Heroes’ welcome for All-Ireland Camogie champions

It was a day to live long in the memory as the Galway senior camogie team blitzed all before them in black and amber to capture what was only the county’s third ever All-Ireland in Croke Park on Sunday.

Only twice before – in 1996 and 2013 – have Galway captured the O’Duffy Cup, with the Tribeswomen losing 15 of the 17 deciders they had appeared in prior to Sunday.

That didn’t matter a jot on Sunday evening though as Galway produced a stunning display to condemn Kilkenny to a third successive All-Ireland final defeat, paving the way for Sarah Dervan to ascend the steps of the Hogan Stand, as only Imelda Hobbins and Lorraine Ryan had done before her, and raise the O’Duffy Cup aloft.

The scenes after the final whistle couldn’t but bring a tear to your eye. Every member of that squad, from the experienced heads such as Dervan, Ryan, Niamh Kilkenny and Heather Cooney, or the young brigade like Carrie Dolan and Sarah Healy – playing in their first All-Ireland final – had experienced such heartache and disappointment in previous campaigns.

That all changed in 60 magical minutes on Sunday and from there, they quickly moved to the Bonnington Hotel for the post-match banquet where the celebrations kicked-off in earnest.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.