Blinkered vision the key to camogie success
A week after before the drawn All-Ireland Camogie final between Meath and Cork, Aoife Maguire was part of a four-strong team that finished second at the British Riding Club Championships in Lincoln.
The team included her partner Brian Cassidy and the clear round the talented showjumper produced on board her 14-year-old mare, Mane Attraction, was a key contribution.
Last Sunday, the centre-back had the blinkers on to focus on camogie and Meath's brilliant Intermediate All-Ireland Final replay victory over Cork in the Gaelic Grounds.
“The horses will keep me busy until John (Davis) calls us back in for training for 2018,” she said as she prepared for the heroes’ homecoming on Sunday evening.
Meath's 10-7 victory on Sunday completed a remarkable journey that started out in the camogie basement in 2007.
From the obscurity of the fourth tier, Meath embarked on a remarkable journey, a type of rags to riches story that propelled the team into the limelight with live television coverage enhancing the success.
And it all added up nicely for Boyne Community School maths teacher Aoife who had the benefit of some Cork support as she helped Meath to victory.
The Killyon woman, who captained Meath to the National Camogie League Division 2 title last year, has very strong Cork connections through her mother Eileen, a native of Cape Clear Island.
Last Sunday, a convoy of supporters in green and gold travelled from Schull and Kilmichael to get behind the Meath team.
Included in the group was Maguire’s three year-old first cousin and Goddaughter Aisling Murphy, who made the journey with her parents Deirdre (Aoife’s aunt) and John Noel.
A Meath jersey was provided last year for Aisling although last week it had been suggested she had grown out of it.
“My mum is from Cape Clear Island and we’d spend a lot of time down there. The relations came up to Croke Park and they even had Meath colours on them, so I was very flattered,” Aoife explains.
“I think some of my cousins had Cork jerseys on under the Meath ones just in case the result went the other way, but it was great.
“They're all delighted for me and for the team, they know all the work that we have put in.
“We were slow to get going in the first-half, but the wind had a big part to play in that .
“A few refereeing decisions surprised me, on another day they might not have been frees, but we tackled hard and fair and Cork did the same.
“You had to give it all out there, it was that type of game,” she added.
WATCH THE HOMECOMING ON SUNDAY NIGHT