THIS weekend’s All-Ireland Intermediate final is the most important game in Aoife Keown’s career, but she’s trying not to think about it.

Down meet Anrim in the Intermediate decider and if the Mourne Girls win, it will be the first major championship title won since the Premier Junior victory in 2014. They county haven’t won an Intermediate Championship in over 20 years.

Keown said that winning the title would be a huge achievement for herself and for her county.

“The year that is in it, everyone is going to remember this year for different reasons. It would just be good to remember this year for winning it. It has been so long since Down won it. It is 20-odd years since there was an intermediate in title. It is definitely in us to be playing at senior level.”

There is a touch of trying to make amends for last year. Down camogs suffered heartbreak in 2019 when they lost in the All-Ireland semi-final. Their victory over Meath in the semi-final was a step further than last year, and so they will feel that they have improved.

“Last year we focused on Galway being the team to beat and we overlooked the semi-final as a team. This year every match we have taken as it comes. We are not thinking about opposition. We are thinking about ourselves. I haven’t thought much about Antrim.”

So if they have been thinking about themselves, what have the Down players being doing well?

“Everybody is getting on well and there is a good attitude at training because we are all feeling lucky that we can go and train. There is good communication and good energy among us. Everybody is nice and fit. The best thing about it is that it enjoyable.”

It is a massive game for the county, yet for Keown, she has made sure not to get too hyped about it.

Keown said: “I am looking forward to it. After getting beat in the semi-final, it is good to get over that stage. But to be honest I haven’t really thought too much about it.”

Keown works as a physiotherapist and is very busy at the moment. So work has helped to take her mind off the game.

“It makes a different that I am working flat out. We have been working as normal. I am not working from home or anything. I only think about camogie when the evening comes. There is not too much talk about it in work anyway.”

Down’s major success outside the provincial arena  in recent years was the 2014 Premier Junior All-Ireland title. Keown wasn’t involved that season, but there are some lessons to learn from that campaign.

Keown was only 18 back then, and the team was a lot older.

“I was so young then, I was just enjoying it. The older you get the more you think that you have to do it right.

“A lot of the girls from 2014 are still involved which is good.”

But since that win she has watched the Down team build and grow. Two years ago they reached the final, but were beaten by Cork in the decider. Keown missed that season too.

“There is a different squad now. There are a lot of younger ones and they bring a different energy to it. They push you at training.

“Sometimes you wouldn’t know the difference between the players, who the junior team players and who are on the senior team (Down have a senior and junior team).

“We are all at the senior team standard. There are 30 girls there and the standard is amazing.”

In the past Down had  struggled for numbers but this year their turn-outs are huge, and the depth has been one of the great positives.

“There is a good atmosphere at training and that has kept people around. People have really clicked.”

Keown is one of the dual players on the squad. So she has seen what it is like for both codes. She regards herself as one of the younger players on the camogs, but is an older player for the footballers.

“There is more experience with the camogs. You don’t feel as much pressure playing with the camogs. You have the likes of Paula (O’Hagan) and Karen McMullan. With football you have to lead and pull others along. Both are very professional set ups. I am lucky to be involved in both.”

So for preparations this week Keown said that they have to avoid the hype. While Keown hadn’t thought about the game at the end of last week, come Friday it should be at the forefront of hers and her team mates’ minds. She said they need to stay focused.

“We just have to keep our heads down, focus on our own group and think about it as another match. We just have to get over the line.

“This is the most important game in my playing career. I’d say that’s the same for most girls apart from the Clonduff girls.”

All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie
Championship final

Down v Antrim

Saturday, Kingspan Breffni, 3.45pm