All-Ireland Intermediate Championship semi-final: Shane O’Neill’s (Armagh) v Parnells (London) (Sunday, Shane O’Neills, 12.30pm)
AN exciting All-Ireland Intermediate Championship semi-final is on the cards this weekend when Ulster champions Shane O’Neills welcome the GAA World Games ladies champions, Parnells to the Camlough village.
The visitors, who are the British champions, already have an All-Ireland quarter-final victory over Offaly side St Ciaran’s, have a lot of experience when it comes to this competition, having won the title in 2012.
And while Shane O’Neill’s might not have an All-Ireland title to their name, yet, this is a team that have come through the ranks together, and they have been in this position before, in a game as big as an All-Ireland semi-final.
In 2013, after clinching their county junior championship, they went on to make their mark in the provincial competition, winning the Ulster title.
That fairytale year might have ended with a quarter-final defeat to Edinburgh side Dunedin Connolly’s, but three years on this side has grown together and successfully come through the intermediate ranks, ready now in 2017 to mix it with the best of the senior teams in Armagh like Clann Eireann and Carrickcruppen.
But immediate attention is on Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final and while they do have home advantage, joint manager Caoibhe Sloan says they feel no pressure to have to win.
“The girls have put in the hard work to win Ulster,” said Sloan who manages the side with Peter Lynch.
“That was our main aim and we're in bonus territory now. We're going to give it all we have but we're aware of how strong Parnells are and we can only do our best.
“Maybe some of the girls felt a tiny bit of pressure to win Ulster because it was done by the same team a few years previously, but this is all a bonus. We're all enjoying the build-up.
“It's a massive day for the village of Camlough. Not every day an All-Ireland semi-final is played down here to and we're hoping for the biggest crowd yet. The girls have trained hard on this pitch all year and it's where we are comfortable playing.”
They know little about their opponents, only that they won this competition four years ago and during the summer they won the GAA World Games held in Croke Park.
But there is also some Ulster interest in the London side with players involved - Monaghan duo Sinead McCooey and Helen Hughes, Cavan’s Renee Murphy and Armagh’s Niamh Murphy who is also the team captain.
Both teams are known for their high-scoring capabilities, none more so than Shane O’Neill’s who put eight past Kinawley in the Ulster final, to add to their 10 other majors in the quarter and semi-finals.
And while 2015 ladies All Star Aimee Mackinis one of their main scoring threats, Parnells will need to very wary of her other team-mates, with Aoibheann Jones and Mackin’s sister Blathnaid more than capable of grabbing scores.
They got off to a slow start against Kinawley, finding themselves 2-2 to no score down before getting back on level terms.
They cannot afford to let Parnells get off to a similar start, because they will be punished but this is a Shane O’Neill’s team that will not give up easily.
“They have plenty of big strong players who have loads of county experience. They'll be the toughest team yet as is to be the expected at this stage of the competition,” said Sloan.
“We have done exactly the same as we did for Armagh and for Ulster. It was good enough then and we hope it will be good enough now too.”
The other semi-final sees Waterford and Munster champions Abbeyside take on Connacht champions Annaghdown from Galway.
