THE TEAMS FACING each other in today’s All-Ireland club camogie final might not have met in competition before, but some of the players have crossed paths before.
Back to 2018 to be exact. The Féile was being held in Galway that year and the Truagh Clonlara club were among the teams participating. Roughly eight or nine players from the current team were part of that 2018 side.
They were staying with a host club for the duration of the Féile, and as fate would have it, it was Sarsfields who provided their accommodation. Six years before they would collide on the biggest day of the club calendar, they were breaking bread together as young stars on the rise.
Memories of that time have been coming up in conversation in the Truagh Clonlara dressing room lately with some humour thrown in.
“Two of them stayed in Hopper McGrath’s house so there’s been some slagging, and asking, ‘Well, what do they eat for breakfast?’” says Truagh Clonlara PRO Caroline Moloney, referring to current Sarsfields manager Michael McGrath who has four daughters on the team.
It’s all in jest of course, but they must be wondering about the movements of the three-time All-Ireland champions who are competing in their ninth final since 2016.
For Truagh Clonlara, this is just their first All-Ireland final appearance. They are the first Clare team to contest the senior decider, and are the first Munster team to reach this stage since Milford of Cork, who won three All-Irelands between 2012 and 2016.
After struggling to get past the county semi-final stage in recent years, the back-to-back Banner champions are standing on the verge of greatness.
Truagh Clonlara players celebrating after their All-Ireland semi-final victory over St Vincent's of Dublin. Ken Sutton / INPHO
Ken Sutton / INPHO / INPHO
“We won the Clare championship at the same time that our hurlers also won,” Moloney says referring to last year’s double success for their camogie team and the Clonlara hurlers.
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“That really was the breakthrough for the girls.”
After securing that long-awaited county title last year, Truagh Clonlara fell to Sarsfields in the Munster championship. But only by four points. And when they saw their Cork opponents go on to win the Munster final by the same margin, it inspired hope in the Truagh Clonlara group. Further progress was possible.
That experience propelled them through the challenge posed by Clonoulty Rossmore in this year’s Munster semi-final, teeing them up for a mammoth two-game battle against Waterford’s Gailltír. The drawn Munster final lasted 66 minutes, with Gailltír grabbing a late equaliser to send it to a replay. The second act went on for three hours before a winner was determined.
“Throw-in was at 2pm and by the time we got out, it was 5.30, 6pm,” Moloney explains of the replay which went to extra-time, 45s and sudden death before Truagh Clonlara could lift the cup.
Róisín Begley struck the winning shot as darkness descended.
“At one stage with the 45s, it was like being in the queue for a funeral, it was so quiet. Someone’s phone started ringing, I’ve never experienced it. To go down to that one puck of the ball and we couldn’t even see who was taking it because the crowd had gone onto the pitch to try and get a view. You couldn’t even see the ball going over, we were all waiting for the reaction of the umpire with the white flag.
“The girls were wrecked, the supporters were wrecked. But it didn’t stop them from celebrating. We had a homecoming in the village where they walked the cup over the canal into our village. They [the players] spent a good hour in the village dancing with them and having dance offs.”
Their All-Ireland semi-final win over St Vincent’s was accomplished in normal time, which was a bit shorter than what they’re used to.
“We’re kind of renowned for drawing and going to replays so the joke is they only played half a match,” says Moloney.
Home is about 10km away from Limerick city. The Gaelic Grounds and Thomond Park can be seen in the distance. The hurlers go by the Clonlara name and wear black and amber colours. The camogie team, Truagh Clonlara, play in a blue and navy strip. But the two teams cover the same catchment area, and all 253 members belong to the one club. Clonlara is the parish and Truagh is a townland at the top of the parish. And that’s where the camogie club was founded 60 years ago by Fr Brendan Cleary, Peggy Fennessy and Tom Walsh. In honour of its roots, they’ve kept Truagh in the title ever since.
But that’s where the separation ends. The hurling and camogie sections are knitted together in Clonlara, especially now as they make a final charge for All-Ireland glory. There are nine sets of sisters, and four groups of cousins comprising the camogie team and plenty of their fathers offer their assistance in the background.
“We would have some of the hurlers in helping out with water and maor foirne,” Moloney continues. “It’s a real parish [effort].
Truagh Clonlara's Áine O'Loughlin in action for Clare. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
“The time the girls put in off the pitch is amazing. They’re down helping out with the underage. After the drawn Munster final, Áine O’Loughlin, Leah Hall were on the sideline with the U16 team. That’s the type of group you’re dealing with.
“We’re seeing young boys going around in the Truagh colours. That shows how much of an impact this has had.”
Clare All-Ireland winner John Conlon is among those Clonlara hurlers lending a hand with the camogie team. It’s a somewhat personal project for Conlon as he is married to a former joint-captain of the team, and his father-in-law is the manager. His wife Michelle was part of the team that delivered county success last year but is unavailable this season as she is due to give birth to their first baby.
Conlon revealed recently how Michelle’s father Bob invited him to get involved with the team with gentle persuasion.
“He’s a really quiet man, actually and when he comes calling every year was like, ‘Sure, I’ll put you down on the list anyway, and sure, you can be in the group and when the hurling is over by the end of the year, you can join back up.’”
John Conlon pictured with his wife Michelle at the 2024 All-Stars. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
Sarsfields are comfortable playing in Croke Park. They’ve almost become annual visitors around Christmas time at this point, although their trip to Dublin last year was an unsuccessful one. Chasing a three-in-a-row success, they were denied in the end by Kilkenny’s Dicksboro.
An All-Ireland final is entirely new territory for the Clare challengers. But then again, every stage beyond the county championship has exposed them to new surroundings this year. And they have thrived each time the bar has been raised. Momentum counts for a lot too, and it could well lead Truagh Clonlara up the stands of the Hogan Stand on Sunday afternoon.
“Going into the final, they’ve nothing to lose. Sarsfields are into their sixth final in-a-row and they’ll be looking for payback for losing to Dicksboro last year so they’ll definitely have the favourites tag, but our girls have nothing to lose.”
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'Two of them stayed in Hopper McGrath's house' - from Féile meetings to Croke Park reunion
THE TEAMS FACING each other in today’s All-Ireland club camogie final might not have met in competition before, but some of the players have crossed paths before.
Back to 2018 to be exact. The Féile was being held in Galway that year and the Truagh Clonlara club were among the teams participating. Roughly eight or nine players from the current team were part of that 2018 side.
They were staying with a host club for the duration of the Féile, and as fate would have it, it was Sarsfields who provided their accommodation. Six years before they would collide on the biggest day of the club calendar, they were breaking bread together as young stars on the rise.
Memories of that time have been coming up in conversation in the Truagh Clonlara dressing room lately with some humour thrown in.
“Two of them stayed in Hopper McGrath’s house so there’s been some slagging, and asking, ‘Well, what do they eat for breakfast?’” says Truagh Clonlara PRO Caroline Moloney, referring to current Sarsfields manager Michael McGrath who has four daughters on the team.
It’s all in jest of course, but they must be wondering about the movements of the three-time All-Ireland champions who are competing in their ninth final since 2016.
For Truagh Clonlara, this is just their first All-Ireland final appearance. They are the first Clare team to contest the senior decider, and are the first Munster team to reach this stage since Milford of Cork, who won three All-Irelands between 2012 and 2016.
After struggling to get past the county semi-final stage in recent years, the back-to-back Banner champions are standing on the verge of greatness.
“We won the Clare championship at the same time that our hurlers also won,” Moloney says referring to last year’s double success for their camogie team and the Clonlara hurlers.
“That really was the breakthrough for the girls.”
After securing that long-awaited county title last year, Truagh Clonlara fell to Sarsfields in the Munster championship. But only by four points. And when they saw their Cork opponents go on to win the Munster final by the same margin, it inspired hope in the Truagh Clonlara group. Further progress was possible.
That experience propelled them through the challenge posed by Clonoulty Rossmore in this year’s Munster semi-final, teeing them up for a mammoth two-game battle against Waterford’s Gailltír. The drawn Munster final lasted 66 minutes, with Gailltír grabbing a late equaliser to send it to a replay. The second act went on for three hours before a winner was determined.
“Throw-in was at 2pm and by the time we got out, it was 5.30, 6pm,” Moloney explains of the replay which went to extra-time, 45s and sudden death before Truagh Clonlara could lift the cup.
Róisín Begley struck the winning shot as darkness descended.
“At one stage with the 45s, it was like being in the queue for a funeral, it was so quiet. Someone’s phone started ringing, I’ve never experienced it. To go down to that one puck of the ball and we couldn’t even see who was taking it because the crowd had gone onto the pitch to try and get a view. You couldn’t even see the ball going over, we were all waiting for the reaction of the umpire with the white flag.
“The girls were wrecked, the supporters were wrecked. But it didn’t stop them from celebrating. We had a homecoming in the village where they walked the cup over the canal into our village. They [the players] spent a good hour in the village dancing with them and having dance offs.”
Their All-Ireland semi-final win over St Vincent’s was accomplished in normal time, which was a bit shorter than what they’re used to.
“We’re kind of renowned for drawing and going to replays so the joke is they only played half a match,” says Moloney.
Home is about 10km away from Limerick city. The Gaelic Grounds and Thomond Park can be seen in the distance. The hurlers go by the Clonlara name and wear black and amber colours. The camogie team, Truagh Clonlara, play in a blue and navy strip. But the two teams cover the same catchment area, and all 253 members belong to the one club. Clonlara is the parish and Truagh is a townland at the top of the parish. And that’s where the camogie club was founded 60 years ago by Fr Brendan Cleary, Peggy Fennessy and Tom Walsh. In honour of its roots, they’ve kept Truagh in the title ever since.
But that’s where the separation ends. The hurling and camogie sections are knitted together in Clonlara, especially now as they make a final charge for All-Ireland glory. There are nine sets of sisters, and four groups of cousins comprising the camogie team and plenty of their fathers offer their assistance in the background.
“We would have some of the hurlers in helping out with water and maor foirne,” Moloney continues. “It’s a real parish [effort].
“The time the girls put in off the pitch is amazing. They’re down helping out with the underage. After the drawn Munster final, Áine O’Loughlin, Leah Hall were on the sideline with the U16 team. That’s the type of group you’re dealing with.
“We’re seeing young boys going around in the Truagh colours. That shows how much of an impact this has had.”
Clare All-Ireland winner John Conlon is among those Clonlara hurlers lending a hand with the camogie team. It’s a somewhat personal project for Conlon as he is married to a former joint-captain of the team, and his father-in-law is the manager. His wife Michelle was part of the team that delivered county success last year but is unavailable this season as she is due to give birth to their first baby.
Conlon revealed recently how Michelle’s father Bob invited him to get involved with the team with gentle persuasion.
“He’s a really quiet man, actually and when he comes calling every year was like, ‘Sure, I’ll put you down on the list anyway, and sure, you can be in the group and when the hurling is over by the end of the year, you can join back up.’”
Sarsfields are comfortable playing in Croke Park. They’ve almost become annual visitors around Christmas time at this point, although their trip to Dublin last year was an unsuccessful one. Chasing a three-in-a-row success, they were denied in the end by Kilkenny’s Dicksboro.
An All-Ireland final is entirely new territory for the Clare challengers. But then again, every stage beyond the county championship has exposed them to new surroundings this year. And they have thrived each time the bar has been raised. Momentum counts for a lot too, and it could well lead Truagh Clonlara up the stands of the Hogan Stand on Sunday afternoon.
“Going into the final, they’ve nothing to lose. Sarsfields are into their sixth final in-a-row and they’ll be looking for payback for losing to Dicksboro last year so they’ll definitely have the favourites tag, but our girls have nothing to lose.”
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All-Ireland club camogie championship Camogie Throwing It Back Truagh Clonlara GAA