Renault GAA World Games
Irish Born Camogie Final
Australasia 1-10 Middle East 1-4
Australasia got the GAA World Games finals day off to the perfect start at Croke Park on Friday morning when they beat the Middle East in the Irish Born Camogie final, the team featuring Antrim’s Samantha McKillen from Ballycastle (who was team captain), Una McNaughton from Loughgiel, Joanne Loughlin of Geraldines Portglenone and Claire McKeague of Cargin Camogie Club.
Both Samantha and Una started on the team for the Croke Park final while Joanne and Clarie were part of the squad who put together a series of great wins early in the week at Waterford IT.
In Friday morning’s final at Croke Park, which opened the finals day, Australasia got away to a great start with an early Aoife Callahan goal and they went on to lead by 1-15 to 1-12 at the end of the fifteen minute first half.
The Middle East team pushed hard at the start of the second half and the Australasia defence, in which Cork’s Karen Jones was outstanding, were pushed hard to keep their opponents at bay. However they weathered the storm and with team captain McKillen adding a point and McNaughton solid in defence they regained control and pulled away to win over six in the end.
It was a special day for the two Saffron girls as Samantha McKillen lifted the cup as team captain. Thirty years ago Sammy’s dad Paul ‘Humpy’ McKillen was a member of the Antrim team who were beaten by Tipperary in the 1989 All Ireland final and on this very weekend that year the Saffron’s caused the shock of the century by beating Offaly in the semi-final. Of course Una McNaughton has a Croke Park link as well as her dad Seamus ‘Crow’ McNaughton played on the Loughgiel team who drew with St Rynagh’s of Offaly in the 1983 club final, before beating them the following Sunday in the replay in Casement Park.
Overall the GAA World Games have been a fantastic success and the week in Waterford, and Friay’s finals in Croke Park has created memories which they players involved will carry to their graves.
