The resurgence of senior-level Camogie in Donegal

It’s been almost two decades since Donegal had a senior Camogie team, but they played their first official league campaign over the past month, and they now prepare for the Junior Camogie Championship.

The side, managed by Eunan O’Donnell, were in the newly founded Division 3B of the National Camogie League, as the county makes strides into bringing Camogie up a level and increasing participation.

Standards have been increased, and a huge amount of work has gone into the project, with the main goal being to consistently offer senior Camogie to players in the county.

Ciara Coulter (née Cullen) was one of those players who played the last time Donegal had a senior team, and the Markievicz player was delighted to see the team return 20 years later, as she again lined out for the county.

“What was historic about it is that it was the first time Donegal had been entered into a proper National League, Coulter told DonegalLive.

“I played with Donegal in 2006, and before that, there was a Donegal team that played in a National League equivalent, but it wasn’t to the same structure and set up that we have now, it was more blitz games.

“We’ve had teams from Under-14 to minor over the past number of years, but the problem was that after minor, there was nowhere to go.

“So we had to properly get the structures in place this year, and we’re getting treated like any of the other intercounty teams with physios, strength and conditioning, nutritionists and travel expenses.

“It’s a proper set-up now, and it needed to be if we wanted it done properly and to keep going like this.”

The catalyst behind the return came from the re-emergence of senior club teams.

Markievicz, Burt, Carndonagh and St Eunan’s have been competing at senior level since the beginning of the 2020s, while Sean MacCumhaills, Dungloe and Naomh Pádraig Uisce Chaoin are progressing nicely at underage levels, with Aodh Ruadh the next team looking to make that step forward

“During Covid, we got up and running again.

“Amy Campbell (Markievicz) really pushed it over Covid, and we had multiple Zoom calls to get it established.

“Other years, when we got going, we would have had a few games, and then it would fall away again, but this time everyone bought into it and a lot of people put in a huge effort, and there are loads of people coaching, and there are teams at every age level with our own club at Markievicz.

“It is definitely growing in the county, you can see it getting more popular.”

Action in getting a team together began last June, as they worked with the county board to provide a Players’ Charter, while talks were held with Croke Park regarding player expenses.

And then a management team was appointed, with St Eunan’s man Eunan O’Donnell taking the reins.

Cormac Hartnett (Dungloe), Ciaran O'Neill (Markievicz), Deirdre Curran (Burt), Chris English (Naomh Padraig, Uisce Chaoin), and Martina Cullen (Markievicz) completed the Donegal management.

“There were a lot of things that needed to be put in place first, and then we had to get a management and backroom team.

“Then it was about getting the clubs and players together for a team.

“It was a long time getting everything together behind the scenes, but it was quite rushed then once it was finally approved.

“So we had six weeks of training before the National League began.”

Donegal lost their three games in Division 3B, but they battled well and stayed competitive in every match, a promising sign for a side that had only set up the previous month.

A first league match against Monaghan in Carndonagh saw Eunan O’Donnell’s side lose out by 6-6 to 4-6, while table toppers Mayo were worthy winners in the Connacht Centre of Excellence.

And a third and final match against Louth in Ballyshannon saw the Wee County emerge victorious thanks to some clinical goal scoring.

But results weren’t the priority in a campaign that was predominantly about finding their feet.

“Mayo have had teams and folded, but they have regularly had a team over the past ten years. Louth had been playing at a higher division, but the standard was too high, and they weren’t getting many results.

“Monaghan were similar to us in that they didn’t have a team for a lot of years. 

“But none of the teams had a team last year, so they’re all newly established in 3B, but they would have been more experienced.

“We only started training in January, and the League started in February, so we didn’t have a lot of time.

“And it was hard to know what to expect going into those games because we didn’t know where the other teams were at, and we would have lacked that bit of playing together as a team, the other teams were better organised.

“The Monaghan game was the most competitive, and we could have done better in it, but that’s what we wanted, to compete.

“The Louth game was disappointing with the goals they got, but it was seven scores to seven, and we had plenty of possession, we just need more time playing together.

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“This year was all about getting that structure in place for those young girls to improve year on year. They’ve played together through their underage career, and as they keep going, they’ll become well-established.”

Currently teaching in St Columba’s, Coulter grew up in a family steeped in Hurling tradition,  and she recalls playing and practising with her younger brother and senior county star Danny Cullen from an early age.

Her grandfather, also Danny Cullen, was a founding member of Setanta and principal at Dromore National School, where hurling was always the dominant sport at lunch time.

But there were few avenues for further development in the women’s game at the time.

“We would have played with the boys' team at Setanta with the likes of Danny and Kevy (Campbell) growing up until under-12. Back then, you couldn’t play with the boys anymore after that age. 

“We had periods of camogie with an Under-12 team that won a county final, and then it fell away again. 

“We got it up and running again around 2006 club-wise, and I played then before I moved to Dublin for ten years and played with St Jude’s.”

But now, it’s refreshing for the Markievicz star to see the options that are available for the younger players coming through and the professionalism being put into the ladies' game.

“It’s all about getting those girls coming through and progressing.

“There had to be a shop window of something to aim for, and for those girls playing at Under-8 or 10s, they have to see a senior team competing to look up to and aim for, so it’s brilliant for them. 

“There are some fantastic minors coming through who are already playing senior club, so this is their opportunity to be playing senior county, representing Donegal at a higher level.

“It’s been worth all the work behind the scenes to see that now. 

“We need to work on a lot for these girls, but we’re learning.

“They’ve bonded really well, and they could be playing together for the next ten years, and it’s just brilliant to see how it’s being run.”

The round-robin for the Junior Championship will involve the same four teams from Division 3B, with the first games in May before a semi-final and final. 

“We’re still training, and we’ll be going right up until July, so it gives us more time to build, and we’ve learned a lot from the league.

“We’ve been able to take so many positives out of it, and with the Championship coming up, we’re just hoping we can put in a performance again.

“We’ll have girls who were away at college or away travelling that couldn’t commit, and they’ll be home now, so that’ll strengthen the panel further.”