Thurles aim to drive on in Munster

By Joe Scully

For Thurles Sarsfields captain Emer Kennedy, it was a privilege to be the first person to captain her side to a first ever Tipperary Senior Camogie title.

“It’s an absolute huge privilege for me to stand up there and represent the girls,” she begam.

“But it’s not just about me, it was a huge team effort not just today but all year and just delighted to get the win.”

For Kennedy it was such a relief to get the win after all the work that the team had put in all year, and the effort to bounce back after what was a heartbreaking defeat in the 2024 decider.

“It was a very tough battle and we were delighted to be able to keep the scoreboard ticking over at key moments, especially when Clonoulty came back at us strong in the second half,” added the skipper.

“We had been remembering last year’s final and the heartbreak we felt after and had been working making up for that all year and getting over the lone today and that’s exactly what we did.”

While they will enjoy the celebrations for now, it will be straight back down to business, as they face a trip to Kerry on Sunday for a difficult task in the Munster championship against a very strong Clanmaurice side who are the backbone of the Kerry Intermediate side who made it all the way to the All-Ireland final this year and for Kennedy it will be straight back at it to get ready for that game.

“We will enjoy the celebrations, but then it will be straight back at it and ready to go again for what will be a tough task for us, bit one we will relish,” she said.

For Emma Carey, the overwhelming feeling was relief and shock.

“It’s unbelievable, I don’t think it really has sunk in just yet, I suppose we have dreamed about this day for so long, bit it’s a bit surreal that it’s actually come through,” she said.

Carey, who had a superb year, and was one of the players of the championship, was full of praise for the team spirit the camp has shown all year and feels that played a massive part in their win Saturday.

“That’s been something that has been really nailed into us this year, that we are not just a team, we’re a family, and we want to be relentless, and we proved that today,” she revealed.

“We had an answer for everything, and that team togetherness showed through today.”

For Carey, the last few minutes which saw Clonoulty mount a comeback of sorts were very nervous but was worth it when the full-time whistle went.

Clonoulty go down with honour

To lose a final is a gut wrenching and disappointing feeling, and for Clonoulty/Rossmore manager Clodagh Quirke it was very hard to hide her disappointment after her side relinquished their county title they had won last year for the first time.

“Any day you lose a final like that it is very disappointing,” said the Tipperary defender who missed all of this year’s club championship due to a knee injury picked up on county duty earlier in the year.

She felt Thurles’ ability to respond with a goal every time, they got one themselves was impressive to the victors. “Fair play to them, they brought it out there today and got they’re scores when we needed, and we had a few chances that we didn’t take at times, but Thurles were a great team today and deserved their win,” Quirke continued.

“In any final you need things to go your way, and some balls just bounced the wrong way for us, and we didn’t take the opportunities, but sadly that’s sport at the end of the day, and all we can do go back and regroup, and keep going and keep training, and put in the work, and hope to get back here again next year.”