Myshall's hunger for success is as strong as ever

It has hard to believe that Ciara Quirke, by her own admission, is one of the oldest players on the current Myshall team. It only seems like yesterday that she was starring with Borris Vocational School and was a veritable goal-scoring machine in the All-Ireland and provincial schools championships.

That was at the start of the last decade. She would go on to win All-Ireland titles with Carlow and Myshall. She has been an automatic selection as Myshall churn out county camogie titles one after the other.

Over that time, Ciara has seen many changes to the game. Notably the rule which allowed more physicality which, when it came in, Ciara suggests that players had to toughen up, get fitter and hone their skills.

“Strength and conditioning is such a key part of it. You are in the gym. You are doing your weight work. You just want to make sure you are able to be physical on the pitch. Obviously, there is a limit, there is a line. Girls get to display their skill. It is good for camogie,” she says.

Then the skorts issue was put to bed only recently. Quirke wasn’t playing this year but Carlow had made the knock-out stages of the league when the spotlight fell on the entire issue. The players made their point and it was listened to.

“I see it here this evening. A lot of girls chose to wear the skort which is perfect for them if they are comfortable in it. At the end of the day if you are not comfortable going out to play how are you expected to play your best? You should not be afraid to how you look on a pitch in a skort. If you want to wear shorts, you should be allowed and I am glad they finally got over the rule. It was a long time coming but, at least, it got there in the end,” agreed Ciara.

Myshall have already laid a marker this season. They won the league. How can they keep on going? 26 titles senior titles in a row beckon?

“I don’t know,” says Quirke.

“Every year we just want to keep winning. Hunger every year. People say you must be sick of winning. No. It means a lot to us. A lot of club legends have passed and have left the jersey in a good place. We always want to put it back in a good place.” 

This attitude surely holds the key to Myshall’s success?

“Every year you are looking to get 3-4, 4-5 young girls into the panel. It is a big step up into senior. The Carlow senior championship is very competitive, it is very tough so it is important to get them in, get them blooded.” 

The Quirke name is inextricably linked with hurling and camogie success in Myshall. Her father, Tom, and her mother Nuala are only a very small part in a huge family tradition.

“I played alongside my mam for years. With my sister (Niamh). Mam was playing a few weeks after she had me. I think, she got Player of the Year, the year after. We were born and reared on the pitch, down on the side-line looking at our club legends, growing up, wanting to be them, wanting to be beside them. It means an awful lot to me.” 

Add in her brother, Cian, who scored 1-2 for Naomh Eoin in his first senior start against Bagenalstown Gaels in the Carlow hurling championship last week.

As for Ciara, she admits it is a bit scary to think she is one of the more experienced members of the current Myshall squad.

“I am one of the oldest on the team at the moment. We have young girls in there with the county team. We have Caoimhe Jordan, Aimie Nolan who are just as experienced as I am at this stage. They have put in a lot of work. At the end of the day, we are all just there to do the one thing.”

Ciara Quirke was talking to Oisin Langan of KCLR at the launch of the Carlow Camogie Championship.