All systems go for Erin Rafferty and Clonduff

By Niall Gartland

ERIN Rafferty couldn’t be much more invested in club life if she tried.

The Clonduff camogie star claimed her seventh Down Senior Championship medal last Saturday, while the previous weekend her brother Dan played his part as the Hilltown-based club ended a 26-year wait for a Down Senior Football Championship title.

And that’s only half the story. Rafferty also serves as club PRO – a role that has kept her particularly busy during an extraordinary couple of weeks for Clonduff.

With the club competing in three finals across two weekends, there has been plenty going on behind the scenes. The hurlers fell short against Portaferry, but the footballers’ triumph and camogie success have made it a memorable period for Clonduff.

And why stop now? Erin and her teammates will take on Swatragh this coming Saturday for a place in the Ulster Senior Championship final. Prior experience tells her that it’s a considerable step up, but forewarned is forearmed. Plus there’s an extra bit of intrigue about this year’s provincial series with traditional heavyweights Loughgiel and Sleacht Néill out of the picture.

“This is our third year in Ulster Senior, so we know what it takes. The jump from Down Championship to Ulster brings an increase in intensity and speed of the game – everything goes up a level.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a case of having new teams as such, but you don’t have the dominance of Slaughtneil and Loughgiel this year, so it’s something we’re looking forward to. Hopefully, we’ll have a good, competitive semi-final on Saturday.

“We’ve played Swatragh in a couple of challenge games over the years, and they were really good matches.. We’ll have to up the gears another bit, work on a few things and get those finer details in tune. Hopefully, we can click on Saturday and produce the best performance we’ve put in yet. Ulster Senior will naturally be another step up but we’re braced for that.”

Reflecting on their footballers’ success in the Down Senior Championship, Rafferty says that it’s been a special time for the entire Clonduff community. They were already a proud dual club, and now that fact has been brought to the attention of a much wider audience.

“Ach, it was absolutely unbelievable. The Sunday a week ago, just the week before our final, our men reached their first final in 10 years and won their first in 26. Like Charlie Carr said in his captain’s speech, it takes everyone at home, and it means so much to everyone.

“We could feel that atmosphere all week leading into our final, with people saying it was our turn. I definitely think the backing of the community helped, and it was probably because we were in three finals. The village was decorated from top to bottom, and everyone got so behind the club as a whole, which was great to see.

“In the lead-up to the men’s final, the club shop didn’t stop. We had a big breakfast in the lead-up to the camogie final. It was incredibly busy, but everyone was in good spirits, and we were glad to get over the line.

“Our celebrations were a lot shorter than the men’s because we play this weekend. But even without physically celebrating, just knowing what the men have done and seeing the success of the club is unbelievable. Clonduff is recognised as one of those clubs winning across numerous codes, which is really, really good to see. I’m absolutely delighted for the men.”

Rafferty also admitted that she was a bag of nerves watching her brother Dan as Clonduff surged to victory over Burren. She’ll take playing over sitting in the stans any day of the week.

“My brother Dan was playing wing half-back. He was probably the calmest in the house in the lead-up to the football, to be honest. As I’ve said all along, it’s so much easier to play than it is to spectate. I’ve never felt nerves like I did going into watching the men. I’d rather be on the pitch than watching, any day of the week!”

Rafferty also described her PRO duties as a welcome distraction ahead of last weekend’s county final showdown against Portaferry. While she suggests the game wasn’t as one-sided as the scoreline suggests, it was undoubtedly an accomplished performance as Clonduff swept to their third Down Senior Camogie Championship title in a row.

“As busy as it was, though, being PRO proved to be a good distraction in the lead-up to our own final. We played on the same day as our hurlers. It was busy, but in a good way. It’s great when you see the results, it makes it all worthwhile. I’m still trying to balance it all!

“Portaferry are a great team. They’ve been in the last couple of finals, and we played them last year as well. They’re a team you’re always going to be a bit apprehensive about because you know what they’re capable of.

“I suppose on Saturday, we probably did click. The scoreline doesn’t reflect how Portaferry performed, but all their scores came from frees, so I thought we did quite well. Obviously, our forwards did the hard work in putting up a score, but the final margin of victory wasn’t expected, I suppose.”

Clonduff can call upon the likes of captain Sara Louise Graffin and Paula O’Hagan, both of whom have won 12 Senior Championship medals. Then there’s a few newer faces, including Aoife McDowell, who is in her first year at the club. The important thing is that everyone is available at the right time of year.

“Paula’s back. She had a wee baby girl, Holly, in August, and it’s great to have her back in the group again. She didn’t know herself how things would pan out, but all was good, and she’s delighted to be back in the group as well.

“Aoife joined the group after her previous club unfortunately folded. She’s a great friend of a couple of ours and is always in Hilltown, so it was a no-brainer for her to come to our club. She’s been a great addition as well. She’s played county camogie, so she’s no stranger to competitive camogie. It’s great to have an extra person there to push everyone on. There’s no guarantee of getting your spot; we all push each other at training. We definitely give the managers a headache, and that’s no bad thing because it makes our training more competitive.

“Getting everyone back at the right time for the championship is extra special. It gives us that push and strengthens the bond. We also have so many players away in the county setup, so the championship is really the time when we’re all together as a group.”