AFTER ACHIEVING THEIR goal, the Cavan camogie team are hungry for more in their first year back after almost a decade in the wilderness.
โIt was a great feeling alright,โ captain Erinn Galligan smiles after lifting the Nancy Murray Cup and tasting some long-awaited inter-county success last weekend.
โAt the beginning of the year when we were setting up with Cavan camogie, we had the Nancy Murray competition in our minds. Our goal was to reach it and ultimately win it.
โWhen we eventually did that on Saturday, we feel like we ticked a box that we had set at the beginning of the year. Thereโs serious satisfaction in that, but I suppose now that we know that we are going through into the Premier Junior, youโre always wanting that little bit more. Weโre hungry now to get even another win under our belts on Saturday.โ
An All-Ireland semi-final lies ahead after the 2-14 to 1-3 decider victory over Tyrone, Roscommon their opponents in the next assignment tomorrow [throw-in 1.30pm]. A huge step-up indeed, but itโs one the Breffni are relishing, having made their return to inter-county action earlier this year.
This is bonus territory after all, but theyโre certainly not going to back down.
โItโll be a big ask, a big task but weโre hungry for more now after getting that bit of silverware. We won comprehensively against Tyrone and I feel within the team thereโs this air of, โWe want to be playing bigger, better, even more competitive games against better teams and see where we really are.โ
โBecause there was such a gap between us and Tyrone in the very end, I know personally, I canโt wait to get into a bit of a dogfight of a game and see where weโre really at.
โItโll be a lot quicker game. The standard of camogie will have jumped a lot, the ball will be moving faster, there wonโt be as much rucks and it wonโt be slowed down as much so we just need to get used to that.
โBut Iโm looking forward to our backs being put against the wall to see what way we respond. If weโre trailing a game, to see how we respond to that. Nip and tuck to see what kind of a backbone we really have, really put us to the test and just know where weโre at.โ
Thatโs sure to happen tomorrow in Athleague, Roscommon, with Cavan undergoing a stern test for potentially the first time in 2020. โI know Nancy Murray was a goal but we nearly succeeded too easily in that,โ Crosserlough star Galligan adds, the test ahead much more challenging than any theyโve had to date.
Last weekendโs victory came as their third in total over the Red Hand this hand, having navigated their Division 4 league campaign successfully before the Covid-19 layoff.
While Storm Ciara halted their original comeback, Cavan came in under the radar and impressed on all accounts before the pandemic pressed pause on their new chapter. All in all, the return has been a huge success with a big marker laid down โ and this is only the start.
โWe had a great belief in ourselves as camogie players,โ Galligan continues, โand we could see the potential that was at club level in Cavan between Crosserlough, Denn and then years before that, Lacken and Castletara, and seeing how they have progressed on the club scene in Ulster.
โWe have brilliant camogie players in Cavan, but it was just a matter of plucking them all together and trying to get a system in place for us to play together. Weโre slowly but surely building on that.โ
As she said in an interview with The42 earlier this year, the standard of camogie players in Cavan across nine clubs was too high not to be competing at national level. Sheโs delighted to see the pathway there now for youngsters to follow, and long may it continue.
Galligan is well versed to discuss just how important it is, having been on numerous Cavan football teams through the years, involved when the county annexed the All-Ireland intermediate crown in 2013.
โItโs massive to have the outlet, to have people having a goal,โ she says on the addition of a county camogie outfit.
โYou start off at underage and you want to play with your club, then you want to reach the clubโs senior team and compete. Then the automatic next step is to see am I good enough to make the county team or panel, and see can I push on after a few years to get a Cavan jersey and be on the starting county team.
โItโs all a process of having a goal and another goal and another goal for yourself, and being competitive. Youโre competitive in your life in general, in your career, and then youโre competitive in your sport as well.
โFor younger girls, itโs nice to know that they have an opportunity because they have it at football level in Cavan, so itโs nice to have the younger girls coming out, playing camogie and knowing that they have an opportunity to represent their county as well.
โItโs only right, itโs only equal. Men can play for their county in hurling and football and if women can play ladies football, they can surely play with camogie as well.โ
โHopefully now that the processors are in place now for Cavan camogie,โ she adds, โthat will stem on now for a few years and we kind of keep the ship afloat at the county board and management and all goes ahead. I would think now that the whole thing will stem on.
โEven winning the Nancy Murray, itโs so important to even get that bit of silverware. It just highlights to people that camogie is strong in Cavan, to commit and do what you can because you will get that opportunity to get silverware.โ
With Westmeath native Jimmy Greville โ who was involved with 2019 All-Ireland intermediate champions Westmeath under his brother, Johnny, having previously managed Galliganโs successful club outfit โ at the helm, the future certainly looks bright.
And the Crosserlough native has no shortage of praise for the โbrilliantโ Greville and his management team.
โThey have created a really sense of team spirit, a real belief in what weโre about,โ Galligan explains. โThey give us 100% backing. No player in there is playing without confidence, they honestly instil such a belief in our capabilities and the abilities that we have.
โThey just say that if we work hard, then the results will come, which I really do love and appreciate about them. Theyโre very, very focused on us working hard collectively as a team, and the results show then, which has been working so far.
โThe lads are really nice, theyโre really approachable, there is a really great buzz between the players, and the management; a real will to win, to get better and play in the Cavan jersey.โ
That will to win and want to succeed comes from the top down, and itโs something that definitely doesnโt go unnoticed.
The hard work that happens behind the scenes is there for all to see, both at management level, and from the county board too, which Galligan is eternally grateful for.
โJimmy would be there an hour before training,โ she adds, โIโd be just leaving work and Iโd have to go home, get something to eat, get changed, get back into Breffni, and Jimmy would be there laying out cones already.
โHeโs so organised and heโs real into it, and that ricochets into the team as well if you see what the management is putting into it. Then you have girls arriving up taking frees and sidelines as well.
โThe Cavan county board have been great too, theyโve provided us with everything. There wouldnโt be much in Cavan camogie but whatever there is there, they give it to us to make it as easy as possible for us to give what we can to camogie in the county.
โItโs all going well. Iโm sure there will be blips along the way, but so far this year, it canโt be faulted for everyoneโs effort.โ
And everyone involved is absolutely loving it, Galligan notes, even through these difficult times. The enjoyment that games have been giving is fantastic, with camogie giving everyone something to do and strive for, and a much-needed routine.
โIโve never appreciated sport as much in my life as I have done the last few weeks, just getting out and about. It just gives you a real purpose and an outlet away from your day job as well. Weโre blessed to be have it and be able to do it.โ
Galligan has always been grateful for the little things, having balanced camogie and football through much of her sporting career.
Sheโs thoroughly enjoying focusing on one at inter-county level this year, and probably appreciating inter-county duty even more given the extra recovery time, โbiting at the bitโ for each and every training session and game rather than just going through the motions or following a schedule.
โNow, donโt get me wrong, I wouldnโt give up one or the other,โ she grins. โI love the football and the camogie, but when you do get that extra break in between, it does add to your bite to get to training.โ
2020 has been a stellar year for Galligan on an individual level, winning senior county titles in both codes, lining out for her native Crosserlough in camogie and neighbouring Lacken in football.
Interestingly in the big ball decider, Lacken dethroned Crosserlough so it was a bittersweet occasion โ and one she wonโt forget any time soon. โA funny one,โ she laughs, adding that sheโs Crosserlough ladies footballersโ number one supporter when Lacken arenโt playing, with best friends in both set-ups and no begrudgery on show.
But thatโs sport, and she wouldnโt have it any other way.
โIโve been very lucky this year to be fair,โ she concludes, โbut Iโm surrounded by unbelievable talent and surrounded by unbelievable people on management and committees both in Lacken and Crosserlough, and now in Cavan.
โSuccess doesnโt come out of nowhere, it comes from people putting in effort and time with us over the years. They donโt go seen but itโs testament to them, all the trophies and medals that Iโve won over the summer and I wouldnโt have got anywhere without them.โ
Hereโs to many more trophies and medals, as Cavanโs camogie journey continues.
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Wow the FA actually showing a bit of backbone and rescinding a red card! If thereโs any justice Costa will get a ban and Mike Dean get a warning for a shocking performance, playing up to the big game as usual
Costa did get a ban.
My comment was before the ban was announced. Delighted for the tramp
Give Costa the 3 match ban instead! Filthy animal
Costa got a 3 match ban
Just saw that now. Justice!!
costa nearly as bad as philly mc mahon
Nearlyโฆ.. But , nice boys get nice girls nice boys donโt win all Irelandโs
any chance you could show a clip of the incident? never saw it
Youtube.
I never commented that
I got fraped lads
https://youtu.be/o68jQjPCDtU
Should they not remove the charge for failing to leave the pitch seeing as they justified that hos argument at the time was correct?
Feck all this lads! Eva Carneiro just left Chelsea and is looking for a new job
Iโd give her a job.
Or would it be roles reversed if ya get my meaningโฆ.
in fairness though he did commit two yellow card offenses. Costa was a disgrace but Gabriel chose to get involved in the first place
Itโs all a bit late Chelsea get the win and Wenger blames everyone else for Arsenal choking in another big game.
Mourinhoโs next press conference should be interesting.
Why did they charge him them ?
premier league now full of pussies. thought central defenders were meant to e big hard men, not going crying to the media or the fa coz a striker bullied them
The very striker youโre referring to went crying and whinging to the referee at every opportunity
thatโs why Iโm saying theyโre all pussies
also to be fair, I havenโt heard Koscielny or Gabriel say anything to the media. The referee is the one that referred it to the FA.
Mourinhoโs gonna need a doctor. Ohโฆ
Fareplay
I can see the potential for a lengthy ban for Costa here. they could total up every incident as a separate red card offense
Even though heโs a p rick I wouldnโt agree with that. Theyโd have to do it to everyone else if that was the case.
Oh I definitely donโt think it would be fair bit there was a lot that the ref didnโt see and thatโs their specific role
Do you even think about half the bulls hit that comes out your mouth??
to be clear I was referring to the Koscielny incident, the Gabriel incident and the Chambers incident. All of which were not seen properly by the ref. Thatโs the exact requirement for the FA to look into it. I didnโt say I wanted it to be done that way or that it would be fair. Canโt quite see how that got you so riled up.
โBrazilian strikerโ haha nice dig.
to be fair, heโs not Spanish
Mourinho tomorrowโฆโฆ.conspiracy against Chelsea, they are all out to get himโฆโฆโฆblah blah