Whatever the outcome on Sunday for the intermediate and senior camogie players when the clock strikes 6pm at Croke Park, the players can be assured that their efforts in 2019 have left Galway camogie in a healthy place.
With early exits from the championship for Galway's hurlers and men's footballers, there was a sporting void that needed to be filled for Galway's sporting public this summer, and Lisa Casserly and co grabbed the opportunity to firmly place camogie in the spotlight. The Ballinderreen midfielder says although it is disappointing for the men's sides to be knocked out before the business end of the championship, their defeats has enabled camogie to showcase its wares to the county.
"It what everyone is talking about. [Reaching the All-Ireland final] has really brought camogie to the forefront. The hurlers were doing really well the last two years and were unlucky this year. [But] We're stepping up now and we are showing people that camogie has come a long way. It is really good to watch. People have come up to me talking about the semi-final and saying it was a superb match.
"The standard of camogie has really progessed in the last couple of years and the same can be said for the intermediate. The two finals let us show we have strong camogie players coming up and it is all positive towards the senior team. It is great to see little girls coming and being inspired by this and saying 'if I keep at camogie, someday I can play at Croke Park' and I think that is so important for Galway camogie and definitely it will drive it on."
Casserly believes a key aspect in driving Galway camogie to two showdowns this Sunday is the combined training of both intermediates and senior panels over the course of the season.
"We have been training with the seniors. If you walked into an intermediate session and a senior session you wouldn't be able to tell which is which. Cathal and the management have put the same effort into both teams. Intensity in sessions is high in both teams.
"Everyone is fighting for position, is kept on their toes. There are a few of us on the intermediate and senior panel as well, and that is pushing the seniors on as well because we are getting the same amount of game time. So complacency is definitely not in our team this year.
"Training with the seniors, you learn so much from them and then you take that into the intermediate session and you are constantly driving each other. You are learning from the seniors and the seniors know there is an opportunity for intermediates to make the step up, so they are constantly driving and trying to improve as well. I believe that is why both teams have played well this year and that has what has got us to Croke Park."
