2016 WAS A year to remember for Kilkenny camogie.
In September, they finally bridged a 22-year gap as the senior All-Ireland title headed Noreside to join the league crown they had scooped earlier in the year. The All-Ireland drought was finally ended.
From 1974 and for the 20 years that followed, the Cats won 12 All-Ireland titles. 1994 was to be their last for a long period, as they suffered heartbreak after heartbreak and slipped under the radar.
In the meantime, the men took centre stage as the Brian Cody era entered full force.
Their female counterparts were still there or thereabouts, but their lack of silverware meant that all of the attention and focus was geared towards the men.
But 2016 brought change.
Their last All-Ireland winning captain (until then), Ann Downey, took the reins, and with her came a serious sense of belief and pride. And the end of the drought. Both the league and championship titles returned to the south-east.
Same again this year?
“Going for the double again hopefully yeah,” captain Anna Farrell smiles. She’s laughing as she says it, but she means it.
They’re already halfway there in terms of repeating the feat. Three quarters of the double-double is complete.
Farrell’s side made a statement of intent with their league final win over Cork at the end of April. Missing key players, and with a completely different-look team to the one that started in Croke Park last September, they retained their crown in style with a three-point win.
They then tagged on a Leinster title two weeks ago with a gritty one-point win over Offaly. With 62 minutes on the clock, Kilkenny equalised and Denise Gaule converted a 45 in the dying seconds to seal the deal.
“We absolutely robbed Offaly,” Farrell continues. “They had us bet until the last minute of the game. That just shows that every team is in it. There’s nothing between them.
“When people talk about Kilkenny and Cork as the main ones, there’s so many other teams there — Galway, Offaly, Limerick, the rest of them.
”We’re buzzing now to get going for championship. We had such a good year last year that hopefully it will carry on again now into this year as well.”
“Hopefully it’ll be like last year. Really good games throughout and then the best two teams meet in the All-Ireland again.”
Farrell actually missed the successful league campaign this year with a shoulder injury, but she’s back to full fitness and ‘ready to go’ now.
She wasn’t the only one to be sidelined — her sister, Shelly, among others also missed out on the action.
“She [Shelly] was only coming back and hurt herself again so she’s resting up really until we hit championship level. There’s no need to come back yet, there’s plenty of time to get your spot in.
“There’s absolutely brilliant young girls after coming in from the intermediate team last year — the girls won the All-Ireland, and a few new girls in. They had to take spots and anyone who played in the league showed how good they are.
“It just made it even harder now for the few of us to come back and try and win our spots back.
“The league is like a stepping stone. You get to test yourself out against the other good teams. You get to see whereabouts you are and what you need to work on.
“Then when championship comes around, it’s like going from 60 to 100% within a week or two. It is such a difference but at least you kind of know whereabouts you are once you’ve handled the league.
“You get a bit of confidence from winning that. You don’t have no fear then for championship when you do come up against the same teams.
While Anna and Shelly were away from the field of play, their younger sister Meighan captained the side to glory. 17-year-old Eimear is in with the minors, and she’s been asked into the senior set-up to ‘make up numbers at training’.
“We’re still going anyway,” Farrell grins when asked of the family involvement. “Meg is flying the flag for us. Hopefully now, the three of us will be lining out the next day, please God.
“Eimear is a great little hurler but she just needs another year or two to get stronger. Our poor mother will have too much gear to wash,” she laughs.
Like for most other families in Kilkenny, camogie and hurling is almost religion in the Farrell household. Their father, Martin, and mother, Helen, are both heavily involved in the Thomastown club scene, both in coaching and administration.
The only boy in the family, Jonjo, is a two-time All-Ireland winner with the Kilkenny hurling side and has made a notable impact of late.
Growing up, Farrell and her siblings dabbled in any sport they could, but it always came back to their one true love.
“We played everything, anything that we could. We have a few All-Irelands there with volleyball and played football, not much soccer now — my Dad doesn’t really like that one,” she laughs.
“Ah no, but it’s always been camogie. It’s always been the love anyway. It’s the one that you’ve always looked at.
“We didn’t really have much of a choice in the matter. Mam and Dad are hurling and camogie mad. They’ve always trained us. They’ve always pushed us more than everyone else.
“That’s why we are where we are really, that we’re hurling with Kilkenny – the three of us [Anna, Shelly and Meighan]. Because they pushed us so hard. That’s how we started off with our love of camogie, through them, and they wouldn’t miss a match ever.
“Everyone in Kilkenny, there’s such emphasis on hurling really. You always have a hurl in your hand. There’s no escaping it really.
Continuing on from the life centered on camogie conversation, Farrell speaks of Ann Downey’s remarkable influence on the Cats.
Pivotal as a midfielder in 12 All-Ireland camogie successes, as well as winning nine league medals and three Player of the Year awards, she’d done more than enough for her county.
But Downey felt that she had more to give. She returned, this time to the helm, towards the latter end of the 2000s. She came back to take charge for the 2016 campagin, and she shaped and moulded the team into the machine they are today, as well as leading them to regain their place at the top.
“She’s an unbelievable woman,” Farrell continues. “Her whole life is camogie. Her love for it — you can see it in everything she does.
“She’s so passionate about it. It just makes you want to win more, when someone loves it that much and would do anything for ye to win it. It just drives us on even more.
Calling the shots alongside her is her twin sister Angela, and Breda Holmes — two more legendary Kilkenny camogie figures.
“We’re surrounded by All-Ireland winners. Then we have the men there as well helping us out — physios, doctors.
“We can’t complain. We absolutely have everyone there to help us and they all wanted us just as much as we did last year. Hopefully this year again, we can be half as successful as we were.”
First up on the road to Croke Park is Waterford tomorrow, and it’s a challenge Farrell is relishing.
They’ve clashed in the league already this year — Kilkenny coming out 2-12 to 0-14 winners, but the Thomastown clubwoman again stresses the gap between league and championship.
“There’s a complete difference between league and championship. They are a great team, they have a few great hurlers on it as well.
“Hopefully it’ll be a great game and we’ll come up on top anyway.”
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Cooney was a bit part player when he joined Ulster now look at him.
@Drew Walsh: He’s won more European Cups than Best
@JoeO: Allan Clarke won the HCup playing hooker at Ulster, doesn’t make him a better hooker in Ulsters history. Rugby is a team sport so trophies cannot be used to measure individual players.
@Drew Walsh: He was the backup 9 behind Marmion for the Pro 12 champions when he signed, hardly bit part.
I genuinely think eric o suillivan can start ahead of him if eric really pushes himself
@Eoin Murphy: his scrummaging will need to come on to do that. Leinster got 3 points of the back of a scrum pen on his side. They also got out of the corner when Stockdale dropped the ball with a scrum pen on his side. Not knocking the kid he can do it, but he has work ons
@RabidHorizon: to be fair he was up against argubly the best TH in the world but you have a good point
Sad to see him go, quality player when fit but he just wasnt moving healy. His form has dipped since the lions tour and was behind Ed byrne in the pecking order in recent weeks.
But there’s some serious prospects at Leinster coming through that can develop their game like Thomas clarkson & Michael Milne. It’ll be between Byrne, Dooley & Bent fighting it out for a bench spot behind healy. Imo Byrnes better than Dooley. Bent will probably retire or move on next season
@Harry O’Callaghan: Can’t see Bent going anywhere yet. He’ll be too important next season with Furlong and Porter gone for long periods. And Porter hasn’t shown himself up to being a solid starter at TH if Furlong was to go down with an injury they’d struggle.
@Eddie Hekenui: Porter is more than capable of holding his own. He’s still relatively new to tighthead, but even already at such a young age he’s leapfrogged John Ryan to be Irelands 2nd choice tighthead. They also have Vakh Abaladze & Jack Aungier coming through, so hopefully they’ll get more game time this year
@Harry O’Callaghan: Porter is a fine option off the bench and had a great performance against Wales last year in the Six Nations but the amount of starts he’s got for Leinster in the last 2 seasons would point to them not being quite sure he’s ready to start big games just yet. And while Abdaladze and Aungier are very talented players Leinster aren’t going to start the season with just the two of them available while Furlong and Porter are at the WC.
And it’s debatable if Porter has leapfrogged Ryan as Ireland’s 2nd choice TH. They’ve split appearances this season so it’d seem that they’re pretty neck and neck.
@Harry O’Callaghan: Porter is a fine option off the bench and had a great performance against Wales last year in the Six Nations but the amount of starts he’s got for Leinster in the last 2 seasons would point to them not being quite sure he’s ready to start big games just yet. And while Abdaladze and Aungier are very talented players Leinster aren’t going to start the season with just the two of them available while Furlong and Porter are at the WC.
And it’s debatable if Porter has leapfrogged Ryan as Ireland’s 2nd choice TH. They’ve split appearances this season so it’d seem that they’re pretty neck and neck.
@Eddie Hekenui: He’s hardly going to be starting while Furlongs fit though? But whenever he has started, he’s been brilliant. He’s so new to tighthead, but even already look where he is at. He’s just naturally talented. And o my going to get better, will Ryan get better…I doubt it. He’ll be 31 in August. Abaladze has already gotten some game time for the senior team this year which is a huge plus.
@Harry O’Callaghan: And what of the 6 games this season that he’s been on the bench while Bent started to go with 5 last season. Porter’s starts this season have come against the Dragon’s x2, Zebre and Ulster which aren’t exactly the most dangerous of scrums. I don’t doubt his natural talent or how good he could be but we’re talking about the here and now. If the Heineken Cup final is tomorrow and Furlong is injured who do you think starts at TH? For me it’s Bent.
And anyway my original point was Bent will be at Leinster next season which he undoubtedly will unless you think they’re going to start the season with two TH’s with a combined 90 minutes of professional rugby under their belts. Do you think they’ll do that?
@Harry O’Callaghan: And what of the 6 games this season that he’s been on the bench while Bent started to go with 5 last season. Porter’s starts this season have come against the Dragon’s x2, Zebre and Ulster which aren’t exactly the most dangerous of scrums. I don’t doubt his natural talent or how good he could be but we’re talking about the here and now. If the Heineken Cup final is tomorrow and Furlong is injured who do you think starts at TH? For me it’s Bent.
And anyway my original point was Bent will be at Leinster next season which he undoubtedly will unless you think they’re going to start the season with two TH’s with a combined 90 minutes of professional rugby under their belts. Do you think they’ll do that?
@Eddie Hekenui: Why isn’t Bent in the national side then if you rate him more highly than Porter? He probably will be there next season, considering the lack of game time the other two have.
@Harry O’Callaghan: Well for one thing try as I might my opinion doesn’t count for anything when it comes to the national squad selection. And even then I wouldn’t have him in the squad ahead of Porter who’s a fantastic option off the bench. But if there was a important match to start I’d go for Ryan who, while not being a better player than Porter, is a far superior scrummager at the moment.
@Eddie Hekenui: Is that why he was picked for only 2 games, and Porter was picked for 3 games. Arguably Ireland’s toughest tests…England, Wales & Scotland?
@Harry O’Callaghan: Again Porter is a fantastic TH to have of the bench because of how dynamic he is but there is a difference between being the bench TH and 2nd choice TH. World Cup tomorrow who starts for Ireland if Furlong is injured? I reckon it’s Ryan. When Furlong was rested in Australia who got the start? Ryan
@Eddie Hekenui:
Disagree with that it will be Porter who will be number 2 under TF :: Ryan works hard but will always be a bench player where Porter will take over from TF when needed…………….
The vibes are good for the future.
No more sand kicked in the faces of our front row.
Four quality props
@Mark Smith: He is a great player and a superb addition to Ulster. I love the way Best referred to Jack McGrath as a “British Lion” above :)
@grandslamkbo: Best should know better and I’m sure McGrath wouldn’t be too pleased to be called a British lion.
Charles Piutau was no bit player but he just didn’t fit, seems to be more about finding someone who fits.
@Peter Brophy: he means the ones that had to be cleared out recently like Ah You, Herron, Herbst and Shalk VdM. Piutau actually did very well at Ulster and carried the backline at times.
@Kingshu: Ah You was terrible
I think that (esp when Grant joins next year) as a whole the Ulster Coaching ticket will be the strongest out of all the provinces. The others have good coaches as well but there are some weaker coaches as where, there isnt a weak link in the Ulster coaching ticket. Over all as a coaching team Ulsters would be strongest. Which is a fantastic starting point for building a team. Year one has been better than we could have hoped, already excited about year two.
Ulster seem to have all their ducks in a row no messing around with Coaches coming in mid season nice depth in the pack .
@rugbyanbeer: the change of CEO i believe has influenced that. We’re not making big statements about where we’ll be in 5 years time whilst, at the same time, flying by the seat of our pants. We’re keeping a lid on things whilst planning / recruiting well ahead of time.
@Andrew Adams: Its very positive onwards and upwards .Methinks the feel good factor had Rory putting off his retirement the old war horse wants an Ulster trophy
It’s becoming clear that gym fitness is not enough for a prop and while a big roster needed to cover injuries the big roster doesn’t help with on field time. One for the exercise physiologists.