Tough trip north to start league season for Carlow camogs
Carlow Camogie manager Paul Kelly. Photo: Sportsfile.
Under new manager, Paul Kelly, the Carlow camogie team head to Derry for what is surely going to be a difficult National League Division 2A assignment at Celtic Park in Derry City.
The ground has a capacity of 18,000 and while the game will not attract anything like that size of a crowd, it is a signal the players are being afforded the best possible facilities in which to play their match.
Derry will be difficult opponents. They played in Group 2 of the All-Ireland senior championship last season and while they lost the relegation final to Wexford they will surely have most of those players back this season.
New Carlow manager, Paul Kelly, has settled in well since his appointment last December. The panel is going make the four-hour trip to the North the day before.
The two time All-Ireland senior hurling winner with Tipperary and also a dual All-Star winner says it makes sense to travel up the day before.
“It is a long journey. On Friday, they are up. Saturday, they are fuelled. They are not in cars, getting out stiff and not having their bodies repaired. It is good for the players to be together, being together and having time together which you cannot buy,” he says.
Kelly had a successful spell managing Mullinahone LGFA and Fethard in camogie. He also coached hurling and camogie teams including the Dublin senior team. He liked what he saw coming out of Carlow.
“The opportunity came up. I said I would take it. Why not? A nice little project there to try and improve camogie in Carlow.”
He has been joined by the experienced Brendan Hayden who knows most of the players really well. Included on the backroom team are Noel Lillis, Ann Kavanagh, Alex O’Mara and Linda Kenny who will, according to Kelly, be in the background but he will be drawing on her experience and knowledge.
The new manager is hugely excited about what lies ahead: “The response is great," he said.
"We have 30 girls in training there at the moment. There is huge commitment. Obviously working with Brendan Hayden is ideal and we are getting a great buy-in. We are delighted with the way things are going. The only thing which is playing havoc with us at the moment is the weather.”
The management team and the players have been together since early January.
“We are training Wednesday, Friday and Sunday morning. Three sessions a week and the players are in the gym on Monday night doing their strength and conditioning.”
There have been challenge games against the Kilkenny and Dublin 23s as well as a game against the Wexford senior team.
“Some counties have no games played because of the weather but we are lucky enough to have those three games under our belts,” says Kelly.
“Nothing has been spared by both the players and the management team in their efforts to improve and be successful,” says Kelly.
Manager: Mike Henry from Dungiven takes over after being involved as coach for two years.
Previous form: Last year they were second in Division 2A but lost the final 4-13 to 0-10 to Offaly. They played in the senior championship in 2025 finishing in last place in Group B and lost heavily in the relegation final.
Fixture: Saturday 14 February, 1pm Venue: Celtic Park
Manager: Local man, Barry O’Mara stays in charge for another year.
Previous form: Westmeath were relegated from Division 1B last year losing five out of five games. They beat Kildare 3-21 to 0-9 in the intermediate championship relegation final.
Fixture: Saturday February 21, 2.30pm Venue: Carlow tbc
Manager: John Madden stays on for another year.
Previous form: They won three games out of five last year but lost out on a place in the league final when losing to a last minute goal to Derry in Lixnaw. Kerry lost the intermediate All-Ireland final to Offaly.
Fixture: Saturday February 28, 2.00pm Venue: Kerry tbc
Manager: Robert Jones and Pat Collier are still in charge.
Previous form: Laois won five games out of five in Division 3A last year and beat Roscommon by 0-14 to 1-6 in the final. They went on to win the Junior Premier Championship final beating Armagh by 2-15 to 0-12 in Croke Park.
Fixture: Saturday March 7, 2.00pm Venue: Carlow tbc
Manager: The experienced Stephen Shiel, who previously managed Sligo senior hurlers, was appointed last December.
Previous form: Last year in the league they won one game out of five beating Armagh to avoid the drop. Down beat them 2-13 to 0-9 in the intermediate championship quarter-final.
Fixture: Saturday March 21, 2.00pm.
Venue: Meath tbc
