All roads lead to Semple Stadium in Thurles on Sunday (May 3rd), as Cork and Galway prepare to go head-to-head in the Irish Daily Star National Camogie League Division 1 final.
While All-Ireland champions Cork are firm favourites going into the game, Galway certainly won’t be ready to back down.
We caught up with the sides ahead of the big day to see how they are getting ready for the first major battle for glory this season.
“We’re feeling really good, really confident,” said Cork’s Ashling Thompson.
“We’ve won all of our League games so far so we’re really confident.
“It wasn’t always like that though,” she reflected. “We have lost games too – last year we started off badly, and we got a tough lesson down in Wexford.”
“We’ve had losses along with wins but you have to come back stronger. You have to be hungry for it, you have to be strong and ready for it.
“That all comes with experience and that experience comes from winning and losing. So we’ve learned a lot along the way and I’d like to say we’re ready more than ever,” she added.
“We have a few superstitions on the team before big matches. I know I have to stick to the same eating habits, and I also have this bracelet that I bought three years ago in Turkey that has to be in my gear bag.”
“Since buying it, we won our first All-Ireland title club with Millford and we’ve been kind of on a winning streak ever since with club and county so that has to be with me.
“These last few days, we’re all about getting the mind focused now. We’re on before the lads game in Thurles, and it’s going to be on TV too so I suppose that’s a small bit of pressure that we’re not used to.”
Ashling Thompson, Catherine Neary, Brian Flanagan and Niamh Kilkenny,.
“All I can say is, knuckle down, mentally focus, eat well, sleep right, take on plenty of water and once you’ve those things down you’re ready to go.”
Meanwhile, Niamh Kilkenny of Galway was also looking forward to the challenge ahead.
“We’re really looking forward to it,” she said.
“Our aim was to get as far as possible in the League, so to reach the final is a big boost.
“It’s going to be a massive challenge but hopefully we’ll rise to it.
“We’re unbeaten to date and although we were disappointed with our performance against Limerick at the start, there are lessons to learn from every game.”
“There’s always something that’s going to help you for the next match. The semi-final there against Kilkenny, we had a brilliant first half and then we fell apart.
“They came back at us in the second half, and got back within three points after we held a nine-point lead at half time. We will take a lot from that game and hopefully get it right against Cork.
“It’s a big game and a big occasion, but you can’t let the hype get to you.”
“We hope to stay focused on the game and the job in hand as we can’t let the outside in and effect our game. We have a job on the field and that’s all we’ll be thinking of.
“All is good and we’re looking forward to it.”
Cork and Galway will go head-to-head in Semple Stadium in Thurles this Sunday, May 4th at 1.30pm.
