AIB and the Camogie Association today unveiled the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 AIB Camogie Club Player awards recipients, who will be honoured at a special ceremony at Croke Park this Saturday.
Sarsfields stalwarts Siobhán McGrath and Niamh McGrath were named as the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 AIB Camogie All-Ireland Club Championship Player of the Year respectively. The sisters helped their club to 2021/2022 All-Ireland success against Oulart The Ballagh, with Siobhán delivering a stand out performance, scoring 1-07 on the day. The Galway side went on to deliver back-to-back titles just a few short months later, as they claimed the 2022/2023 All-Ireland crown thanks to a super display against Loughgiel Shamrocks in the decider, with Niamh dominating the game from midfield.
Elsewhere, the AIB Camogie Club Provincial Players of the Year for both seasons were also unveiled, with players from across each of the four provinces recognised for their achievements. For the 2021/22 awards, Shelley Kehoe of Oulart The Ballagh (Wexford) was AIB Camogie Club Championship Leinster Player of the Year, Caoimhe Burke from Drom and Inch (Tipperary) Munster Club Player of the Year, Lucia McNaughton from Loughgiel Shamrocks (Antrim) was Ulster Club Player of the Year, while Orlaith McGrath was also rewarded for outstanding performances last season in the 2021/2022 AIB Camogie Club Championship, earning her Connacht Player of the Year.
The 2022/2023 AIB Camogie Club Championship Leinster Player of the Year honour meanwhile was awarded to Aisling Maher of St Vincents (Dublin), with Mairéad Eviston (Drom and Inch, Tipperary) picking up the Munster accolade, following fine seasons on the pitch for both players. Niamh McGrath (Sarsfields, Galway) was also named the AIB Camogie Club Championship Connacht Player of the Year, while Roisin McCormick was recognised for the Ulster accolade following her influential displays for Loughgiel Sharmocks (Antrim) this year.
The 2021/22 and 2022/23 AIB Camogie All-Ireland Club Championship Teams of the Year were also unveiled today. The 2021/22 outfit includes six players from All-Ireland champions Sarsfields, as the Galway club won their second ever All-Ireland club title in March 2022 when they defeated Wexford’s Oulart The Ballagh in a thrilling final that produced seven goals. Laura Glynn features in goals with Laura Ward and Maria Cooney named in the back line, while Orlaith McGrath, Cora Kenny and Siobhán McGrath were all given the nod in the forward line. Oulart the Ballagh has five players on the team, following a season that saw them fall just short of back-to-back All-Ireland club success following their 2021 triumph. Aideen Brennan takes up the corner back position, with Aoife Dunne and Mary Leacy in the half back line, Anais Curran in midfield and Shelley Kehoe at centre forward.
Three-time All-Ireland winners Slaugtneil have two players on the team in Tina Bradley and Louise Duggan, on the back of another impressive season for the team which saw them claim a sixth consecutive Ulster crown. Following a ground-breaking season, which saw them reclaim their Munster title from Tipperary’s Drom & Inch, Scariff Ogonolloe of Clare also have two players named on the team in Mairead Scanlon and Jennifer Daly, in a year which saw them eventually fall short in their bid to become the first Clare club to contest the Senior All-Ireland final, following defeat at the hands Oulart The Ballagh.
The 2022/2023 AIB Camogie Team of the Year was also revealed today and a second All-Ireland title for Sarsfields in as many years was recognised with seven players named in the 2022/2023 AIB Camogie All-Ireland Club Championship Team of the Year. Laura Glynn got the nod again between the posts, with Reitseal Kelly, Laura Ward, Tara Kenny, Maria Cooney, Niamh McGrath and Siobhán McGrath all also featuring. All-Ireland finalists Loughgiel Shamrocks also feature heavily on the team, with Amy Boyle, Caitrin Dobbin, Róisín McCormick and Annie Lynn all given the nod.
Drom and Inch of Tipperary have two players selected for the Team of the Year in Mairéad Eviston and Eimear McGrath after an impressive season that saw the Munster champions narrowly lose out in the semi-final to Loughgiel Shamrocks. Dublin club St Vincent’s round out the team, as they also have two players honoured in Aine Woods and Aisling Maher, after a hugely successful season that saw them come agonisingly close to dethroning Sarsfields, losing by a single point to their Galway counterparts at the semi-final stage following an exhilarating provincial campaign.
Speaking at the announcement, AIB Chief Executive Colin Hunt said: “On behalf of everyone at AIB, we extend our warmest congratulations to those honoured today for their performances in the last two AIB Camogie All-Ireland Club Championships. AIB is proud to celebrate the achievements of these players, and we are delighted to take this opportunity to recognise their talent and skill. AIB has sponsored the Camogie Club Championships for ten years now, and we look forward to celebrating these players and seasons at Croke Park this Saturday evening.”
Uachtarán an Cumann Camógaíochta, Hilda Breslin added: “We are delighted to recognise the fantastic achievements of our club camogie players after two brilliant seasons of dedication and commitment to the sport we love. It is brilliant to be able to celebrate the 2021/22 Camogie Club performances alongside this year’s worthy winners, and we would like to congratulate everyone who is being honoured today for their commitment and achievements on the field over the past two seasons. Having the support of AIB for the past 10 years has been instrumental in the promotion and development of the Camogie All-Ireland Club Championships, and we are looking forward to honouring the players at Croke Park this weekend.”
To keep up to date with the AIB Camogie Club Championships, and for exclusive content from this year’s AIB Camogie Club Player Awards, follow @AIB_GAA on Twitter and Instagram, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AIBGAA.
