by Daragh Ó Conchúir

Wexford ace, Laura Dempsey has hailed the new structure for the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship, believing it offers more encouragement and opportunities to counties to win games and specifically, allow them harbour hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.

The format in place this year places last year’s semi-finalists in one group, where the top two will progress to the semi-finals, with the other pair redirecting their sights on the quarters. The top two from the other group of six will provide the opposition.

“We can’t wait,” says Dempsey with a relish that is commendable for one of the longest serving members of the panel. “We’re delighted with the new structure this year. It definitely suits us. It’s a very, very competitive group but when you look at our results last year, we had it tough enough, and we took a few heavy beatings.

“We know that we’re still a bit off competing with those top four, but now at least we’re getting some really competitive games in the group stages of the Championship. And we can aim for a quarter final, which is a realistic goal for us this year.

“It probably does sound like a bit of a cliché, but we are building, and I think with Gerry McQuaid coming in this year, his main aim was to steady the ship. He’s looking forward to the next couple of years, he does have a plan in place for that. So we’re still a bit off from where we need to be, but we’ve definitely come off a long way since last year. And I do think that the Championship structure is really going to suit us.”

McQuaid is coming in off a three-year term as Dublin boss but the Monaghan native is well known to Yellowbellies, as the physical trainer of Wexford’s All-Ireland three-in-a-row legends (2010-2012).

Flirting with relegation last year was not where Dempsey wanted to be, particularly as she was captain, having given a player-of-the-match performance when Glynn-Barntown won their maiden county senior title in 2024. But she is upbeat about the steps taken this term, particularly without their defensive and attacking fulcrums, former All-Star Sarah O’Connor and the unrelated Ciara O’Connor, a survivor of those All-Ireland-winning panels. That duo are rehabbing their second cruciate injuries.

“Gerry wouldn’t just take over any team. I think he does really see the potential in Wexford. The club scene in Wexford is so competitive, and we’re competing with the best teams outside of the county as well. Oulart got to the Leinster final (in November, only losing by a point). So it’s just getting the players, and I think even looking forward to next year, we will be getting, hopefully, Sarah and Ciara O’Connor back as well. So we’re building now this year and just making sure we’re fit and ready.”

Wexford have a real test of how they are going in tonight’s Leinster semi-final against Kilkenny at Chadwicks Wexford Park (7.30pm).

“We’re really excited. We spoke about it after training (Tuesday) night. We were just saying that it’s just a really big opportunity to show people the work that we’ve done so far, and where we’re at ourselves as well.

“The League probably wasn’t as successful as we had hoped, but we definitely took a lot of positives from it, and we trained really, really hard during the League as well. So we’re looking forward now to kind of just throw that off and hoping it all clicks.”

Certainly, Dempsey is happy with the composition of the squad, which includes the likes of Linda Bolger, whose commitment is an example to all, Joanne Dillon, skipper Anais Curran and some new blood too.

“The last couple years we’ve had a brilliant minor squad, and I think three players have come up since from last year’s minor panel. Probably the most obvious one is Layla Stafford. She’s actually starting with us this year. She’s from my own club as well, so I’m probably a bit biased, but I think she’s made a huge difference. She’s just an absolute athlete, like, she doesn’t look a bit out of place with the senior squad. I just say to her going out every day, throw caution to the wind. There’s no pressure on her whatsoever.

“It’s probably the nicest time that she’ll have to play inter-county, because she’s so young and doesn’t have that pressure on her.

“Linda is unbelievable. She’s teaching in Cork and wouldn’t miss a training session, travelling up and down, Tuesday, Thursday and the weekend.”

Dempsey is an outstanding exemplar herself, at the other end of the experience scale to the aforementioned Stafford. She has been involved for a decade - she turns 29 in August – but through the ups and downs, never contemplated walking away. Now, with the move towards integration, she is excited about the future.

“I know there is still a long way to go, but you can see the progress that’s been made even in the last year or two. Like, even looking in Wexford, we have access to training in Ferns Centre of Excellence every single evening. We were training on the pitch right beside the senior hurlers last year, whereas in years before, we could have been training in three different pitches in the one week. To get the full integration now is obviously the main goal.”

The top-class defender is teaching German in her own alma mater, Presentation Secondary School in Wexford, and it truly is a full circle journey, as her aptitude for the language came by virtue of a brilliant teacher she had there.

She has been fortunate in that regard, having positive role models. Her parents, Sinéad and Tom are two others. Tom scored the crucial goal as Wexford’s hurlers won the All-Ireland by two points against Limerick. That was 30 years ago now, but he remains passionate about the purple and gold, though camogie is his highest priority now.

“He would go to watch every training session if I let him go,” laughs Dempsey, whose younger sister, Emma also joined her on the county panel but has stepped away this year to focus on work as an occupational therapist at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire.

“He’s unreal. In fairness, he would actually probably miss a senior hurling match to go and watch me playing camogie. And it’s lovely for him. He’s travelled the length and breadth of the country at this stage. I’d say he’s been to every single League game this year, and I’m sure Championship will be no different. And he always has a bit of advice before the matches as well.”

His own career was a story of all good things coming to those who wait. For Dempsey and Wexford camogie, they will be hoping the same applies.

Tweet

Most Read Stories