2014 - THE PERFECT YEAR
INSPIRATION FOR SUCCESS
2013
Reaching the Intermediate Championship final in 2013 was a dream come true for the Intermediate panel. Five years had passed since the Junior final and players had worked hard to improve their skills and compete at a higher level. The opponents were Ballyhale Shamrocks and the feeling in Piltown was that we were a match for the Shamrocks and were capable of winning. We had already beaten them in the League and we knew their form. A low scoring game ended in a draw and Ballyhale won by a solitary point in extra time and the dream was over. (Ballyhale Shamrocks 1-9, Piltown 0-11)
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Intermediate Camogie Squad that beat Ballyhale Shamrocks 0-13 to 1-0 in the 2013 League Final at John Locke Park
Squad: Chloe Blackmore, Katelynn Phelan, Elaine Kenny, Jennifer Norris, Debbie Phelan, Karen Duggan, Kelly Ann Doyle, Alice Talbot, Laura Norris, Niamh Culleton, Lorraine Long, Katie Power, Sinead McCarthy, Georgina Culleton, Mairead Power, Edel Long, Carol McCarthy, Sinead Long, Siobhan Dermody, Leanne Long (Capt), Leanne Dunne, Ellen Commins, Soracha Phelan, Niamh Dermody, Maria Foley, Jean Power, Nicole Culleton, Fiona Malone, Nicola Foley, Emma Dunne.
Team Management: Tony Foley, Eamonn Kenny, Jim Malone
RETRIBUTION
2014
The hurt of losing the Championship in 2013 became the inspiration for success in 2014. When training began on dark February nights the team mission was evident, with lively group training sessions and individual work on self-improvement by players. By the time Piltown met St Brigids in the Championship final at the end of the camogie year the team were unbeaten in any match. The winning streak continued right up to the championship final when Piltown claimed the Intermediate title. Piltown 4-18 St Brigids 1-7
THE JOURNEY TO LEINSTER
One match at a time....
The joy and celebrations on becoming a Senior camogie team were short and sweet as the Leinster Championship began the following week. Ballyhale Shamrocks had gone all the way to All Ireland final the previous year but the Piltown team had no expectations heading to Birr (Offaly) for the first provincial match - every day out from now on would be a bonus. Birr were easily overcome and a trip to Myshall (carlow) loomed. They were a force to be reckoned with and it was another away game. The Myshall team were measuring up for their All-Ireland gear when we arrived and brimmed with confidence. They had won the Junior All Ireland in 2012 and 2013 and seemed unstoppable. The match was tough and a close contest but Piltown prevailed and claimed a spot for the Leinster Final.
Camross (Laois) were the opponents for the final and Clane, Co Kildare was the venue. The match was tit for tat and anyone's game up to the very last minute but Piltown triumphed once more in front of a large crowd os supporters who had travelled up from Piltown. Laura Norris collected the silverware and Karen Duggan collected the Player of the Match award.
LEINSTER CHAMPIONS
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The Day We Conquered Leinster
We had already enjoyed the journey; this was simply the last stop,
We had come from John Lockes, Callan and today, hoped to reach the top.
Our foreign travels began in St. Brendan’s Park in Birr,
We came away the victors, 1-11 to 0-4
The hills of Carlow called us to the next big battleground,
Where the warriors of Myshall awaited the next round.
But the Amazons of Piltown, though put sternly to the test,
Scored 1-12 to 1-09 and put our worried minds at rest.
And so this day began, and hopes were high that the girls of Piltown
Could overcome Camross, the Laois champs of great renown,
November 9th, 2014, the day dawned bright and clear,
As we headed for the neutral field of Clane, Co. Kildare.
All was quiet on the bus, not a sound was to be heard,
As all wrestled with their thoughts and the unknown that they feared.
A little chatter here and a little mumble there
But the silence soon returns as tension hangs within the air.
12.30 throw-in time, history about to dawn,
But once the sliotar’s thrown, the battle lines are drawn,
No quarter asked and certainly no quarter then is given,
Every player stands up and is committed, hard and driven.
Flashes of amber and flashes of black,
Hooks and blocks and the roar from the back
Of the stand, where the supporters all have amassed,
To cheer on their players, right up to the last.
And so it continues, strike for strike, shot for shot,
One moment ahead, the next we are not,
The choreographed roars from the crowd in the stand,
The claps and the yells and the pumps of the hand.
Half time arrives and just two points in front,
We turn to each other and ask; ‘is it enough?’
Thirty minutes remain, we are out of the trenches,
Amid shouts from the fans, the second half commences.
Some quick points go over and we are five points ahead,
We think we are safe but we have been misled,
Two goals are conceded and we are a point down,
With fifteen to go it’s still anyone’s crown.
These girls do not panic, their bodies don’t tire,
Their character tested, they play to the wire,
With nine minutes to go, they are back in the lead,
The defence is ferocious, they will not concede.
The time ticks away, our hearts beat like a clock,
But finally, three whistles signal the stop.
What a game! What a battle! We’ve come out alive,
Its Piltown 3-10 and Camross 4-5
I look at the faces of those in the crowd,
Of the families, the neighbours and the friends who milled around,
The tears were flowing freely, with the pride and the thrill,
The Leinster Cup would be going to the town on the river Pil.
After climbing up the steps, Laura took possession of the cup,
It seems we were the underdogs but no-one had told us.
Following a rousing speech on this momentous date,
It was time to meet the families and time to celebrate.
As the travellers all returned to their Kilkenny home ground,
The bonfire flames lit up the skies and threw shadows all around,
The cup was raised, and olés were sung in a blinding show of power,
For surely this has been Piltown Camogie Club’s greatest hour.
And still the adventure carries on, we have another match to play,
Clonduff of Down await us, on next St. Brigid’s day.
An All-Ireland Semi Final, it seems like just a dream,
I may need to write another verse for this extraordinary team.
Sheila Norris © 2014
All Ireland Journey
The All-Ireland championship rolled on into early 2015 with the team continuing to train throughout the winter. Many players were in college in various parts of the country. Some travelled home for training while others trained with local clubs or in small college groups. Club funds were limited due to the extraordinary journey we were on and, aside from match days, players mostly funded their own expenses. Clane became the venue for a second time but this time Clonduff, Co Down were the opponents, a team with a formidable reputation. A close fought match ensued in the All Ireland semi-final and the score was level until Piltown pulled away in the last five minutes scoring 2-2 in the blink of an eye. A dream that no one had dared to dream was about to unfold. "One match at a time" had been the mantra since the County Final but there was only one more match to be played, and on the GAA's biggest stage.
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The preparations for the March 1st date with incumbent Intermediate Club Champions, Lismore, demanded sacrifices in all corners to keep the team training in a season that had lasted over a year. The committee and team managers made endless to-do lists to ensure that the lead-up and match day was perfectly organised. A meeting in the Granville Hotel with Camogie Association officials and Lismore representatives was tense. The two clubs wear the same jerseys so a deal was required. Neither side had an away strip so teams were instructed to wear the jerseys of their County team - not a big ask for Piltown to change into stripes. More than half the panel had played for Kilkenny at some point in their camogie career.
Cake sales, "Spot the Ball" and other numerous fundraisers were undertaken. Local businesses rolled in behind with sponsorship.
Croke Park itineraries are timed to the minute and there was no room for slip-ups. Eamonn McGowan adopted the role of team time keeper from dawn to dusk. Sinead Doyle and Maura Brennan had the medic and physio requirements prepared in minute detail. Seamus Dunne had his own logistics plan for the U12 team to play a mini game at half time. The team managers spent hours picking the team and making substitution plans for every possible scenario. Pitch side management numbers in Croke Park are limited, leading to usual sideline mentors Andrew McCarthy and Gay Doyle each becoming Maor Uisce for the match. Supporter buses were booked and hundreds of supporters decked out their cars in Black and Amber the night before in anticipation of a historic or horrendous day, depending on the final score...
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MATCH DAY
Sunday 1st March was a biting cold morning but it couldnt dampen the quiet enthusiasm on the team bus. Snippets of Seamus Norris' club history were read aloud to pass the time and calm the nerves. Maura Brennan added to the tales. A stopover in Naas for a puck-around became just a toilet stop as the weather became exceptionally cold and the time-keeper denied a longer stopover. Driving the under ground route to the dressing rooms in Croke Park was a surreal two minutes that felt like an eternity. We thought of all the famous hurling and camogie teams that have travelled the same route and used the very same dressing rooms. As the team ran out onto the pitch for a team photo an unexpected flurry of snow distracted from the building tension. Lismore looked confident but the Piltown girls concentrated on their own game as the match got underway.
Within minutes Piltown shot a five point lead following points by Edel Long, Katie Power and Chloe Holden, and a goal by Chloe Blackmore. Lismore crept back into contention by half time with just a two point margin between the teams. While Lismore never took the lead they were constantly snapping at Piltown's heels. Laura Norris, Katie Power and Niamh Culleton kept Piltown in the game with points from play and placed balls (three versus Lismore's six frees) with just a point separating them in the last few minutes of the game. It was too close to enjoy and the supporters collectively held their breath waiting for the final whistle. When the moment came overwhelming relief was quickly replaced by an outpouring of joy. Jim Malone was on his knees, Eamonn Kenny was speechless. The players cried and laughed simultaneously. Recently appointed new Camogie President, Catherine Neary, from James Stephens Club, presented the cup to Laura Norris. Tears of joy flowed as a rousing speech was made and every player held the cup aloft from the podium in turn. Tony Foley jumped the barrier and headed home to milk the cows. The players returned to the dressing room for frolics, photos and selfies.
Dinner in Langtons and an emotional speech from Jim, followed by an even more emotional return to Piltown to a large bonfire
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The Final Frontier
And as the dream stays in my head, it seems I’ll never wake,
As thoughts of Christmas pass us by when there is so much at stake,
We trained throughout the Winter as the weather, it got rough,
But we needed every bit of it before we faced Clonduff!
‘Have we a venue?’ ‘Who is the ref?’ was all people were sayin’
And with no surprise to many, we find ourselves back in Clane,
Surely a lucky omen, sure it’s almost a home ground,
But luck is not enough when you face the champions of Down.
They were ferocious and they were strong and they put us to the test,
They controlled for forty minutes but we dominate the rest,
Trailing by a point, we had no real scoring threat
Until Chloe stepped up to take a free and finished to the net!
We finally awoke and from then, the dragon roared,
In the last five minutes of normal time, 2 goals, 2 points were scored,
Piltown 3-5, Clonduff 6 points, the celebration starts,
We are on our way to Croker, we have broken Clonduff hearts.
1st of March, 2015, an historic day to mark,
The day a team from Piltown will line out in vast Croke Park,
They will face the Champions of Munster, Waterford’s Lismore,
The holders of the title, ‘The Toughest’ to the core.
At 9, we left the Parish, with very little fuss,
Just all packed up and ready, oh and flags tied to the bus,
The mood was quiet and sombre, air full of expectation,
When we return this evening, will it be grief or pure elation?
When we see the roof of Croker, as seen so oft before,
But this time it feels different, this place of fabled lore,
The venue for the final, our very own field of dreams,
Today, it’s lined out just for us, the four club final teams.
They come in county colours, onto the hallowed ground,
And are met with a stinging breeze and snow falling all around,
The nerves dissolve like snowflakes, they warm up without a hitch,
Encouraging each other; ‘Sure, it’s just another pitch!’
The game begins at last, at a frenzied, hurried pace,
Lismore seem first to settle but we are quickly in their face.
Midway through that tough first half, we’re five points to the good,
But they convert a free to goal and a two point lead it stood.
And so the second half continued, both teams to the battle fray,
Hooking, blocking, clearing, scoring, all their skills were on display,
All the time, we held the lead but Lismore were catching up,
It was a two point game with just minutes on the clock.
Then, horror! A free awarded to Lismore, in scoring distance,
They need a goal, she’ll surely try, they have to in this instance,
But no, she points and the gap is one, Aoife knows to slow it down,
Time is ticking, seconds pass and Piltown win the crown.
There is a moment, a nano-second of sheer and true relief,
We’ve won the match, we’ve won the title, we call in shocked disbelief.
The girls are all rejoicing, as the stand resounds with cheers
Hugs and crys and laughter, all mixed with happy tears.
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Final score, 1-10, 1-9, and the Agnes O Farrelly Cup,
Will have Piltown’s name upon it’s base whenever it’s held up
Laura walks the steps, a Captain Fantastic of fame,
Who’d have thought that day, when asked last May
That this would be her end game?
The return to Piltown was a noisy affair,
as the stress and the strain was now gone,
There was singing and chatting and clapping galore
to Carol Mcs quite dodgy song.
But a new hush descended once more on the girls
as the complex came into their sight,
The chattering stopped, they looked out in awe,
as the bonfire lit up the dark night.
The bonfire was burning, the crowds they had gathered,
both sides of the roadway were lined,
This is home, this is Parish, the club is the place
where all of our hearts you will find.
We see faces and flags but it’s all just a blur
as our eyes well again with the tears,
This day will live on, in our hearts and our heads
And the memories will fill up the years.
Sheila Norris© 2015
