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.”
RM Block
“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.
