In their four year history Inagh-Kilnamona have made quiet a mark on the Clare Camogie scene and on Saturday go in chase of their first ever senior title.
By Jamesy Mc Conigley
With half of their team under the age of 21, the mid-Clare side have been tipped to triumph at senior level sooner rather than later. The Keating twins; Amy and Rebecca who have become pivotal members to their side admit that they’ve been lucky enough to be part of such a successful team and are thankful for this.
After a hectic 2016 for the sister’s, their busy schedule is far from over with the small matter of a County Final in Clarecastle on Saturday against reigning champions Newmarket-on-Fergus.
Having already captured four minor A medals in-a-row, Amy stated that the senior is the real trophy she aspires to win, “Already having won an Intermediate a few years back, hopefully we could win a Senior next but the Intermediate was great for the club”
Amy is currently studying food science and health in the University of Limerick notices that the long journey hasn’t been done on her own, “Mam and Dad bringing us to training every year and the two lads pushing us on too, it was helping us on from a young age, pucking away with us but obviously all different trainers have also played their part.”
Netminder Rebecca feels that it’s her family that has spurred her on to become the number one for Inagh-Kilnamona “My Dad Tommy and my brother Paul were both goalkeepers so they taught me a lot I know and I suppose all the developments from the Clare teams growing up along. I got training off Triona Rosengrave from Crusheen when I was with the Clare teams, so up along I got plenty of training from club and county.”
Since the age of 13, both Amy and Rebecca have represented their county with pride. With flawless displays all along the way up, their fine performances didn’t go unnoticed receiving a call-up to the county senior panel. But the twins from Inagh didn’t have to think twice about their dazzling call-up with the Leaving Certificate Examination just around the corner.
Rebecca studying arts with children’s studies in NUIG, praises how Clare manager Trisha O’Grady helped them manage their busy schedule, “We were with the Clare minors at the time so we were between the two but we were giving lots of leeway of what trainings we could go to, we were playing up till a week before the Leaving Cert, we seen it as an outlet of relieving stress cause we loved going training.”
Rebecca feels losing last year’s final has stood to the team before tomorrow’s decider, “ I suppose with last year and all you need to feel the pain of losing a county final cause it will push us on and we don’t want to lose twice, it’s really pushing us on.”
They’re driven and motivated by defeats suffered against Newmarket-on-Fergus and it will certainly play on their minds ahead of tomorrow’s 3:15pm throw-in.