Building on over a decade of support for the GAA, eir, Ireland’s largest telecommunications provider, has been announced as the official telco partner of the Camogie Association and new title sponsor of the U16 All-Ireland Camogie Championships for the next three years. Pictured at the launch in Croke Park is Galway Senior Camogie player Aoife Donohue. This partnership marks another significant milestone in eir’s long-standing commitment to Irish sport, while strengthening its connections with local communities across the island of Ireland. For more information about the partnership visit eir.ie Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
By Cian O’Connell
“It ultimately ended in disappointment, we were very close, but just fell a little bit short on the day,” Aoife Donohue reflects on Galway’s All-Ireland Camogie Championship campaign.
A narrow Croke Park final defeat to Cork hurt deeply, but the fact that Galway have been so relevant and consistent under Cathal Murray is a source of pride. “We've been very successful in Galway,” Donohue acknowledges.
“We're lucky with the quality of players that we have. We've been competing at U16, minors, even intermediate. We've been fairly successful at senior for the last couple of years. Galway camogie is in a strong position.”
As a teacher in Claregalway College, Donohue knows the value and importance of sport for the next generation. Galway have integrated plenty of emerging players into the senior set-up during Murray’s tenure. “I'm teaching in Claregalway and I'd be doing a good bit of coaching with the girls there,” she says.
“A lot of us played intermediate, coming up along, it was always a great stepping stone for us. That is changing with the second team, so a lot of players might drop off.
“It is really important to keep people playing from underage all the way up along. If they can be successful, it goes a long way.”
Aoife Donohue, Galway, and Aoife Healy, Cork, in action during the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship final at Croke Park in August. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Claregalway College are making an impact in Connacht sport. The teaching staff is sprinkled with past and present inter-county stars. “We've a fairly young staff, probably more football than camogie,” Donohue says.
“We've a lot, the lads like Paul Conroy and Damien Comer are down there, Lorraine Ryan and myself, and a lot of hurlers, too. So, sport is huge in the school, but the footballers outnumber us there.”
In Mullagh, hurling and camogie is always on the agenda. A niece of former Galway hurler Ray Duane, Donohue was introduced to sport at a very young age. “He's my mom's brother, he's actually managing us in the club at the minute,” Donohue says.
“So, I'd have picked up a lot from him, growing up over the years. He is still mad into hurling, he's involved in the club, and my mother is heavily involved in the club. He was a big influence on me growing up.
“We're a fairly small club, we're probably struggling a little bit now, compared to other years. We'd always still be competing, we've joined as Mullagh-Kiltormer up to U16.
“So, we're struggling with numbers now, but we still have great players within the club. We're probably struggling a little bit now, but we had great players coming up along.”