'There will be no cows milked in Camross'- Arien Delaney savours All-Ireland Club glory

Camross Camogie Club savoured a landmark afternoon in Croke Park on Sunday as they overcame Ballincollig of Cork to secure the All-Ireland Club Intermediate Championship, earning the right to make the famous journey up the Hogan Stand steps.

Still soaking in the occasion beneath that iconic stand, moments after Aoife Collier had raised the Agnes O’Farrelly Cup, manager Arien Delaney struggled to put the magnitude of the achievement into words.

“Absolutely surreal, stuff beyond my wildest dreams. So proud to be associated with the girls and so proud to be from Camross. Emotions, like I said after the Leinster final, you couldn't describe them. Multiply that by infinity and you don't even come close to this, it's just so surreal. So proud and privileged to be part of the group, part of the gang, but more importantly, to be from Camross today. It's a thrill, it's an honour,” he said.

While delighted with his own side’s performance, Delaney was quick to acknowledge the challenge posed by their Cork opponents and admitted that Ballincollig’s tactical approach required patience before Camross could fully adapt.

“Commiserations to Ballincollig, they give us one hell of a battle. They were set up smart, they were very, very good. Turning point was, I think, maybe the last ten minutes before half-time when we got the grips of what they were doing. Once we turned them, I felt at that stage we were creating a lot of sort of half chances, but the final pass didn’t stick. I would have felt that if that had stuck, we could have, I'd say, got in for a goal or two in the first-half, but once we got going in the second-half, I thought we were well-deserving winners. Again, commiserations to Ballincollig, a fine team, a fine sporting game. They gave everything, the same as ourselves, but to win in All-Ireland, you're going to have to do that. So, happy out,” Delaney said.

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Despite trailing by four points midway through the first-half, Camross steadied themselves and went to the interval just one point adrift. Delaney explained that the half-time dressing room atmosphere remained composed and focused.

“I was calm. I mean, there's no point in going in and roaring and bawling there, you're wasting your time. I explained a couple of areas where we thought we needed to improve on. A couple of areas where we needed to sharpen up on in the backs. Our delivery, go wide a little bit more, try and draw them out of the centre and hit them then, and it worked. In fairness, those girls just follow instructions so well. They're a brilliant set of girls to work with, absolutely unbelievable. I suppose if you go back to the Killimor game as well, we were struggling a little bit in the first-half, we came through. Sort of a rold reversal where we were in the Leinster final and in the semi-final where we blitzed them in the first-half. So, no one can say we do it in the first-half and can't do it in the second-half. Now we do it both halves, so, it's very good now to be honest,” he added.

A crucial spell early in the second-half saw Camross denied twice by Ballincollig goalkeeper Ana Hartnett before the breakthrough finally arrived. That decisive goal came when Kirsten Keenan’s block caused panic in the Cork defence, allowing Sarah Anne Fitzgerald to strike. Delaney highlighted Keenan’s tireless contribution and her deep Camross roots.

“Kirsten is playing, I would say, the hardest role in the team. She's up there on her own. A lot of teams will hold two, three back, maybe a sweeper, and she's battling, battling all the time. There’s never a word out of her, she just works her socks off. She's from a great hurling family and you can see it in her, but this year she has been exceptional. I said it to her before the Brigid’s game in the county final that Keenans always hurled well in finals. She was brilliant today, she was brilliant in the Leinster final and she was brilliant in the county final, and she always does. She shows up magnificently and never complains. She brings her little brother with her everywhere, Lochlan, and it's great to see. Lochlan is as part of this group as any of the girls that started today. From the Keenan family and from Camross, that's what makes Camross. I'm delighted for her, delighted for Sarah Anne, and delighted for everyone in general to be associated from Camross today, to be honest,” Delaney said.

The triumph carried extra significance for Delaney, with several members of his own family (including his two daughters Grainne and Luisne) deeply involved in the club’s success, making the day a uniquely personal one.

“It's amazing. Laetitia is the chairperson, Liam is doing hurls, so there was five of us there rooting around. Aoife and Aimee Collier is a cousin. That's the way it is in Camross. We're just all related, it’s so close to you, but from a close family unit, it's brilliant. I'm delighted for the two girls. They've had to listen to me all their life, which is not easy. So in fairness to them, they got their just rewards today, and for Laetitia, in fairness to her, chairperson there for many, many years, and in the last couple of years, getting no reward, stick it out, battle it out. For us to be up there today, she was going mad on the sideline. Again, I had to tell her to stay quiet once or twice, but again, you know yourself, that's all part and parcel of it,” he said.

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Fitzgerald’s tally of 1-7 underlined her influence on the final, and Delaney reserved special praise for the Camross forward, both for her talent and her leadership.

“Without a doubt. I said it to the girls last night, that Gráinne would be giving special attention, Aimee would be giving special attention and Sarah-Anne would be giving special attention because in these last few games, all the girls at different times have stood up. The more attention you get, the better you're going to play, treat that as a compliment. I knew looking at her this morning, I knew at half-time, I just put my hand on her shoulder, and she just looked at me with the glint in her eye. You know when you get that off of her what's coming next, and by God did she give it, to be fair.

“She's a magician. I would say a magician, because whatever she turns her hand to, it works. Left, right, catch, down low, aggression, silk, skill, finesse, she has it all, and she's a leader. Camross are so blessed, to have someone like Sarah Anne involved, to be honest,” Delaney said.

Looking ahead to the celebrations back home, Delaney predicted that normal life in Camross would be put firmly on hold as the club prepared to welcome its All-Ireland champions home.

“No cars, but we have plenty of fields around the village, so if you want to come in, and if you want, we have a few horses, we can bring you from a distance or whatever, and we'll look after you. There will be no cows milked in Camross, there will be no cattle fed, there will be no sheep fed, CJ Sheeran’s mill, I'll give him a plug, a massive mill in Laois, in Camross and in Mountrath, that won't open for a week. Everything shuts down, except for Bergin’s, and we are going to wreck the joint,” Delaney ended.

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