the step up in class after winning the Bridie McMenamin Shield last year, but they are exactly where they want to be.

“Ulster was really unknown territory for us, going up against Crosserlough in the semi-final and at a grade higher than last year but we managed to got over the line that day,” said the Éire Óg captain.

“Then we had another great battle in the final against Derrynoose. That game went right down to the wire again, so no doubt it’ll be much of the same this Saturday. When you get to this stage of the competition, it’s such a high level that nothing is going to be easy.”

Some may consider Éire Óg’s journey as a bonus, but Daly is quick to point out that her side believe in the capabilities inside their changing room and they don’t want their venture to come to an end just yet.

“The belief is there within the team, and we definitely deserve to be there. It’s such a great opportunity for us so hopefully we can take it and get over the line. To get to an All-Ireland final would be a massive achievement for the club alone.

“Obviously Fr Murphy’s are a London team, so we don’t really know too much about them. Aany team that gets to an All-Ireland semi-final is going to be good, so we know it’s going to be a battle and it’s going to take everything for us to get through.”

It’s an exciting weekend for the Carrickmore club. The Camogs are out on Saturday hoping to create history while 24 hours later, the hurlers take to the field in the Ulster Intermediate final, against Lisbellaw, aiming to get their hands on that trophy for the first-time ever.

“There’s a great atmosphere around the club and there’s been a really good build-up to the games over the last couple of weeks there,” added Daly, whose brother Oisin plays corner-forward on the hurling team.

“We’ve been training and there’s so much excitement at training. The girls can’t really wait for Saturday and then our men are out on Sunday against Lisbellaw so it’s a busy weekend for Éire Óg.

“When you set out training in January you think that this is where you want to be. For our ladies to be in an All-Ireland semi-final and our men to be in an Ulster final, you couldn’t be in a better position really,” the Carrickmore player added.