Ciara Phelan, Dicksboro, pictured ahead of this weekend’s AIB Camogie All-Ireland Club Championship semi-finals and for the release of the first full episode of ‘Meet #TheToughest’, a new content series from AIB that will showcase some of the final stages of this year’s AIB Camogie All-Ireland Club Championships, through footage captured by cameras worn by players for the first time in Gaelic Games. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
By Cian O’Connell
“It is unbelievable to be in an All-Ireland semi-final, something we have never ever experienced before,” Dicksboro’s Ciara Phelan says ahead of Saturday’s clash at the penultimate stage of the AIB Camogie Senior Club Championship against Loughgiel Shamrocks in Ashbourne.
From a proud club in Kilkenny city, these truly are interesting times for Dicksboro, who edged out St Vincent’s in the Leinster Final earlier this month.
“We had only ever got to a Leinster final, so obviously winning our first Leinster title ever over both codes - men and women - and being in an All-Ireland semi-final, it is special. We just have to focus on the match this weekend and hopefully we can get over the line.”
Since 2019 it has been some journey for Dicksboro. Silverware has been gleaned, but critical lessons were learned in defeat too.
“In 2019 Donal Carroll came in as our new manager, he brought his brother, Ted, in,” Phelan explains. “They worked with us, their backroom team Catherine Peters, the likes of them. Definitely, that new management as someone different to who was there in previous years, they worked with us, they listened to us.”
Talented young camogie players had been developed in the club. “We knew that there was potential within us,” Phelan adds.
“We had won a few minors and U16s and U21s in Kilkenny, we knew there was potential to push on. We just needed someone to do that with us. When the lads came in for 2019, we won our first county title, it was an unbelievable achievement.
Kilkenny's Ciara Phelan pictured following the 2021 All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Final. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
“Then, in 2020, we lost a quarter-final to a great Thomastown team, who went on to win Leinster for Kilkenny. In 2021 we came back to win another county title, but unfortunately we lost to a great Oulart team in the (Leinster) final.
“That day the occasion probably got to us, we had never been there before, we didn't know what to expect. Last year we lost to Thomastown again by a point, in the county final in Kilkenny.”
The harrowing defeat hurt. Dicksboro, though, were eager to respond in 2023. “This year we sat down within the group and the management, we decided we had to focus on what we needed to improve on together,” Phelan says.
“There was no pointing fingers or giving out, it was all about what we needed to do as a group. We did that, we took it game by game. Where we are today is down to that, we worked with the management, we took it game by game in Kilkenny, then in Leinster, and we are looking forward to an All-Ireland semi-final.”
Sharing the ‘Boro adventure with some family members has an added an extra layer of satisfaction. “I've two sisters, Niamh starts, and Eimear is on the panel too,” Phelan says.
“It is really nice, my brother Alan, who is gone to Australia now, he would have played with Dicksboro too. The four of us were playing away, it is pretty special to win with your sisters. I know Jenny Clifford, our captain, spoke before about how close we are, and I think that comes down to groups of sisters playing on the team, and going to school with others.
“They aren't just your sisters, they are your best friends too. It is pretty special to win things, especially our first Leinster title with my sisters.”