'Let's go again and turn it around next year'- Laois Camogie managers after All-Ireland final loss

The Laois Camogie team narrowly missed out on victory in Sunday’s All-Ireland Premier Junior final, losing by just one point as Tipperary clinched the title with a late surge.

Following the game at Croke Park, joint-managers Pat Collier and Robert Jones, along with Laois’ top scorer for the year, Aimee Collier, spoke to the media.

“I'm devastated, but you know, tomorrow's another day. Life will go on, but it’s the players, the 31 girls who have put Laois Camogie back on the map, that my heart goes out to. We were probably one to three coming into this game, but we knew that if we got our game plan right, we'd give Tipp a rattle, and we did. In the second half, to be fair to Tipp, they clawed their way back, got a few vital scores. I thought a decision or two could have gone our way, but that’s always the way when you lose, maybe. But look, I’m thrilled for the girls to get to this position this year, and by God, they went down with all guns blazing. I can’t say any more, I’m thrilled,” Collier said.

Collier praised his players for their hard work throughout the season and stressed the importance of everyone returning next year when the call comes.

“There'll be doubters in all walks of life, and like I always say to people, if anyone has anything to say to me, they know where I live. I'd die for these girls; I love every one of them with all my heart. I told them in the dressing room that I'd do anything for any of them while they were under my and Rob’s care, and it’s just heartbreaking for them. One girl stayed at home from Dubai. She's flying out at 10 tonight and starts work tomorrow morning at nine. She and every one of her teammates gave a hundred per cent this year, so as I say, doubters don’t bother me at all. I’m just thrilled to see Laois Camogie back at the top. I told them in the dressing room, whether I or Rob are here next year is irrelevant. It’s about them. When they get the phone call, they need to get in there, put on that jersey, and go again to turn it around next year,” Pat Collier said.

Robert Jones commended the panel for believing in themselves enough to reach the final and for their confidence on the day. He felt that Tipperary’s second-half dominance in winning the breaking balls ultimately decided the game, whereas Laois had the upper hand in the first half.

“At the start of the year, when we brought in these girls, all 31 of them, we knew they had the belief, and today, to be fair, they believed as well. They started off the game well on top, and we told them at half-time that Tipp were shocked—they weren't expecting what we brought to them in the first half. I thought in the second half that the wind was a bit of a factor. We were winning all the breaking balls in the first half and were well on top, but in the second half, we struggled to win those balls, and that came down to the last two minutes of the game. They won two rucks, got two points, and brought it back to a draw before winning by a point. As Pat was saying, these girls have put in a huge effort. They’ve sacrificed so much—time, university, work, clubs, families, everything—and we couldn’t be more proud of them. They’re a fantastic bunch of girls, and I told them after the match to stick with it because Tipperary were in this same boat last year, and they came back and did it. I fully believe Laois Camogie can do the same,” Jones said.

Laois could have been further ahead than four points at half-time, and Jones acknowledged that, but he also emphasised Tipperary’s ability to win the ball from rucks as the turning point in the game.

“We threw up a few goal chances, alright, but they missed a few as well, so it balances out over the course of the game. The key was that we were winning all those ruck balls in the first half, but let a couple slip in the second, and I think that’s what cost us the game,” Jones said.

This third final loss in four months will be tough to take for the Laois girls and everyone involved with Laois Camogie, but Jones said this one hurts the most because he knows it was within reach for Laois, and they just couldn’t close it out. He was also pleased to see the Laois fans turn out in support at Croke Park.

“It wouldn’t hurt as much if you were beaten by five or six, you know you’re being beaten by the better team. But I felt we were as good as Tipp, if not better, today. The most frustrating part is that losing by a point—it was there for us, and we just couldn’t take it. I’m disappointed for the girls; they’re heartbroken inside, and we told them to keep their heads up because we’re so proud of them. They should go off and enjoy tonight because they deserve it. I’d just like to thank the supporters. They were absolutely fantastic, and to see the blue and white there for the girls was unreal, so fair play to them,” Jones concluded.

Laois’ Aimee Collier had an outstanding season in blue and white, tallying 5-38 over the competition. She hopes the narrow loss will benefit Laois when they aim to return to the Intermediate grade in 2026.

“I think that'll stand to us. As the lads said, the third one to lose by a point, it’s hard to take. That’s going to stand to us, and we’ll fight for it even harder next year. The main thing is that those 31 girls come back in next year,” Aimee Collier said.