CAMOGIE – AIB ALL-IRELAND CLUB SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Ahead of tomorrow’s AIB All-Ireland Senior Camogie Club Championship final Sleacht Néill’s Gráinne Ní Chatháin answers a few quickfire questions…

Are you excited to be heading back to Croke Park?

“Oh yes, it’s always good to be aiming for Croke Park. It’s everybody’s dream to get back, never mind four years in a row. I am buzzing!”

How many years have you been playing for Slaughtneil?

“I have been playing for 11 years now, maybe 12.”

You have been here so often, Croke Park probably doesn’t over-awe you now?

“Well, I would say we’re very composed and in control, but we would all still get nervous. We’re probably better at dealing with those nerves now but there are a lot of new girls coming in and it’ll be their first time, for a few new starters anyway. So, it’s a different experience for them but with the composure of the team, we hope they will be able to use those nerves to their advantage rather than letting it get to them.”

The parish is so used to the men’s teams winning titles and the camogie side winning All-Irelands, are they almost fed up of it?

(Gráinne laughs). “I hope not, because it’s a whole lot of work! Because it’s a small rural community, the club is the be all and end all. Everyone is so proud, and I would hope that there is no complacency — there certainly isn’t with players. Maybe some spectators don’t know that the effort has to increase each year in order to get better, but no, they’re all buzzing and very much excited. Especially the younger and older generations who really appreciate it. They’re all chat about it, whether you want to talk about it or not! But, it’s all good.”

Did you have a tough road to here?

“Yes, it was tough enough. The standard in Derry has increased in recent years so I wouldn’t say Derry was easy. We were fit to manage it okay, and it was a good tight game against Loughgiel Shamrocks in Ulster, and we had a good game against Scariff-Ogonnelloe in very tough conditions as we’ve come to expect at this time of year!”

What are your memories of the final whistle of the club final last year?

“It was snowing, it was freezing! That was against St Martin’s, a deadly game too. The snow came on at half time and I’m just hoping that doesn’t happen again. The snow was wild bad, it was so cold, and in the second half it was difficult to even see the other end of the field from the full-back line. It was brutal and I was afraid of the referee calling it off! Just delighted to win it.

What sort of game are you expecting?

“I’m expecting a real fight. A physical battle and it will go right down to the final whistle. We have met each other before so we know what to expect and it has been tight in the other two games we have played. I’m expecting that they will come out for revenge and it’ll be a good hard game.”

You have beaten them in two finals already?

“I know!” she says with a smile. “So, they have got pictures of us up on their walls!”

What would it mean to win again?

“It would mean everything, and I don’t think we as players fully appreciate how far we have come. Maybe the community actually do appreciate that more than us. We are still focusing on match-to-match rather than seeing the full picture. The four-in-a-row doesn’t be talked about or be discussed in training, but to do something like that would be amazing!”

And what about the drive for five after?!

(Laughs) “One person did say that to me, and I said, ‘will you whist?!’, I don’t want anybody to mention that! Even if we get beaten next week, we have done amazing work. But, everyone just wants more, more, more.”