Athenry manager Joe Rabbitte (file photo). James Crombie/INPHO

'She's the 16th player' - All-Ireland champions Athenry remember Kate Moran

Manager Joe Rabitte pays emotional tribute after All-Ireland success.

ATHENRY CAMOGIE MANAGER Joe Rabbitte paid an emotional tribute to the late Kate Moran after the Galway club’s All-Ireland success.

Athenry were crowned champions after a dramatic 0-14 to 0-12 replay victory over St Finbarr’s of Cork yesterday.

And “16th player” Kate Moran was to the forefront of Rabbitte’s mind in the immediate aftermath at Semple Stadium, Thurles.

Kate was fatally injured playing for Athenry in a senior league game in Ardrahan in April 2022. She was 20 years old.

“We’re delighted, but I kind of feel somewhat guilty — and I always say this — celebrating a game of camogie when we lost our beautiful Kate three years ago,” Rabbitte told RTÉ.

“For me, personally, I put my last three years into Athenry camogie and in the back of my mind every time was Kate Moran.

“It’s tough for us to take at the moment now, we’ll celebrate and we’ll do everything, but we’ll never forget her. She’s the extra 16th player that we had there in the drawn game, six points down, and again today, four points down, came back to win by two.”

km RIP: Kate Moran. INPHO. INPHO.

He continued: “We have a fantastic bunch of girls, an absolutely fantastic bunch of girls. When the pressure is put on them, that’s when they really, really show their worth.

“I’m so delighted tonight. I hope that everybody in Athenry and everybody that’s involved with this team will enjoy this for the next month.”

Rabbitte, a three-time All-Ireland hurling champion with Athenry and a two-time All-Star, hailed the resolve and resilience of his side as they ended a 48-year wait for glory.

He lauded experienced duo Therese Donohue (neé Maher) and Jessica Gill, along with the influx of minor players.

“If I want to be honest about it, did I think that we had a team that was good enough to win an All-Ireland this soon? Not really. But when we played Dicksboro (in the semi-final) and I saw the way they dug deep there, I knew that those girls did not want to give up.”

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