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Belfast Telegraph
08-08-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Armagh boss on what his side must do to take down Laois and net All-Ireland prize
And this is something that the Armagh camogie side are acutely aware of as they prepare to take on Laois in the Premier Junior All-Ireland Final shoot-out at Croke Park on Sunday (1pm). Armagh have certainly sampled their ups and downs in the sport, but there is a buoyancy surrounding the team just now that augurs well for the confrontation with their midland opponents. It is perhaps helpful that Armagh are well-grounded for Sunday's game, particularly as there has been a turnover of personnel in their side. Indeed, it will be left to experienced quintet Ciara Hill, Rachel Merry, Nicola Woods, Ciarrai Devlin and Eimear Hayes to set the tone for their team's performance at Headquarters. Armagh coach PJ O'Mullan is one of the most experienced team mentors in the country, and no doubt he will apply his experience in ensuring that his team meet the challenge head-on and play themselves to a standstill. O'Mullan is bolstered by a very efficient backroom team who are well-versed in Championship fare and will not be found wanting. And O'Mullan believes that this applies to his team as well. 'While it is great to be in this Final, we have to show that we can rise to the occasion,' stresses O'Mullan. 'You do not get too many bites at the cherry when you see action at Croke Park, so you just have to make the most of it. 'We feel we have a solid core of experience, but Laois will pose a big threat.' Merry and Hayes are two players who have been scoring regularly of late, but the team as a whole have been showing the enterprise and drive that O'Mullan feels could take them to the All-Ireland title. He views this clash with Laois as a formidable test and he is hoping that his players can minimise mistakes and make the most of their scoring chances. He is in no doubt, though, in what he believes will be a key element in Armagh's battle for All-Ireland glory. 'The team will have to hit the ground running from the outset and put Laois under pressure,' insists O'Mullan. Also on Sunday at Headquarters, Kerry and Offaly clash in the Intermediate decider (3pm) ahead of the day's main course, the Senior Final between Galway and Cork, with the Rebels going for three in a row.
Irish Times
06-08-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Armagh aiming for glory in fifth junior camogie final in 10 years
Armagh captain Ciara Hill says that despite considerable change since their last All-Ireland junior camogie triumph, her side are ready for Sunday's final against Laois . Their last victory came in 2020 and was followed by final defeats in 2021 and '22, with Hill unable to play in their most recent decider due to injury. Adding in their loss in the 2016 edition, Armagh are heading into their fifth final in a decade, but this time they come into the decider with confidence after a 12-point win over Roscommon. 'I think from the 2020 team it's quite different now. We lost a few of the older girls but there's a lot of new girls in. It kind of sparks the camp and puts everyone through their paces, so I think it's a different team, but it's strong.' READ MORE 'It was great to get a win going into the final, it does give you that bit of confidence. But we know every match is a different game and we know that Laois is going to be a really tough opponent, so (we'll) just try and focus on the finals.' When Armagh won their first junior title in 27 years they did so in a near-empty Breffni Park due to restrictions during the pandemic. 'I suppose that was in the height of Covid, so that didn't really feel like an All-Ireland final at that time', admits Hill. It will be a different story this time out against Laois in Croke Park though, as Camogie Association president Brian Molloy has made clear his intention that the attendance record will be broken at this year's triple header. Molloy said he hopes there will be 'over 40,000' spectators at Croke Park on Sunday, saving his ultimate goal of filling the stadium for future finals. Hill is confident Armagh fans will mobilise to support their team: 'I think all week now there's been a great buzz in Armagh, in terms of organising buses for the underage girls to come up and support. I know they've been selling flags and headscarves and everything too. It would be lovely to look up into the stand and see a lot of orange and white there. 'They did it last summer now for the boys, so hopefully they'll match it this weekend and come out in full force,' she says.
