Donie Daly hoping to maintain his All-Ireland title winning run, this time with the intermediate team

Sunday is a huge day for Cork Camogie with two teams bidding for the All-Ireland double at senior and intermediate grade.

It’s a tribute to the hard work going on at all levels that Cork now find themselves in such a good place, with our two adults teams taking to the stage on the biggest day in the association's calendar.

Back in January when the Cork County Board announced the appointment of Donie Daly as intermediate team manger taking over from Trevor Coleman, who stepped down after two years in the role, a place in the closing stages of the All-Ireland championship eluded Coleman.

Daly is no stranger to inter-county camogie and he brought a strong camogie background with him to the new role.

He was in charge of the Cork junior team in 2016, a team that went on to take the Munster title. 

In 2019, he was at the helm as the Cork U16 side enjoyed a hugely successful season, winning the All-Ireland title for the first time in 15 years.

Covid prevented the 2020 championship taking place, but in 2021, he was again at the helm as the title was retained. 

2021 was the fourth season for Daly to be involved with the Cork U16s as they made it back-to-back titles, and the three in a row was achieved in 2022 as Cork overcame Tipperary.

He has also been involved at U17 development level with the county.

Progression was always on the cards and the challenge facing him wasn’t easy given that Cork, having lost out in the final of 2022, had failed to make it to the final in 2023, but he set out his stall early and got working on it.

"We came in last to the job just two weeks before the national league started and we decided that we were going to use the league almost as a trial, and every week we went out we had a different 15 starting and we went through the league and luckily we won it.

"It was a great boost and a springboard for the championship as we knew what we had and we knew the capabilities of all the players as we progressed along. 

"We gave every player a chance all through the league and indeed, the Munster campaign.” 

Championship then beckoned for his charges and again they took it one game at a time.

“Championship games were week after week, but again we took it one game at a time and the victories over Westmeath and Offaly in the group stages were results we really had to dig out.” 

Donie hasn’t been slow to move players around but he has huge faith in all his player’s abilities.

“We moved players around played them in different positions and week on week they went out and really had to dig deep to get the result.” 

The victory over a strong Westmeath side who had won the 2A league was the springboard for a campaign that saw Cork top the group and book a semi-final spot.

“Westmeath were hotly fancied to possibly go on and make it to the final.

"We went up to Mullingar and battled for a one point win, and it was a huge result for us as we went on to top the group and made it to the semi-final.” 

Again in the semi-final Cork found themselves under huge pressure, but again the strength and determination of the side shone through.

“Offaly had us under huge pressure as they pressed for a late goal, but huge credit to our players, they were not going to be denied, again our bench played a huge part and at this stage we have plenty of strength in depth and no longer can you get over the line with just 15 players and all season our subs coming on have been tremendous.” 

Kilkenny will pose another big challenge but Daly has confidence in his charges.

“We saw Kilkenny in the semi-final they played before us and it went to extra time and they really carved out an excellent victory to reach the final.

"No doubt just like us they are not going up to make up numbers.

"They will be tough, but we will give it one hell of a shot to get the day off to a great start for Cork.” 

 Hugely involved in camogie at a lot of levels both at club and county, his late mother Mary Jo (nee Ryan) was a prominent player winning two senior All-Ireland medals with Cork.

“I was lucky that both sides of my family were steeped in GAA.

"My father and mother played senior with Cork. My mother was part of the last four in a row All-Ireland winning team.

"My uncles, Billy and John Ryan played with Imokilly and Cork.

"John also played senior with Waterford. 

"On my father’s side Denis, John and Seamus were renowned hurlers with Cloyne, Imokilly and Cork. 

"Bearing in mind that I was born during Cork's four in a row which my mother was part of, so you could say I was involved even before I was born." 

Donie revealed a little story to us.

“I was technically on the field of play during the 1970 All-Ireland camogie final when my mother won her first All-Ireland medal.

"I was born in May, 1971, so my mother would just have been pregnant with me.”