BY CIAN O’CONNELL
Orla Callanan laughs when discussing the Salthill-Knocknacarra camogie story because it has been quite an adventure.
Not so long ago Salthill-Knocknacarra were simply trying to stitch a team together at adult level, but now they are getting ready for an AIB All Ireland Club Intermediate decider against St Rynagh’s at Croke Park on Sunday.
Mattie O’Toole, Peadar Houlihan, and others kept the game going decades ago in the Prairie and a new crop are ready, willing, and able to make an impact.
“It has been amazing really, we just came up from Junior A to Intermediate this year,” Callanan says. “When you think about it this time last year we hadn't played an Intermediate match. Now we are going out in an All Ireland so it really is a dream come true to be honest.
“We really worked hard, kept going with that bit of momentum, pushed on through all of our games. So we are delighted now.”
The emergence of talented underage players has been critical according to Callanan. “Exactly, that is it in a nutshell,” she replies instantly.
“In our team there has been a group of players there for a good few years now, struggling for some years for players and getting coaches. Then really a testament to the underage development and structures within the club that it developed these brilliant girls, who have just slowly come up into the adult team, they have pushed us all on. Some of them are phenomenally talented, really humble, they are just a great bunch of girls.”
Winning generates momentum, but Callanan is adamant that sheer hard work is the reason why Salthill-Knocknacarra have flourished.
“It gives you that confidence, I suppose, that you can win it, I guess we had a sense of wanting to prove ourselves when we did come up to Intermediate,” Callanan says. “We didn't just want to come up for the show, we wanted to actually compete at that level.
“In training that made us step up, to try to get our striking faster, the fitness levels. We knew that at Intermediate level it is a higher standard. The momentum of winning yes, but we definitely increased the work rate and kept with the training.”
Callanan recalls watching her brother Aonghus earn an All Ireland club title with Salthill-Knocknacarra on St Patrick’s Day in 2006.
“You go up to see Galway a lot in Croker which is great in itself, but when it is your club it is something special,” she says.
“I do remember going up on the train, big excitement, all the colours and banners, sing songs on the train. It was a great day out, something I do remember. We hope to give that now to the younger girls.
“We have a couple of buses coming up to see our match from the younger teams. Hopefully we will give them a day to remember and kind of encourage them and motivate them to keep playing with Salthill and they might get the chance in the future.”
Ensuring the next generation are afforded opportunities matters to Callanan. “Camogie wouldn't be strong in the city traditionally,” she says.
“In recent years Liam Mellows have started a camogie team as have Rahoon-Newcastle. So a lot of younger kids in the city are now playing camogie which is brilliant. Seeing what can be achieved if you keep your head down and work hard is amazing.
“It is difficult in the city with other sports - hockey, rugby, soccer - you name it - going on too. Any sport is brilliant, but it is great from the camogie side that there is something for them to look up to and to aspire to.”
