The inter-county season may have finished back in August, but Saturday night at Hotel Kilkenny saw the full stop put on a bumper year for camogie in Kilkenny with this year’s All-Ireland medal presentation.
With county chair Theresa Aylward telling this past week’s Camán Caint podcast that it was great “to be able to celebrate an All-Ireland in the year we actually win it”, a packed Skyline suite at the city hotel saw all bar three of the county’s senior All-Ireland winners take to the stage along with management
But for scoring difference early in the year we may have seen Kilkenny contest this year’s National League final but the Cats would remain unbeaten under 2022’s Manager of the Year Brian Dowling for the Leinster and All-Ireland championship to land the O’Duffy Cup for a 15th time in the county’s history – a second title in three years.
Kilkenny’s unbeaten year was also acknowledged at the PwC Camogie All-Stars in recent weeks with eight of 15 places on this year’s All-Star team going to the All-Ireland champions. With a long sought-after team holiday in the offing after Christmas, Saturday gave one final chance to celebrate Kilkenny’s achievements on the pitch with guests including Camogie Association president Hilda Breslin, Leinster Camogie chairperson Linda Kenny, along with representatives of Kilkenny GAA, Kilkenny County Council, team sponsors Glanbia and local media.
Opening proceedings on Saturday, chairperson Theresa Aylward suggested that while everyone is looking forward to the merger of the Camogie Association, LGFA and GAA, there is nothing to stop the organisations from working together for the betterment of camogie in relation to fixtures, club grounds, shared pitch access.
Also speaking at Saturday’s event, Camogie Association president Hilda Breslin outlined a new focus for the year ahead.
“When we saw the awards last week at the PwC All-Stars and we see all of the honours that the players bring here, we see the skill, the passion that the players play with and we see their outstanding ability.”
“To me, for this year we focused on ensuring the commercial sponsorship of the association. Last year, we focused on getting our games back. Next year we’re focusing on attendance because those girls deserve to play in the best stadiums, in front of the biggest crowds and everybody needs to see the girls. We’ve pushed up our viewership, which is wonderful, but now we need to hear the roar inside the stadium and honour those girls because they deserve that and every bit as much as anybody in any other code.”
Breslin also took time to acknowledge the achievements of Brian Dowling, winning his second manager of the year award in three seasons, while praising the drive of the county team.
“Congratulations [to Brian Dowling] on being named manager of the year and to all of the players. Every year you are outstanding Kilkenny players. This year you went undefeated, it came down to a puck of balls, score difference in the league and a draw in the championship to go into the quarter-final. To do that year-in-year-out is absolutely wonderful.”
“You do that because of the dedication and that dedication probably starts no doubt next week or the week after with Brian. You are the role models for the future generations.”
Inter-county captain for the 2022 season was Dicksboro’s Aoife Prendergast. With the dust well and truly settled on Kilkenny’s All-Ireland victory over Cork in August, Prendergast still struggles to put into words what it means to claim O’Duffy Cup.
“It was unbelievable. I think it made it even more special just representing the group of players and management that we had. It was a great honour for me to be up there, climbing the Hogan stand and looking down on the players, management and supporters from Kilkenny. A dream come true.
“Bringing the O’Duffy Cup back to my club, Dicksboro, was unbelievable. That’s where you start, with your club. This group of players, this management team, looking at their faces over the [All-Ireland] weekend, the happiness that it brought to every single one of those players. They all deserve it, giving so much dedication, and commitment. I actually can’t put into words what it means but especially our management team – we’re absolutely delighted that they’re staying on with us for another year.”
Players were presented with their All-Ireland senior medals for 2022 with the management team presented with gifts on behalf of the players.
