As I Roved Out: A stanza for Setanta
Clodagh Murphy scores a vital goal for Setanta on their way to securing a first ever adult title Photo: Pat Ahern
A fourth class pupil in Bennekerry Primary School was asked to write a poem about her favourite pastime. The ten-year old girl - a dedicated member of Setanta - put her heart and soul into her task as she looked into the future in a poem simply titled ‘ Camogie Player’ …
'If I was a camogie player,
In the rain I'd put on lots of layers I'd hear the crowd screaming my name
While I'm playing the exciting game
I'd be really nervous in the dressing room
I’d count one, two, Family screaming ‘go on you’
On the pitch, it makes me feel so proud
I hear the crowd, they're screaming so loud
Lying on the ground, I look at the score
I see the board - we just need one more. Only five minutes to go, not much time left
I get the ball: I stick it in the net.
I'd shake their hands and say good game
And they would surely say the same I'd sign lots of autographs for my fans
I'd go back to the dressing room, feeling so grand'
Niamh Gray, the author of that poem - written TEN years ago! - was feeling grand in the Netwatch Cullen Park dressing room last Saturday, playing a starring role from centre half back as Setanta created camogie history by winning their first ever adult championship title. Yes Niamh and her gallant colleagues ‘were feeling so proud’ having inched out Mount Leinster Rangers in a hard fought Junior final.
And how that ten-year old poem, written at the request of Miss O’Connor, suggests that the poetess had access to a crystal ball back in 2015?! “Lying on the ground, I look at the score, I see the board - we need one more.” So says the poem, adding, “only five minutes left.”
Well last Saturday with five minutes left, the electronic scoreboard at the dressing room end of the County Grounds flashed the bad news that Setanta trailed 1-5 to 1-4, the Ballymurphy, Rathanna, Borris ladies having shot three rat-tat-tat points to take the lead. In Niamh’s poem she declared “I get the ball: I stick it in the net.”
Well the ball was stuck in the net alright and though it wasn’t Niamh herself, she delighted in Clodagh Murphy’s first time strike which billowed the Deerpark End rigging. That 58th minute goal was greeted with a Setanta Roar from stand and terrace. Clodagh’s father Ronan, a mentor on the terrace sideline, must have created a new high jump record with his leap of joy.
But it wasn’t over yet …
We’ll leave the County Grounds action for a moment and join your scribe on a walk in the Burren in the October of 2008. No I was not walking in water. This was the Clare Burren, not the Carlow Burrin. The Clare Burren, of course, is famous for it’s rocky landscape and on this lone walk in the heart of the Burren, close to Michael Cusack’s Carron, the birthplace of the founder of the GAA, I became aware of the meaning of the sound of silence. It was quiet, very quiet, so quiet all I could hear was the rustling of my Carlow jacket as I swung my arms. As the walker emerged from the isolation of the middle of nowhere and espied a cottage in the distance the phone dinged. Dare say I had been out of coverage for several miles. The ding brought good news, a message from Mary Challoner announcing that Paige Angel Challoner had entered the world, an accompanying photo as proof. Now back to the County Grounds …
The heroine of that Burren text is now, almost exactly 17 years later, the heroine of the late Dr Cullen Park action. Clodagh’s goal had given Setanta the lead, yes, but as Adrian Corcoran - a man who has done a power of work to establish camogie in Setanta - warned, “a two point lead is a dangerous lead”, and that immediately sparked spiralling fears of a late Rangers goal. But wait. It’s Setanta who are attacking and fastening on to the low ball, taking into hand, turning, then sending the sliorar soaring over the bar is Paige Challoner. Earlier she had pointed two well judged placed balls - of which her favourite hurler TJ Reid would have been proud - but that point from play was absolutely priceless. Her father Paul and mother Debbie are proud, proud parents this week while my good friends Mary and Danny Challoner are equally proud grandparents, this for them, I’m sure, matching the many Kilkenny triumphs. Paige’s other grandparents - Debbie’s mother and father - were watching the action from the level lawns of God. Our photo, though, recalls a day when Grandad Murt Brennan, another passionate Kilkenny hurling man, was keeping a close eye on Paige in her under-6 days. Keeping a close eye too was Tommy Corcoran, a man who has given Carlow Gaelic games unbelievable service and a man who though 81 years-young continues to work at the Setanta coalface. Now then, back to the Burren …
No, we are not back on that same walk, indeed we are not actually in the Burren but in the picturesque village of Corofin, known as the ‘Gateway to the Burren’ and the home place of last Saturday’s ‘Player of the Match’, Louise Brown. The Setanta No 10 did a power of useful work last Saturday and in scoring an invaluable 1-2 the Clare woman entered the record books: her first point and her goal were the first white and green flag raised by Setanta in Netwatch Cullen Park as this final was the club adult teams first ever appearance in the County Grounds. For the first point (the clock showing 11:24) Louise, having mishit a line-ball in the tunnel corner, cleverly shielded the sliotar, then gained possession from the ruck before cutting in to fire over. The scoreboard clock was blinking 23:37 when Brown’s lobbing shot from the left wing yielded green.
If Louise (1-2) and Paige (0-3) accounted for all but 1-1 of Setanta’s winning total and Clodagh provided the lead goal, we must also mention Sofia Granjo who swung over the absolute clinching point in the second minute of injury time. The fact the Clodagh and Sofia came on as subs to score and Siobhan Sinnott entered the fray late on to play a significant role, including the assist to the winning goal, is proof of the strength of the Setanta bench.
Setanta’s joint-captains for this historic triumph were Niamh Ahearne and Grace Mackey, two ladies who have been with Setanta since day one back in 2011 when as children they made their way to the Carlow IT grounds and later to the Presentation College where, like the vast majority of their playing colleagues, they learned their camogie and grew to love the game. Grace and Niamh led by example, defending magnificently, Grace effecting a superb first half catch, Niamh’s smother tackle in the second half preventing a clinching Rangers goal. Their father’s Noel Ahearne, a proud son of Tipperary, and Mick Mackey, yet another passionate Kilkenny man, have worked hard in the Setanta cause, an unlikely alliance given their mutual (dis)respect for each other’s county’s! Indeed the 2025 junior management team was another Tipperary/Kilkenny alliance, Noel joined by Davie Holden. Well done men, ye’re charges were well drilled.
Spare a thought for Noelle De Lacey and Casey Tobin, two women who have given trojan service to Setanta and who though named to start on the programme, were unable to play due to leg injuries. However the ‘walking wounded’ played their part on final day, their presence an inspiration. It was Casey’s brave move to transfer her club allegiance to Setanta that prompted adult affiliation eight years ago.
Since day one founder member Pat Ahern has been capturing Setanta photos for posterity so it was fitting on this day of days that his camera was again providing photo’s for posterity.
Speaking of joy, the joy on the faces of Mary Bates and Noel O’Neill as Setanta lifted the championship cup on Saturday was totally understandable, this dynamic duo, whether in office or not, have been the heartbeat of Setanta for 15 fulfilling years and Saturday was just reward for their dedication to the cause.
