Connaughton hails 'hard working' league champions

The Westmeath senior camogie team wants to add an All-Ireland title to the league crown they secured in Croke Park on Sunday, according to their manager.

Padraic Connaughton’s charges’ victory over Derry in the Division 2 final earned them a place in Division 1 for the first time, much to the delight of the fans who made the journey to Dublin to cheer them on.

Three goals in a whirlwind first quarter gave Westmeath an advantage that proved decisive.

Speaking after the match, Westmeath manager Connaughton was full of praise for his team.

“The girls have put in massive work and, for that reason, I was confident coming up today. We fell asleep a little in the middle third of the game, but then we regained our composure.

"Megan (Dowdall) was on fire, and what I love about her is her humility and her willingness to work. She is a very talented camogie player. If the ball goes into space, whether it’s to Megan or Hannah (Core) or Sheila (McGrath) or Amelia (Shaw), they will do damage.”

Connaughton also paid tribute to his defenders and midfielders for their work further out the field.

“Julie (McLoughlin) is a leader on and off the pitch. Around midfield, Aoife (O’Malley) is highly intelligent with the ball, and she is great at throwing herself into a ruck and drawing a foul. You can’t underestimate how hard we have worked in Bunbrosna.”

Looking ahead to the All-Ireland intermediate championship, which starts in June, Connaughton realises that his team will have to be at their best if they are to emerge from a group that also includes Cork, Galway, Clare, Wexford and Offaly.

However, after winning the league, he has his eyes on the big prize.

“The target is to win it. My target is to win every game we play in.”