Aisling Shannon will be a key player for Barrs in All-Ireland camogie final

The St Finbarr’s run to the AIB All-Ireland senior camogie final has been built on top-class team performances and well as some outstanding individual displays along the way.

One of their most consistent players has been midfielder Aisling Shannon. She is the type of player that doesn’t often get the accolades she deserves but talk to her teammates and they will tell you the vital role she plays game after game.

Aisling has been playing with the Barrs since she was a child and the primary school teacher has seen it all with the club in that time. Like many others in the curren team, she won her first senior medal in 2024 and now this season has added a second as well as their first Munster title.

Next Sunday, at Croke Park, against Athenry she will be hoping to add an All-Ireland won, with the game throwing-in at 4.15pm.

“It's a massive achievement for us as a club, we've never got there before,” said Aisling, “a lot of us have been playing since we were four or five, and I've been involved with seniors since I was 15. I’ve seen the good and bad days, a lot of bad days to be honest, so it's great to be on the good side of it now.”

Winning last year’s championship was massive for the club and it was the catalyst for the run this year to Croker.

“We were always there and thereabouts, and we knew we had girls coming in to strengthen the squad. The younger girls coming in have been pure gold, the likes of Nicole Holden and Liz O’Donovan, and others have been a huge asset to us this year.

“Then you've got others like Sorcha (McCartan) and Kate (Wall), coming as well, which is great.

“We've always been building on the panel that we have. And I suppose last year was just the icing on the cake. 

To finally get it after 18 years was unbelievable.”

Defending your title is never easy but Aisling said that win gave them massive confidence coming into this year’s campaign.

“We knew that everyone wanted to beat us this year, we were the ones to beat. So I felt every game we went out knowing every team wants to beat us now.

REFOCUSED

“So getting past Cork was kind of a huge thing because I feel like Cork is probably one of the hardest counties to really get out as it's so competitive to get into Munster.

“In Munster, we knew what was against us from last year. I feel like we weren't as prepared last year. I feel like we were just on the high from the county, but going in this year, we really knuckled down and gave it everything.

“We met, as we always do, at the start of the season at the Rochestown Park Hotel, and Brian [O’Sullivan, their manager] that we should be aiming to reach the All-Ireland final. He wanted us to be ambitious but at the same time not take anything for granted.

“We were thinking could this actually happen? And look at it is actually happening so we're absolutely elated that we're actually there.

“But we know that Athenry are going to be another step up from the games we have played already and to have any chance of winning we will have to be at our best and hopefully we can finish the season on a high.”