THIS will be the fifth Irish News All-Star camogie selection. In each of the previous years there has been All-Ireland successes to celebrate – Down (2020), Antrim (2021) and Derry (2023) in the Intermediate championship and Armagh (2020) and Antrim (2022) in the Premier Junior championship.
It seems strange, therefore, not to be reflecting back on an All-Ireland winning team when putting together the best players for this selection.
A Team of the Year inevitably is heavily influenced by performances in June, July and August if an Ulster county goes that far.
For example last season’s final team acknowledged Derry’s All-Ireland Intermediate title with six players, Down’s Ulster senior title with four players and Antrim reaching a first All-Ireland senior quarter-final in four decades with the remaining five.
All three counties would contest the All-Ireland senior championship in 2024. But much has changed in the interim with six from that All-Star team not even in contention after a season that saw both Down and Antrim relegated from the senior championship without winning a match.
Only Player of the Year Dearbhla Magee from Down’s four All-Stars will come into the reckoning for this year’s team. The others, Catherine McGourty (retired), Sara Louis Graffin (birth of her second child) and Niamh Mallon (transferred to Galway) didn’t wear red and back this season.
Defender Katie Laverty wasn’t available for Antrim while another Saffron stalwart Caoimhe Conlon picked up an injury at the end of the league and missed the whole championship. Lauren McKenna also picked up a season-ending injury in the Derry’s Division 2A league final defeat in Croke Park in April.
Ciarraí Devlin helped Armagh to the Division Three league title while Niamh Gribbin and 2021 goalie Cáitríona Graham both had good campaigns. There aren’t much between them all and I will give the nod to Gribbin as her consistency was a contributing factor in Derry remaining in the senior championship.
Many managers are now using key players in a variety of positions over the course of a season and it therefore is difficult to confine them to a set position.
Amy Boyle, midfielder from last year’s team played in both midfield and defence this year. Her Antrim colleague and 2022 Player of the Year Róisín McCormick also featured in midfield and both the half-forward and full-forward line while last year’s Player of the Year Dearbhla Magee invariably wore a forward’s jersey, and contributed some scores, but was oftener in a sweeping, roving role at the back of midfield.
Meanwhil,e Derry used Megan Kerr-Donnelly as a marking defender, a holding centre-half back and as a midfielder.
All four would have to feature in my team and it’s a case of slotting them in where they were most effective this year, regardless of the jersey number they wore.
Sinéad McGill was in last year’s team and she and Niamh Quinn, who was unlucky to miss out in 2023, give Derry a presence in front of Niamh Gribbin.
I don’t believe that Armagh would have won Division 3A without Michelle McGuigan returning to the fold and performing as she did against Laois. I have sympathy for both Clare McKillop and Emily Fitzpatrick two of most improved players over the course of the season.
Rachel Downey and Megan Kerr-Donnelly bring Derry’s tally up to five while Amy Boyle will complete the half-back line, one of the most competitive areas in the team with Beth Fitzpatrick alongside teenagers Erin Coulter and Evanne Martin all in contention.
Dearbhla Magee was really playing a midfield holding role for much of the season, coaxing along an overall inexperienced Down team while my other choice in the centre is Dervla O’Kane, the Derry powerhouse.
Again I was very impressed by another Antrim player in her first season, Eimear Johnston, and Armagh captain Leanne Donnelly would also be a contender.
Áine McAllister-Barton really led Derry this season, particularly during games when they had fallen behind and looked for inspiration. However I can’t really decide who to put in alongside Áine in another very competitive line. All the nominees in my opinion have a claim for inclusion.
2021 Player of the year Maeve Kelly spent two seasons on the side-lines due to injury. On her return to the Saffron colours, she didn’t manage to rise to the heights of that All-Ireland winning year.
Neither did Róisín McCormick perform consistently at the level she has done in the past, Although she scored a wonder goal in Cushendall against Derry and was outstanding in the final game against Limerick when she almost secured the victory her team needed to stay up at senior level.
Then you have Sinéad Quinn who picked off some great scores for Armagh, Ciara Fitzsimons whose scores against Kerry kept Down in Division 1 of the league, Lára Devlin’s contribution to Tyrone winning Division 4 or Olivia Rafferty or Orlaith Hull for Derry.
I will go for Kelly and McCormick for their ability to change a game – but I wouldn’t argue against anyone who wanted to include anyone else from the list.
Cáitrín Dobbin was Player of the Match in the Ulster final and popped up for goals in other games. Bríd Rogers had a huge impact with Derry this year while Aoife Shaw also contributed a number of key scores for the Oak Leaf
Although they managed to retain senior championship status, a final tally of nine players for Derry looks a few too many. After all they lost the Division Two league final and the Ulster senior final.
Antrim’s season will be defined by their relegation from the senior championship, although they managed to recover from a disastrous pre-season to easily retain Division One status in the league and win back the Ulster title. Perhaps they would have picked up more spots (and managed a win in the All-Ireland championship) if their already weakened squad hadn’t been hit by injuries mid-season.
Teams playing at a lower grade such as Armagh (winners of Division Three National league and the Ulster Intermediate champions), Cavan and Tyrone (winners of Division 4 and Ulster Junior championship) have players comparable to those making the final 15. They just need to be seen playing and winning in August in Croke Park!
Player of the Year? I would be looking in the direction of Áine Barton or Megan Donnelly from Derry or Antrim’s Amy Boyle. All three were leaders for their team and reached a high level of consistency from the start to finish of the season.
My final selection:
Goalkeeper: Niamh Gribbin (Derry)
Full Backs: Michelle McGuigan (Armagh), Niamh Quinn, Sinéad McGill (both Derry)
Half-backs: Rachel Downey, Megan Kerr-Donnelly (both Derry), Amy Boyle (Antrim),
Midfielders: Dervla O’Kane (Derry), Dearbhla Magee (Down)
Half-forwards: Maeve Kelly (Antrim), Áine Barton (Derry), Róisín McCormick (Antrim),
Full-forwards: Caitrín Dobbin (Antrim), Aoife Shaw, Bríd Rogers (both Derry)
To vote for your Irish News Camogie Team of the Year and Player of the Year click here