The history of UCD Camogie
UCD Camogie Club was founded in 1914 at a meeting presided over by Agnes O'Farrelly, who was President of the club until 1951. She was Professor of Irish in UCD and a noted poet. She influenced Edwin Gibson, Lord Ashbourne, to present a cup bearing his name, which is now the blue ribband of colleges camogie.
UCD also competed in Dublin Competitions and won the championship for the first time in 1931. What followed was a golden era for UCD with Aine O'Sullivan as UCD captain won two further championships, 3 Ashbourne Cups and four of its players won All Ireland medals with Dublin in 1933. UCD's most famous year however came in 1937 when the team swept all in front of them winning Ashbourne, Dublin, Leinster and All Ireland Championships. This was followed by a further six Ashbourne cups in a row.
The UCD team of 1938
After a feast comes a famine
The next Ashbourne victory did not come until 1948. Seven Ashbourne Cups and two Dublin Championships were won during the fifties. By 1970 College had won 26 Ashbournes and won the Dublin championship in 1982 captained by Annette Mc Grath of Tipperary. With the opening up of the Ashbourne to a wider audience victories were not as forthcoming during the seventies. UCD soon adopted to the new competition and during the eighties the cup only left Belfield twice and indeed UCD won the Dublin Camogie championship with great stalwarts like Edel Murphy, Marie Connell and Maire Ni Ceallaigh. A long famine ensued and despite the massive effort by players and mentors alike the cup did not return to UCD until 2007.
Fantastic servants of the club during the barren years included the Treacy twins and the Naas flyer Ciara Tallon from Kildare, Aine Codd and Catherine O’Loughlin of Wexford, Ailbhe Kelly of Galway, Susan Vaughan of Wexford and Eileen Morgan of Cork. The contribution of the “twins” Michelle Fitzpatrick of Laois and Sinead ‘Sinty’ Treacy of Clare were incalculable. Deirdre Corcoran of Clare made an enormous contribution to College both as a player and a trainer. One in a million. UCD contested final after final in the times from 2000 to 2007 without joy but never despairing that our day would come.
UCD Camogie Club has been fortunate in having graduates retaining an interest in its affairs long after they had graduated. UCD only had two presidents in seventy years Agnes O'Farrelly until 1951 and Mrs. Stuart until 1993, her husband Dr Stuart, who was Uachtaran C.L.G in 1958 coached UCD for almost 50 years. Agnes Purcell together with Jo Golden set up the CCIA and brought the number of colleges and universities participating to 20. She was President of the Camogie Association between 1976 and 1979. Bridin Ui Maolagan was elected as president of the Camogie Club in 1993 and was President of the Association between 1991-1994 and is still the bedrock of camogie and handball in the University in this era.
The 1999 UCD camogie panel
The 1980s by student of that era Anne Maria Brennan
I did Veterinary Medicine in UCD from ’85 to ’90. We contested five Ashbourne Finals in those years winning three ’86,’87 and ’88. Winning captains include Breda Kenny (Galway), Catherine Ledwidge (Dublin), Ann Cooper (Dublin) and losing captains Joan Tobin (Tipperary) and I (Kilkenny). We were trained by Ms Gaye Moran in 1986 & 1987 and Mrs Carmel Cooper 1988 to 1990.
Our great rivals were Queen’s who up to that point had never beaten UCD in a competitive match. They didn’t until 1991 when Joan Tobin joined their ranks as she was doing a Master’s degree there.
We also won three CCIA leagues during this time. There were some huge characters in the dressing room as well as the above there was Marie Connell (Dublin), Sheila O’Donoghue (Westmeath / WIT), Breige Ronoghan (Donegal), Carmel Gray (Dublin), Eileen Lambert (Dublin), Tanus Turley (Down), Libby Lowe (Dublin), Patricia O’Dwyer (Meath), Mairead Twomey (Limerick) Mary Brennan (Monaghan), Rosarie Kealy (Kilkenny), Magella Blanchfied (Kilkenny) etc. UCD is fortunate that in today’s era that students like the Treacy Twins, Aine Codd, Susan Vaughan, Michelle O’Leary, Sinead Treacy, Michelle Fitzpatrick and Deirdre Corcoran of Clare are carrying on the great tradition of service.
(Historical references from Prof Meenan's Book "St. Patrick’s Blue and Saffron”.)
Bridin Ui Mhaolgan, President of UCD Camogie Club, with 2000 award recipients Eimear Connery and Una O'Dwyer
The 2002 Ashbourne Cup panel
UCC defeated our girls in 2003 and UL defeated us in the 2004 final. The Ashbourne Cup Final team in 2004 was: Noelle Doran, Sally O Grady, Deirdre Corcoran, Sarah Kelly, Sinead Treacy, Ailbhe Kelly,Elaine Dermody, Catherine O Loughlin, Louise Mahony, Norma Maher, Norma Harrington, Sharron Daly,Caoimhe Harrington, Niamh O Connor. Playing subs Deirdre McDonnell, Sile NI Coitir.
2007 UCD Camogie Secure Ashbourne Cup
Gradually under the guidance of coaches like Caroline Duggan, Siobhan O Neill, Richard Sweetnam, William Maher and eventually winning manager and coach David Kennedy of Tipperary and Aoife Murray of Cork the Cup retuned to College in 2007 after a glorious victory over UCC in Galway.
The team was managed by David Kennedy and Deirdre Corcoran. Mary Leacy was the captain. The long barren spell is over and great credit is due to all involved. We should not forget the great work done over the years by Grace O’Neill, Dave O’Gorman, Willy Maher and Richie Sweetman. It was fitting that UCD Life President Bridin Bean Ui Mhaolagain a five time Ashbourne winner presented the cup to our captain Mary Leacy.
Bridin and her husband Aidan have contributed enormously not alone to Camogie and Handball in UCD but also at national level Bridin had the honour of being president of the national association between 1990 and 1993.
2007 winning team in all their glory.
2007 UCD Camogie Secure Ashbourne Cup
The UCD team danced with joy at the final whistle following their 2-10 to 1-4 victory over UCC in the 2007 Ashbourne Cup Final the first time to win the coveted trophy since 1988. UCD may have had to wait thirteen minutes for their opening score, but once Cork star and 2006 All-Star Rena Buckley got the first of her six frees UCD, who had lost the previous four finals, never looked back after that.
UCC tried hard, but somehow or other they could not match the same drive as they possessed on the Saturday when they defeated UL the holders in the semi-final.
UCD got the all important first goal midway. A breaking ball in from midfield which hung around the Cork square until half forward Lorraine Davis seized the opportunity to bang it in from the left to leave it 1-2 to 0-1 after just fifteen minutes.
The pitch conditions may have been heavy but two very determined sides made the most of it but at half time it was UCD who went in smiling 1-5 to 0-3.
UCC did not go in at the break, UCD did and what ever Manager Dave Kennedy said to them at half time it must have been strong words as immediately the team went three points up thanks to Rena Buckley, Susie O'Carroll and Una Leacy inside the opening five minutes. It was the perfect start for UCD, however, Cork seemed stunned as it took them eighteen minutes to record their first score of the second half - a point from Cork star Emer Dillon.
Despite the scoreline at this stage UCC were still very threatening, but they did not have sufficient finishing power up front and they were punished for that. The UCD winning goal came nine minutes from time. Kilkenny player Julianne Woodcock made the perfect pass for fellow Kilkenny player Emillie Darmody who smashed the ball to the net. The UCD line and subs jumped for joy. Any time that UCC forwards tried to go for goal the UCD defence defended as if their lives depended on the winning of this game.
A late consolation goal from Cork player Sarah O'Donovan with one minute of normal time remaining put a better picture on it for UCC, but on the day there was no denying as to who the winners could be. When captain Mary Leacy went up to accept the cup from honorary the President of the Third Level Colleges Camogie Association Bridin Ui Mhaolagáin the joy was etched across her face.
The cup was retained in 2008. Rena Buckley of Cork thus added Ashbourne medals to her vast collection of ladies football and camogie trophies.
Ashbourne Cup Final: UCD: 2-10: L Davis 1-1, E Darmody 1-0,R Buckley 0-6f, S O'Carroll 0-2 (0-1f), U Leacy 0-1.
UCC: 1-4: S. O'Donovan 1-0, E Dillon 0-3 (0-1f), C Desmond 0-1.
Ashbourne Cup 2008
UCD retained the Ashbourne Cup for 2008 in Belfast following a great weekend with victories over NUI Galway in the semi-final and WIT in the final.
Well done to manager David Kennedy and Aoife Murray of Cork. Team captain Susan O’ Carroll (Kildare) and panel Mags Darcy (Wexford), Emma Dunne (Cork), Mairead Luttrell (Tipperary), Alison Maguire (Dublin), Mary Leacy (Wexford), Leona Monaghan (Galway), Rena Buckley (Cork), Julianne Woodcock (Kilkenny), Cahralotte Rather (Waterford), Fiona Phelan (Kilkenny), Mary Murtagh (Westmeath), Una Leacy (Wexford), Aine Mahony (Laois), Sinead Walsh (Kilkenny), Meadobh Bolger (Dublin), Ailsing Byrne (Offaly), Ciara Garahy (Wexford), Claire Gilligan (Dublin), Colette Hardiman (Galway), Emma Moran (Wexford), Threse Manton (Galway), Niamh NiChinneide (Dublin) and Sinead O’Toole (Dublin).
The girls celebrate their 2008 win, making it two in a row
2009 & 2010
The 2009 and 2010 seasons were not as successful as 2007 and 2008. We narrowly lost to W.I.T and UCC in the knockout stages after some fantastic games. David Kennedy, Sean O Mahony, Ciara Garahy, Eoin Mc Donnell and Noel Conaty continue the trend of volunteerism in the club. UCD now field two senior and one freshers team.