Coppinger hails ‘incredible' Colum's camogie win

LIBBY Coppinger has the Midas touch when it comes to camogie finals, it seems.

Just a couple of weeks after winning an All-Ireland senior camogie title with Cork, Rebel dual star Libby helped her club St Colum’s win the county junior C 13-a-side championship final against Grenagh.

It was the club’s first championship final since the adult team formed earlier this year, so history was made with the 2-7 to 0-10 win under lights at Na Piarsaigh’s home ground.

‘It was brilliant. It was a great occasion for the club, for the girls to win a county title, for people like Eilís (Nyhan) and Tony (Coppinger) who have been involved since the start when they first got the club going,’ Libby said.

It was also a special occasion for Libby who won her first piece of championship silverware together with her sister Maggie.

‘We had won bits and piece at school but this year was the first year we won titles together with St Colum’s – and this is the first championship we’ve won together.’

Colum’s won the final of the county junior C 13-a-side league earlier in the year, also against Grenagh, so it’s been a very successful season for the Colum’s camogie team.

‘It’s incredible for everyone involved,’ Libby said.

‘It’s great for the minors involved too, to play in a county final at junior level, and they can use that experience and the confidence they got from it when they play in their county final this weekend.’

The minor team has qualified for the county D final and in keeping with St Colum’s Ladies and Football Club’s success this season, the minor footballers are through to the last eight in the county and they will also play Courcey Rovers in the West Cork B final. There’s a big cross-over between both teams.

The county camogie success will live long in the memory, with Paula O’Mahony scoring 1-3, Aisling Murnane scoring an important goal, Libby Coppinger finished with two points and both Emma Burke and Maggie Coppinger scored one point each. The management team includes Tony Coppinger (manager), Sean O’Shea and Joe O’Connell, and Aileen Murnane and Eilís Nyhan. The St Colum’s starting 13 included Rachel Murnane, Claire O’Sullivan, Nell Coppinger, Rebecca Harrington, Ali O’Connell, Katie Dineen, Libby Coppinger, Maggie Coppinger, Emma Burke, Paula O’Mahony, Ciara Manning, Aisling Murnane (vice captain) and Jackie Moore. Subs used were Louise Burke (captain) for Aisling Murnane, Emily Barrett for Jackie Moore, and Jane Hourihane for Emma Burke. Subs not used on the night included Niamh Crowley, Donna O’Regan, Emma O’Sullivan, Tara O’Riodan and Aoife Sheehan.