Caoimhe Maher is keen to build on progress made in 2024

By Shane Brophy

Tipperary’s Caoimhe Maher is itching to get going ahead of the start of the National Camogie League Division 1 next Saturday.

The Burgess/Duharra club player hasn’t struck a ball in anger since the end of their club campaign in the autumn, and while some of her colleagues have had busy schools and colleges campaigns in the meantime, she appreciates the new phase of her career that she is in now.

“It can also be different for each of the girls, some have played up to the end of the club championship and gone straight into colleges camogie and now back into this,” said the Tipperary vice-captain at the launch of the Very Ireland National Leagues last week.

“It all changes during your career and now mine is falling in terms of having a good break but I have had so many years being in that constant cycle of playing that you become very grateful for any time off you do get to take a break and focus on other bits and pieces. But then you find yourself craving the routine of it, and the organisation, structure, and getting back into it.

“It’s exciting to get going again next Saturday and get back to playing competitively, and finding out where we are, how we are getting on, and how others are getting on.”

For the first time in almost two decades, Tipperary go into the campaign as defending champions, and that is a welcome mindset shift in itself after defeating Galway in the Croke Park decider last April.

“It is nice to remind yourself that is the case,” Maher said of that achievement.

“We have played two competitions since and unfortunately not won either, so it is nice to remind yourself that was the case and is what is achievable for us.

“I wouldn’t say we are putting any pressure on ourselves to go and win it again; we are going out every day in training to put in the hard work and see where that gets us to.

“It certainly is a great way to give yourself confidence that this is what we can achieve when we start on Saturday and what we can aim for in April when the final is on, and we should be there or thereabouts and expecting to be there from ourselves.”

As Maher alluded to, Tipperary lost their Munster title, while falling agonisingly short to Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final, having finished top of their group and progressing straight to the last four. They are improving and Maher and the players appreciate this.

“We have to constantly try and remind ourselves of that,” said.

“Yes, we are not far away, and it is a case of a couple of things, here and there, on the day in the closing minutes of any game that dictate whether you come out on top or you don’t.

“The more you are in that position, the more you get used to that and learn how to gain any momentum or make any decision that is going to get you across the line as a team.

“It is a positive thing that the games are so tight or have been so tight over the last while as it gives teams like ourselves and others as well who have been there or thereabouts for so long a bit more confidence that we are well able to be there, put it up to the top three teams who have been there for so long.”

With players from last years All-Ireland winning junior and minor teams coming onto the panel this year, the competition for places will be more intense, but it is the winning mentality they will being which will be important Maher feels.

“It is a really good position to be in,” she continued.

“All of the competitions the girls have been involved in recent weeks are at the top level. Luckily, some of them have been successful in those campaigns which is an advantage in itself to have more girls on the panel who have experience of winning things at minor level, schools, Ashbourne Cups so once you start to see that success in other competitions, you come to expect it from every team you play with.

“We would be hoping that kind of mindset and understanding of what it takes to win should be brought into our senior set-up now.”