St Brigid’s determined to ‘right the wrongs’ against Camross

St Brigid’s captain Laura Dunne says the club has been driven by a desire to “right the wrongs” of last year as they prepare to face Camross in Saturday’s Laois Intermediate Camogie Championship final.

St Brigid’s lifted the Laois and Leinster titles in 2024 before losing their Laois Camogie crown to Camross in last year’s final, and returning to the decider was identified as the club’s main objective from the beginning of the current campaign. They secured their place in Saturday’s final with a convincing semi-final victory over The Harps and will now get another opportunity to reclaim the title against the team that ended their reign last year.

Dunne says the disappointment of that defeat has remained a motivating factor throughout the season.

"We met at the start of the year and that's the only thing that was on our minds was to get back to where we were and right the wrongs of last year. The year has been geared towards that, so we're just delighted now that we got over the line against The Harps and looking forward now to Camross," said Dunne.

The semi-final victory over The Harps was particularly impressive, with St Brigid’s producing a performance that Dunne admits few outside the camp were expecting.

"I don't think anyone was expecting that. I think we drew with them in the league, obviously no county players, but we were ready for a right battle against them. I don't know we just all showed up on the day and we got great scores and we played very well. It's just bringing that now to the next day and driving on a bit further again. We know Camross will be a huge battle; we've great respect for them, but the hunger is definitely there more this year, I'd say," Dunne said.

St Brigid’s and Camross have already met this year, with Camross coming out on top in the league final. However, Dunne believes that result will have limited relevance when the two teams meet for the county title, with the league providing an opportunity for experimentation and player development rather than being the main focus of the season.

"The league is trial and error isn't it? It's playing girls where they're suited most on the team and I think we were beaten by six points in that, but we were still happy with the performance considering we were down probably six to eight starters maybe on the field. It showed us a lot, it showed us that we had improved in the league ourselves. The league was just a stepping stone now, and giving girls games and getting fit," Dunne explained.

One of the reasons for St Brigid’s confidence heading into the final is the increased competition within their panel. The club has added new players this year, while players have also progressed from other panels, creating greater competition for places throughout the team.

Dunne believes that competition has helped drive the established players on, with every position up for grabs.

"We've recruited maybe a couple of new players and up from the other panels so it's been great. Fresh new blood and more hunger and being pushed on by them. There are positions up for grabs there all year, which is great. It’s a great complaint to have. There are girls disappointed every match and that's just a reflection of how hard training is and everyone wants a 1-15 jersey, but it's not possible on the day. There’s still hunger; we still want more. Like, from 2024, last year was very disappointing in that final; we didn't show a great reflection of ourselves at all in that final. I think we only scored a point in the second half, which still hurts, but hopefully we'll right the wrongs next week," Dunne concluded.