The Club

Camogie Players & Coaches

Meet Our Players & Coaches - Camogie

Chloe Kelly McDonald
Chloe Kelly McDonald
Senior Camogie Team

Chloe Kelly McDonald

Senior Camogie Team

What position do you play in?
Goalkeeper/ Corner Forward
How old were you when you started playing camogie?
I played with the boys from U5 to U12 where I then moved to the girl’s team.
How often do you train?
Between two and three nights a week.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from your coaches?
Don’t Panic, Believe.
What have been the high points of your camogie career?
Winning the Premier Junior All Ireland 2018.
What is the best part about playing camogie?
Friendships and being able to share these moments with friends and family.
Who is your favourite inter-county camogie player?
Denise Gaule.
How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
Hardworking and dedicated.
Do you prefer a fibreglass hurl or a wooden hurl?
Wooden.
Katie O’Rourke
Katie O’Rourke
Senior Camogie Team

Katie O’Rourke

Senior Camogie Team

What position do you play in?
I play goals or in forwards.
How old were you when you started playing camogie?
I started playing when I was 4/5 years of age.
How often do you train?
3 times a week.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from your coaches?
To enjoy ourselves and play as a team.
What have been the high points of your camogie career?
Highest point of my camogie career is playing alongside amazing players and making great friendships.
What is the best part about playing camogie?
The best part of playing camogie are the friends that I have made and the fun that I’ve had.
Who is your favourite inter-county camogie player?
Aoife Norris (Kilkenny goalkeeper).
How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
I'd say my team-mates and coaches would describe me as chatty, giddy and strong.
Do you prefer a fibreglass hurl or a wooden hurl?
I prefer a wooden hurl.
Aoife McLoughlin
Aoife McLoughlin
Senior Camogie Team

Aoife McLoughlin

Senior Camogie Team

What position do you play in?
Half back or full back.
How old were you when you started playing camogie?
4 years old.
How often do you train?
Three times a week (incl. football).
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from your coaches?
Work hard but have fun!
What have been the high points of your camogie career?
Being able to participate in Dublin camogie trials and playing in Croke Park – even if it was when I was 11!!
What is the best part about playing camogie?
Knowing you play a sport that is unique to any other sport. Of course, the many friends you make along the way.
Who is your favourite inter-county camogie player?
Anna Geary - Cork.
How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
Feisty, tough and determined.
Do you prefer a fibreglass hurl or a wooden hurl?
Definitely ash hurls.
Ellen Brien
Ellen Brien
Senior Camogie Team

Ellen Brien

Senior Camogie Team

What position do you play in?
Centre back.
How old were you when you started playing camogie?
8 years old.
How often do you train?
Formally ... twice a week.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from your coaches?
Don't give up.
What have been the high points of your camogie career?
Winning the senior championship 3 times in a row!
What is the best part about playing camogie?
Health and wellbeing, team atmosphere, shared experiences.
Who is your favourite inter-county camogie player?
Briege Corkery.
How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
Dedicated.
Do you prefer a fibreglass hurl or a wooden hurl?
Wooden hurl all the way.
Roisin McLoughlin
Roisin McLoughlin
Senior Camogie Team

Roisin McLoughlin

Senior Camogie Team

What position do you play in?
Midfield/Backs.
How old were you when you started playing camogie?
5 years old.
How often do you train?
2-3 times a week.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from your coaches?
If you can’t outplay them, outwork them.
What have been the high points of your camogie career?
Being part of the first adult camogie team in Naomh Olaf and winning the league and championship together in that year, representing Dublin and winning a Dub Star Award.
What is the best part about playing camogie?
The people I’ve met along the way.
Who is your favourite inter-county camogie player?
Hannah Hegarty, Dee Johnstone, and Grace Walsh.
How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
Committed.
Do you prefer a fibreglass hurl or a wooden hurl?
Ash.
Ciara Murphy
Ciara Murphy
Senior Camogie Team

Ciara Murphy

Senior Camogie Team

What position do you play in?
Wing/corner forward.
How old were you when you started playing camogie?
Started playing when I was 2 years old.
How often do you train?
I train at least twice a week.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from your coaches?
“Next ball” - when you miss the ball or mess up the touch just focus on the next ball.
What have been the high points of your camogie career?
Winning championship and league in the same year and getting to an all Ireland semi final with the Dublin u16 A team, or playing in the Dublin All Star game.
What is the best part about playing camogie?
Best part about playing camogie is the friendships and the thrill of it.
Who is your favourite inter-county camogie player?
Niamh Kilkenny (Galway).
How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
They would probably describe me as chatty and competitive.
Do you prefer a fibreglass hurl or a wooden hurl?
Wooden hurl.
Debra Smith
Debra Smith
Senior Camogie Team

Debra Smith

Senior Camogie Team

What position do you play in?
Midfield.
How old were you when you started playing camogie?
6 years old.
How often do you train?
2 times a week.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from your coaches?
Don’t panic, steady up before striking and sometimes to keep the head!
What have been the high points of your camogie career?
Reaching the Ulster final in 2014 with my home club, Laragh in Cavan.
What is the best part about playing camogie?
Having a passion for something and sharing that with a great group of girls, coaches, family, community etc.
Who is your favourite inter-county camogie player?
Gemma O’ Connor.
How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
Hard worker, dogged and strong.
Do you prefer a fibreglass hurl or a wooden hurl?
Wooden, trying out a bamboo hurl in 2021.
Carolyn McGuirk
Carolyn McGuirk
Senior Camogie Team

Carolyn McGuirk

Senior Camogie Team

What position do you play in?
I play corner back or wing back.
How old were you when you started playing camogie?
I was about 10 when I started playing.
How often do you train?
We train maximum twice a week with our team.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from your coaches?
To have confidence in your skills and abilities and to support and show up for your team mates.
What have been the high points of your camogie career?
Smashing our first year in Senior Championship as the first senior camogie team.
What is the best part about playing camogie?
Being apart of a great skilful team, staying active doing something I really enjoy, and the shared experience of all the winnings and failures.
Who is your favourite inter-county camogie player?
Shauna Healy (Galway Corner Back).
How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
Quiet but gets stuck in.
Do you prefer a fibreglass hurl or a wooden hurl?
Used to prefer Fibreglass but I’ve switched back to wooden hurleys.
Eilis Murphy
Eilis Murphy
Senior Camogie Team

Eilis Murphy

Senior Camogie Team

What position do you play in?
Wing back.
How old were you when you started playing camogie?
4 years old.
How often do you train?
Twice a week.
How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
Committed, competitive, chatty.
Do you prefer a fibreglass hurl or a wooden hurl?
Wooden.
Amy McGrath
Amy McGrath
Senior Camogie Team

Amy McGrath

Senior Camogie Team

What position do you play in?
Wing Back.
How old were you when you started playing camogie?
5 years old.
How often do you train?
Twice a week.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from your coaches?
Let mistakes go and focus on the next shot!
What have been the high points of your camogie career?
Winning the Senior Championship 3 years in a row.
What is the best part about playing camogie?
Fun, wellbeing, and competitiveness.
Who is your favourite inter-county camogie player?
Anna Geary (Cork).
How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
Talkative and Committed.
Do you prefer a fibreglass hurl or a wooden hurl?
Wooden.
Sinead Walsh
Sinead Walsh
Senior Camogie Team

Sinead Walsh

Senior Camogie Team

What position do you play in?
Full forward.
How old were you when you started playing camogie?
6 but moved to Olafs when I was 8.
How often do you train?
Occasionally.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from your coaches?
Don’t overthink it, it’s a sport not an exam.
What have been the high points of your camogie career?
Surviving a sevens match.
What is the best part about playing camogie?
Fun, friendship, and anger management.
Who is your favourite inter-county camogie player?
Amy O’Connor.
How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
Injured.
Do you prefer a fibreglass hurl or a wooden hurl?
Wooden.
Mary Gibney
Mary Gibney
Coach: Adult & Minor Camogie Teams

Mary Gibney

Coach: Adult & Minor Camogie Teams

What team do you coach?
Adult and minor camogie teams.
How long have you coached for?
17 years coaching with Naomh Olaf.
What is the most rewarding part of coaching?
Facilitating the girls to believe they can be the best they can be in all aspect of their lives and not just camogie.
How did you get into coaching?
My daughter Roisin started in the Naomh Olaf mixed academy as a 5-year-old in 2003.
There were no girls’ teams at underage for camogie. I set about getting camogie up and running with Moya Power Kelly.
Next step was to start a girl’s academy with Harry O’Crowley who was getting Ladies Football up and running.
The goal back then was to eventually have an adult camogie team in Naomh Olaf.
What qualities do you look for in a player?
Commitment, work rate, positive attitude and a want to excel as a team member, all applicable qualities in every aspect of our lives and no better place to perfect them than part of Naomh Olaf camogie team.
Grainne Hogan

Special thanks to Grainne Hogan!

Club camogie player Grainne Hogan has done trojan work carrying out, and collecting the information for these interviews.

Being passionate about and playing Camogie at Club level Gráinne has signed up to the Dublin Camogie Reporters initiative at County level and had also taken part in the National PR-Óg initiative run by The Camogie Association aimed at promoting Camogie in Club & County.

 

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