St. Kevins joint camogie captain Murray has "full faith in everyone"

St Kevin’s camogie team will go into the All-Ireland Junior B decider with the quiet confidence of a side that has built its season not on hard work and belief.

Joint camogie captain Gemma Murray reflected on a campaign that has stretched across the full calendar year but never once felt like a burden.

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Speaking ahead of the final, she said: “Yeah, it's been a long year, but it's been great. There's been no time where I've been like, God, do I want to finish training now?

“I'm so delighted that we've gone to the very, very end and with such a young team as well, you're expecting girls to sacrifice different things during the year.

“Everyone has held their hand up and given 100% commitment from January to December, really the full year. So, yeah, it's great. It's a great feeling.

“We have girls on the county panels the whole way up, and it really shows out there, and we're definitely a team.

“There's no players on our team that you can say, well, other teams can look at and say we need to mark them.

“We have players dotted everywhere and every single girl from 1 to 31, there's 31 of us, and everyone deserves a place out there.

“So, I can't imagine the job that Brian (Brady) has before a game trying to pick someone to start because, by God, we have a serious panel there.”

New opponents

This All-Ireland run forced St Kevin’s into unfamiliar territory and styles they had never analysed. But the squad adapted with the same diligence that has marked their year.

“We really take for granted what we know about teams and how, when you go outside, especially when you go then nationally to the All-Ireland.

“You're trying to find your contacts down the country, you're trying to look at games online. That's really our best bet.

“Social media has now been a great help to us, but our main thing is kind of focusing on ourselves.

“I think that moving forward, we really are able to focus on ourselves and show how good we are, how good we really are.”

Pride

Murray also spoke about the connection that run through the squad.

“Everyone's related, really, at the end of the day. Yeah, and it's great. It's great for the older generation of Phillipstown as well.

“For girls who have played on this team for a long, long time to see us now, you know, there's not many of the old team left. We're very, very new and very young, and it's great. It's a great experience for us as well.”

For Murray, Saturday carries the chance to complete a remarkable treble of triumphs.

“Oh, we definitely can. I have no doubt that we can definitely do it. The third time, we're going to get this, definitely. And I have full faith in everyone.

“We have one last chance, and we're going to take it. We're definitely going to do it.

“I know the girls have put in so much hard work, and no matter what happens, I'm proud of every single one of them, and they should all be so proud of themselves and the community.

“I know that they're so behind us, and we're doing this for everyone. It's not just ourselves now, it's for everyone.”