AS THE CLONDUFF club prepares for the All-Ireland intermediate camogie final this week, the dominant feeling among the squad is relief.
The comfort comes from the heroic manner in which they defeated Kerry side Clanmaurice in their All-Ireland semi-final on Sunday. It was an unusual tussle to the finish where, with the sides still deadlocked at the end of extra time, two additional five-minute periods — extra extra time — were required to determine a winner.
Clonduff prevailed by five points in the end, but the Down champions were chasing their opponents throughout much of the game before making that final stretch for victory.
They were four points adrift at half time, and were forced to wait until extra extra time before taking the lead for the first time in the match. Sarah Louise Graffin sent them on their way with a point, Fionnuala Carr added another score shortly after, and a late goal from Beth Fitzpatrick ultimately assured them of a place in the final against James Stephens of Kilkenny.
After a mammoth arm wrestle, a winner had been finally declared.
Clonduff veteran defender Carr is no stranger to drawn games and extra time, but this was her first time to play through the additional phase of extra time.
“I’ve seen it in club football,” Carr explains. “We didn’t know that [taking] 45s was a possibility. And then when the first period was over, they said they were going to play another five minutes each way.
“Anyone that was lined up for a 45 was obviously quite relieved. We went ahead in that first period of extra extra time and just held onto the lead until the end.
“It was very tense, very tough. We had to get a draw, and then another draw, and finally came out the right side in extra extra time.”
Reflecting on the reason behind why her side managed to emerge as winners from that exhausting battle, Carr continues:
“I think experience probably. Adrenaline gets you through a lot of it, but it’s the experience of managing the adrenaline and the match itself. We probably just had a bit more experienced players. There was myself who’s a bit evergreen, and then Sarah-Louise [Graffin] and Paula [Gribben] who have played county level for a few years.
“That was probably the difference in managing the game, just not to panic and keep going.”
Carr has been hurling for Clonduff for the last 25 years. The club is located in a “small rural village at the foot of the Mourne mountains” and has a way of tying people of all ages together.
At 38, it’s not unusual for Carr to head out for coffee with a teammate who’s in their 20s and for the pair to comfortably enjoy each other’s company. Bonds are easy to form, an invaluable asset for a team which has just seven days after their marathon match to regroup for the All-Ireland final.
This stage isn’t unfamiliar territory for Clonduff or Carr. Carr won an All-Ireland with Down in 2020, and her club also reached the All-Ireland intermediate showpiece in 2019 where they narrowly edged out Gailltír of Waterford to take the crown.
Carr recalls how the “whole village” converged on GAA headquarters to support their camogs to victory that day.
And as the relief of reaching the final gives way to excitement about what is to come in Croke Park, Carr is hoping for a similarly vast crowd to get behind them this weekend.
“Ideally, you’d like another week’s recovery,” says Carr.
“And it’s not even a week’s recovery, it’s also to prepare yourself for the next opposition. We didn’t know a lot about Clanmaurice, we don’t know a lot about James Stephens, it’s in order to get your tactics right. You won’t be able to do a lot this week. The quick turnaround is what it is and you just deal with it as best you can.
“It probably took until Tuesday to feel normal again after Saturday’s game. It’s just general tiredness but we went back training last night and that helps refocus you and get you excited for the weekend.”
Fionnuala Carr was speaking ahead of the AIB Camogie All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship Final, which takes place this Saturday, 17 December at 4.14pm at Croke Park. The AIB Camogie All-Ireland Club Championships features some of #TheToughest players from communities all across Ireland.
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