Barrett targets Munster after winning All-Ireland

MOIRA Barrett agrees that the minor camogie championships are the exception to the GAA rule.

Whereas the standard is provincial first followed by All-Ireland, it’s the opposite in the minor ‘A’ camogie championship with no link between the two.

So while Moira captained the Cork team that won the All-Ireland minor ‘A’ title for the first time in May, the Rebels’ Munster campaign doesn’t start until later this summer.

Carrying the tag of All-Ireland champions will bring its own pressure.

‘People will expect us to win because we are All-Ireland champions but it doesn’t work like that,’ Barrett (18) from Ballinascarthy explained.

‘Munster is hard to win. We have Tipperary in the preliminary round and the winner then plays Clare.

‘Tipp were in the other All-Ireland semi-final and they didn’t lose to Galway by that much, and we beat Clare (1-11 to 0-9) in our All-Ireland semi-final so to get to the Munster final you have to beat two top teams.’

The Munster minor championship is the priority for Barrett who, as captain of the Cork All-Ireland winning team, was honoured with the second Celtic Ross West Cork Youth Sports Star quarterly award last week. It was further recognition of the Carbery camogie star leading a county team to All-Ireland glory.

She was one of three local players involved with the minors, along with the Newcestown duo of Ciara O’Sullivan and Ashling O’Donovan. 

Not long after the final success against Galway, the Bandon Grammar School student, heading into her Leaving Cert year, got a call from Cork senior manager Paudie Murray to ask if she’d be interested in joining the intermediate set-up.

The answer was an immediate yes.

‘Three of us (minors) joined the intermediates and two went to the seniors,’ she explained.

‘It’s a good opportunity.

‘I came on at half time in the intermediate championship win against Carlow, I was delighted because I didn’t expect it. I’m just putting my head down at training and working hard.

‘The training will stand to me and improve me, and it would be great to get more minutes on the pitch. Everyone has been so nice and welcoming.’

As well as the county scene keeping her busy, club championship with Bal is fast approaching too, Cobh the first obstacle.

‘We have a good team, we’ve Caroline Sugrue and Clara Crowley, and Martina O’Brien from Cork football is our goalkeeper too. Hopefully we can get out of junior B this season.’

• Four Celtic Ross West Cork Youth Sports Star awards are presented each year, one for each quarter, with the overall winner picked from the quartet and honoured at the awards night, to be held in January 2019.