NWP Ulster Senior Club Camogie Final 2017
Sunday 2pm in Athletic Grounds Armagh :
Loughgiel Shamrocks v Slaughtneil Emmett’s
On the first Sunday of March this year, Slaughtneil struck gold by powering to a 1-10 to 0-11 win over Sarsfields’ from Galway in the All-Ireland senior club camogie final, the first Derry side to reach the summit and only the second from Ulster, following on from Rossa nine years earlier.
It was all the more remarkable since they did so as first time provincial champions, winning the Ulster title in a replay against Loughgiel before a huge attendance at Glen, Maghera just before Halloween 2016.
The drawn final was played as a double-header in Armagh with the club hurling final between the same two clubs. Another provincial double is on offer on Sunday for Slaughtneil, with Loughgiel again the camogie obstacle. However things have changed significantly since last October.
Mary Kelly, goal-scorer in the Ulster final replay and again in the All-Ireland final, went abroad during the summer, as did Player of the Match in both games, Shannon Graham. Rumours abound as to their availability on Sunday, but it will be a surprise if either starts.
Their absence hasn’t affected the Emmett’s season to date as they amassed high scores in retaining the Derry title, beating Ballinascreen in a repeat of last year’s final, 5-17 to 2-9.
Offaly native Tina Hannon has stepped into one of those vacancies while the Mellon cousins, Therese and Sinéad, who were in and out of the starting 15 in last year’s championship look to have secured starting berths this season.
Loughgiel meanwhile continued their domination of Antrim. A year on, they also look at least as strong as they did last season when they were in search of a third successive provincial title.
Young Amy Boyle, an All-Ireland minor winner back in April, is now in the midfield engine room, while arguably the most exciting under-age talent in the province at the minute, 16 year old Roisin McCormick, is also unhinging defences at all levels with her skill and pace.
More than half of the Loughgiel team has played in four All-Ireland semi-finals since 2009. That makes them very experienced – but this year they are arguably much fresher than in any other time they have challenged at this level.
In 2016, their All-Ireland odysseys in the spring time meant that they were basically on the go for 30 months without a break when they faced Slaughtneil – and they also won an Ulster inter-county senior title representing Antrim in June 2016.
This year, they took a long break prior to the start of the club season, gave county a bye and used a wider panel of players than before in the Antrim league.
They have been building for this game and in many eyes, Slaughtneil are the favourites. It will suit them coming in under the radar, but have they the artillery to come through?
Indeed has the Derry club the same hunger after basically 18 months on the go?
All questions will be answered by 3.20pm on Sunday – unless we get the same result as last year – a draw!
