Eyes on the prize as Aoife Prendergast hits Leinster road with Dicksboro

Dicksboro are back on a familiar footing as they look ahead to the start of another Leinster campaign this weekend.

The Kilkenny City outfit won a fourth senior county crown a few weeks ago and, after wining Leinster and All-Ireland titles the last time they emerged from over the Noreside border in 2023, the ’Boro will be hopeful of a busy few weeks.

The journey begins on Sunday but for Prendergast and her teammates, getting back on top in Kilkenny after losing last year’s final to Piltown was a huge thing for the club.

“It was brilliant to win back the county title and it was a special one,” she said.

“We’d great celebrations after it too. We’ve built up a great rivalry with Piltown, as both teams bring the best out of each other, so it was great to get over the line.

“Club camogie in Kilkenny is very competitive so any time you can win the title,” she added. “It is a great honour and it’s important for driving on the younger girls in the squad as well.”

The Colaiste Mhuire, Johnstown school teacher has been more well known as a dangerous inside forward for both club and county in recent years, but the 28-year-old has played in midfield with the club over the last few weeks.

“I'm adaptable and I’ll go wherever I’m put to be honest as once I’m on the field I don’t mind where I’m playing,” Prendergast said when asked about her new position.

“The management are going to put you where they think best fits and I’m enjoying it.

“When you’re in the full-forward line sometimes you might only get a few chances in a match and you have to make it stick, while in midfield there’s a bit more flexibility to move around.”

Prendergast has been around for all of the ’Boro’s senior success with their first county title only coming in 2019. While she’s also captained her county to an All-Ireland title, silverware has dried up a bit in the black and amber.

Three All-Ireland quarter-final defeats on the trot to Dublin, Cork and Tipperary have seen the Cats drop down the pecking order a little, but Prendergast knows improvements are required.

“We’ve been very disappointed with the last few years,” she said. “We hit huge highs before that so that’s where we want to get back to. We want to perform to the best that we can and there is huge talent in Kilkenny. I know there has been a lot a talk of us being in transition but we don’t see that as an excuse. Hopefully we can see a turning point.

“We were all supporting the minors who won the All-Ireland in Nowlan Park a few months ago and those girls will progress on in the years to come. We still have plenty of experience in our own squad so with that mix we all just have to step up and drive it forward.”

County duty can wait for the meantime though as Dicksboro travel to take on Offaly senior champions Birr in Grant Heating St Brendan’s Park, Birr this Sunday at 2pm with a place in the provincial decider up for grabs.

“All our focus was on winning a county title the last few weeks and now we need to switch our focus.

“We got a taste of success at this level before so maybe that makes it a bit easier for us but we still know that we need to be ready for the challenge that is ahead.

“It’s a great position to be in a Leinster semi-final. We’ll cherish the occasion as we try to do Kilkenny proud and we can just focus on the game and try to bring a big team performance.”