Caitriona Graham hoping to bring glory days back to Antrim camogie
Michael Bolton
A week after the ladies footballers won the All-Ireland junior title, Antrim goalkeeper Caitriona Graham will hope to bring more success to the county this weekend.
Antrim take on Laois in the All-Ireland Intermediate camogie final in Croke Park, with the two teams having different journeys to the final.
For Antrim, since being relegated in 2024, the goal of winning the All-Ireland and getting back to senior camogie has been on their radar.
After a semi-final defeat last season, Antrim won their group stage games this year by big margins and were seven-point winners over Meath.
For Laois, the fairytale continues after winning the Premier Junior title last season.
Captain and goalkeeper Graham has been vital to their strong defence this season and is determined for Antrim to win their first All-Ireland since 2021.
"You have been training all year, and this is where you want to get to. To be playing at this time of the year, we must be doing something right," says Graham.
"There is a lot of talent in their group. You see the likes of Loughgeil; they have really been knocking on the door for the All-Ireland, playing at that level and then driving standards in our group.
"There is people coming from everywhere driving standards, so it is great having everyone around that.
"Laois have done unreal from where they came from last year. They have got a lot of momentum behind them, we will be looking to prepare as well as possible."
The season started with Antrim grabbing headlines as they caused one of the shocks of the season with a win away from Cork.
While they were relegated from Division 1A, they more than held their own against the country's best, and gave them the platform to win Ulster and make their way to an All-Ireland final.
"We had the result against Cork in Cork; that was massive for us at the time.
"We weren't going into any of those games with massive expectations. You are playing the likes of Waterford and Tipperary; they gave us good enough beatings.
"We were going into the final day against Kilkenny, where we could have stayed up. We were close enough to most teams.
"You are getting a lot of confidence from playing against those teams. You can match them for parts of the game, it is just about doing it for the full 60 minutes."
From an All-Ireland senior quarter-final in 2023 to relegation in 2024, Antrim are all too aware of how fortunes can quickly change.
Now on camogie's biggest day, they have a shot at an All-Ireland and a return to the senior championship, while Laois chase back-to-back All-Irelands.
For the Antrim goalkeeper, it is a reminder of how competitive the sport has become.
"We got relegated a few years ago, and a year before that we were in an All-Ireland quarter-final. It would be massive ti get back to that standard.
"That is where you want to be pushing yourself, against the best teams.
"You see that with Laois, they have transitioned so well to intermediate. You look at what Offaly have done here after winning intermediate; they have went up and made a mark in senior."