Claremorris in search of history
Claremorris before their All-Ireland semi-final against Lavey. Cork and Munster champions O'Donovan Rossa stand in their way of a first All-Ireland title.
A step into the unknown without question but Claremorris will no fears or qualms on their way to Dublin as the South Mayo town look to win a first adult All-Ireland championship when they face O’Donovan Rossa of Cork.
As well as looking for a maiden national title, this is a first All-Ireland final at adult level for Claremorris in either code for the men and women who are with the club but it is one that is fully deserved for Aidan Brennan’s side.
Comprehensive wins over The Neale and Breaffy in the group stage sealed a spot in the county semi-final. After overcoming arguably their stiffest challenge of the championship in the shape of Aghamore after extra-time, they gained revenge after a five-point defeat to St Brigids in the group stage to record an 18-point win over the same opponents to win the junior championship.
Their trademark fast starts came to the fore once more in the Connacht series as they plundered in the goals against CT Gaels in the semi-final before holding off St Brigids (Leitrim) to win a first ever provincial championship.
After holding of Lavey of Derry in the All-Ireland semi-final, they now they stand 60 minutes away from the finest day in the annals of Gaelic football in Claremorris and a look through their side shows a remarkable pedigree. Senior stars such as captain Laura Kelly, Marina Cawley, Trina Morley, Sile Hughes and Rebecca Kean (daughter of former Mayo footballer and minor manager JP) are complimented by a crop of young players that have swept up A titles at U14 and U16 level, and this year added the minor A title. When you consider that seven of the starting 15 against CT Gaels in the Connacht semi-final played for Mount Saint Michael secondary school in All-Ireland ‘B’ school final defeat to Coláiste Oirill in April 2022, there could be a storied career waiting for many of this team over the next decade.
Among that group include Alana Fitzpatrick (granddaughter of Mayo GAA legend Billy), Ashleagh Sammon, who scored 1-7 in the county final, and Bree Hession, who scored five goals in the minor A final and the ‘trendsetters’ have breathed fresh life into a team that was at a low ebb after relegation from the intermediate tier last year.
“It has been slowly building. Those girls are really hard, they're trendsetters within the club themselves,” Brennan told the Western People.
“(The senior players) have been like rocks and I think they were a bit disillusioned at the start of the year. We had got relegated and I think they were wondering what was happening and so on.” There was an adjustment period in terms of the senior players and young crop gelling together but both groups bounced off each other and combination on the swashbuckling youth and dogged and determined veterans came to the fore against Aghamore and St Brigids in the final.
“They saw the younger ones coming in and I think maybe they stood back a little bit and thought, well, these young ones are going to come and they're going to lead the way. But once you got into championship football you realised that as good as the younger ones were, it took leadership, especially in tough games.
“The semi-final against Aghamore, when we got to extra time in that game, it was Marina that really stood up and she thumped her fist and said we're not leaving here without a win. I think that was a turning point because people had seen her as being very quiet before that.
“The county final, Sile just barged out for the first two or three balls and led from the front. It just showed the younger girls that the older girls were capable of playing and capable of playing at a very high standard and that they were willing to lead. So that made a huge difference to us.” As to where the quick goals and fast starts, Brennan said it is not a deliberate tactic but more what this team is simply capable of. It was at the other end though where they felt work was required and Brennan has credited the work of Brendan French and Mark Morley for their input.
“It's not really a tactic, I mean it has happened that way. I keep saying to people who ask me. There is no great secret to it. They're just good footballers and really as a manager what you want to do is just provide everything for them and stand back out of the way and let them play. Generally speaking, that's what we've done. They have been scoring well all season.
“I suppose the one area that I did identify coming into championship and probably the older girls did themselves, was that while we were going very good going forward, we were also pretty loose at the back. I approached Brendan French with the idea of coming in and having a look at our defensive setup and so on and Mark Morley, who has been with that minor team.
“Mark came on board and they made a huge difference you know just tightened the group up and it just made us think about the way we were playing football.
“We don't want to play to a rigid system with sweepers and so on, but you do have to be able to defend and be disciplined in what you're doing. Now we did catch a couple of yellow cards (against Lavey), which is disappointing at times, but you couldn't fault them for girls of that age who haven’t been put in that position before.
“I thought the second half, despite the fact they were under pressure the whole time I thought that's where they really showed their grit.” In addition to his duties as manager, Brennan is also chairman of the club and has been dealing with duties off the pitch as well as on it. How he ended up both roles is quite the story but he has loved every second of it and “Two years ago, I went in to the former chairman to pay for a ticket he had sent me out and I came out as manager of the team!
“The following year he retired midstream and nobody else would take it on so I did at the time. I never intended to be back in this at this stage but I must say it's probably one of the most enjoyable things that I've ever done. I don't mean this year because we got to an All-Ireland final.
“Working with the girls for the last two or three years they’re so willing to work. They're like sponges. They're so willing to work and to do anything you ask them to do, and the game itself is refreshingly open compared to maybe what the lads are playing.”
While the game is in Dublin, it will be in Parnell Park instead of Croke Park. It appears a strange decision given that the senior and intermediate finals are both in HQ and Brennan admits that the team is ‘disappointed’ not to do so and hopes going forward, a triple header will be played at Croker.
“Every player's dream to play a game on Croke Park, let alone play an All-Ireland final in Croke Park. The girls are very disappointed over it, to be quite honest. I think they find it as being the kind of denigration of the junior championship and a lessening of the importance of the junior championship to have the other two in there.
“I have been an administrator, I know that there would be reasons given why this is happening and so on and so forth and they haven't always been played in Croke Park.
“It's probably not going to change for us this year but we have asked them that even if they don't change it for us this year, they will consider having triple headers and playing all three together in the future.” All that’s left Standing in their way of the All-Ireland is Cork and Munster champions O’Donovan Rossa. Brennan is expecting a tough battle.
“They're a good footballing side. Obviously their last couple of results have been very, very strong against Gusserane from Wexford and then the British champions before that. They had a good win in the provincial champions against a good Kerry team.
“But generally speaking I'm quite happy at any time really just to send our own girls out and let them play. If they can play up to their best it would take a good team to beat them and if that good team is O’Donovan Rossa, well so be it.
“I'd be delighted for them and I'm not just saying that, but at my stage I didn't expect to be here and doing this. So really it's all about them and I take great satisfaction out of it if they win it. It’s not going to make or break me at this stage of my life my life.
“It would be lovely for them because I think some of them are only just starting out on very long careers in football, hopefully for Claremorris and Mayo. It would be nice to see them starting off on a strong footing.”
Starting off on a strong footing has been their trademark. It will take an almighty effort but they can finish with the town’s greatest success to date.
