St Rynagh's All Ireland final to be live streamed on Sunday
Speaking ahead of Sunday's eagerly anticipated clash, which will be live streamed on RTÉ Player, team captain Emma Corcoran is really enjoying being part of the club’s ongoing camogie success story, having had a spell in Australia before returning to Ireland last year. The Offaly champions face Gailltír of Waterford in this Sunday’s AIB All-Ireland intermediate club final at Croke Park (1.30pm), before the senior decider between Sarsfields (Galway) and Slaughtneil (Derry).
Emma said: “I’ve been playing camogie since I was young and all the way up along underage. We struggled to get to senior for a long time and we never won a title until three years ago, but we were always good at underage level. We lost that first senior final and then the second year I was injured and couldn’t play. So, then I decided to go travelling and went to Australia for two years. It was actually this day last year when I came back to Ireland. I had previously flown home to see the girls win their first county final and it was sad to not be a part of it, but it was great to see them play and win their first county final.”
Corcoran admitted that seeing her colleagues enjoy county title success planted a seed in her head about returning to her native land.
“Yeah, watching the game put thoughts into my head about coming back playing. I had missed that winning feeling and being with the girls since going out to Australia. My intention had been to leave Ireland again after a month or two, but that changed when I went back to camogie training, I said ‘I’m stuck here now and I’m going to do well!’.”
“The girls took a defeat last year (to Gailltír in the All-Ireland semi-final) so there was a bit more drive. I was happy to be back and had a focus to get here. I came back at a good time when the girls were still in a good place. I thought I can’t leave this. Just the thought of winning again and being part of the team. I’ve played sport all my life and not playing for a couple of years makes you miss it, you get that sense of home when you do go back to it,” she continued.
Asked about her camogie influences, Emma said: “I always looked up to the older club players. The likes of Siobhán Flannery and Linda Sullivan, players who said they had been waiting for our group to get old enough to play senior.”
Emma described the prospect of playing at Croke Park as “a bit mind-blowing”. She said: “It’s something to look forward to and you don’t think that you’ll ever get there. So, to be there now is amazing. The entire town is behind us and it’s great. Every weekend there’s a table quiz or fundraiser, it is great for the town. Other parishes are involved with us, girls from Ferbane and Belmont, which is great. They’re about 10 or 15 minutes from Banagher.”
With St Rynagh’s having lost to Gailltír in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final, Emma expects a difficult challenge in Sunday’s decider. “It’s going to be tough. They lost an All-Ireland final last year, so I respect them a lot for getting here again, and they won’t want to leave this one behind. It will be a very tough game. They beat us in the All-Ireland semi-final last year, so the girls want to show they’re good enough to beat them this time around.”
The St Rynagh’s team is managed by brother and sister duo, Mark and Molly Dunne from Galway, alongside Banagher native Declan Kelly. “Declan would know us as individuals and players, which really helps a lot,” said Emma.
As for what victory on Sunday would mean to the club, Emma said: “It would mean everything. You play sport all your life and to get this would be your biggest achievement. It would mean a lot to the girls and the parish.”