BETWEEN THEM, Wexford and Cork have won the last seven senior All-Ireland camogie titles, Wexford’s 2007 victory over Cork giving them their first since 1975. Last September they beat Galway in the final for the second year running, their sixth title in all.

But that’s history, and it doesn’t interest Wexford manager JJ Doyle too much. For now, at least.

“When I’m 94, when I’m sitting up here looking at Wexford winning the senior hurling,” he laughs as he looks out over Croke Park, “I’ll say ‘I remember the day when I was down there and we were winning camogie titles’. But not yet.”

For now, then, his only thoughts are for tomorrow’s final against Cork when his county will be going for a three-in-a-row.

“It would be a great achievement, but within the squad it’s irrelevant,” he says. “We honestly haven’t spoken about it at all. Obviously it’s a great line for the media, but it’s just about 60 minutes on Sunday, that’s all it’s about for us. When the girls are finished their playing careers they can look back at what they achieved, whether it was one, two, three, four or five, or whatever it is, but Sunday is just about winning the All-Ireland in 2012.”

Captain Karen Atkinson, a member of those 2010 and 2011 winning teams, agrees, she’ll leave it to a later day to reflect on past glories. Besides, the success, she says, has only made the players hungry for more.

“There is an awful lot of dedication there, a lot of commitment. There are girls who have put in numerous hours, not only for the county but their clubs. But when you get your rewards at the end of it, like we have done, it makes it all worth it.” Huge commitment? “You’ve no social life,” she confirms.

“Training is your social life! Meeting all your friends three or four times a week,” says her manager. “Yeah, I suppose,” she laughs.

But at a time when so many counties are losing players to emigration, or other commitments, Wexford have managed to keep the bulk of the team that won them the last two All-Ireland titles.

“We have 12, 13 of the starting team from 2010 and 2011 starting again on Sunday,” says Doyle, “but if we hadn’t been as successful the last couple of years maybe some girls would have drifted off. And a lot of them would remember going down to Cork for championship games and getting beaten by 20, 30 points – so, when you’re up there winning things and getting to days like this, you appreciate it.”

The counties have met twice this year, Cork beating Wexford in the National League final in May, but losing their first championship encounter a month later, but Doyle doesn’t put much store in either result.

“Yeah, it’s one each, this is the decider in every sense, but I don’t think those games will have any relevance at all. It’s two and a half months since we played them and both teams will have come on an awful lot since then. There’s nothing between the teams, I think.

“They thoroughly deserved to beat us in the league, maybe we didn’t quite perform to our standards, but it just shows with camogie being so competitive if you don’t perform 100 per cent you’re going to get beaten. We’re well aware of that. We believe if we perform on Sunday we’ll win – but I’m sure Cork believe that of themselves too.”

“And we know each other so well now,” adds Atkinson. “Last year we had a real battle with them in the semi-final (Wexford won 2-11 to 1-9), and we’ve had the two games this year. They have a lot of experienced players and youthful ones coming through, but we do too,” she said, pointing to the strengthening of the panel by the introduction of some of last year’s All-Ireland intermediate winning side, captained by her sister Colleen.

So, to tomorrow. It might be history, but Wexford denied Cork a three-in-a-row in 2007 and 2010. Cork will, then, attempt to return the favour.

Cork looking to get back to the top after lean run

“THE SIZE of it,” says Cork camogie captain Julia White, in awe as she sits in the upper deck of the Cusack Stand looking out over Croke Park.

Below, the clean-up operation after last Sunday’s hurling final is under way, the place will be pristine again in time for tomorrow’s camogie final between Cork and three-in-a-row seeking Wexford.

If she’s called from the bench, after being named as a substitute for the game, it will be the first time White will have played on the hallowed turf. “I’ve been on the panel twice, in 2008 and 2009, but I didn’t get my game,” she says.

And glandular fever, which interrupted most of the 21-year-old’s championship season, might have robbed her of the chance of making her Croke Park debut, but she has, she says, got her strength back.

“I’m not used to this,” she laughs as she surveys the scene, “compared to the pitches I’d usually be playing on during the year . . . it’s just huge.”

It’s been a long year too, when she wasn’t recovering from her illness the Douglas player, named Cork captain after her club won the county championship, was commuting between the University of Limerick, where she’s a PE student, and home for training and matches.

“You’d leave around five to be down for seven, you’d be home about 12 – it was hard, but it was worth it. I haven’t seen my friends outside of camogie in a long while,” she says.

“But everyone enjoys it, there’ll be a long winter, and by the time it’s over you’re rearing to go again. That’s just the way some people are. It’s not for everyone, but these players are more than happy to give the commitment. Other years there might have been some complaining, ‘will it ever just be over?’, but definitely this year, we don’t want it to be over at all.”

Having appeared in every final between 2002 and 2009, winning five of them, it’s being a drought by Cork standards the past two years, Wexford beating Galway on both occasions.

“Wexford are phenomenal,” says Cork manager Paudie Murray, who took charge of the senior team at the end of last year.

“If you just go through the team, you’ve the Leacys (Mary and Una), you’ve the Codds (Deirdre and Louise), you have (Ursula) Jacob, (Katrina) Parrock, Kate Kelly in midfield, they have stars all over the place.”

Still, Cork ended Wexford’s four-in-a-row National League hopes back in May when they beat them 1-8 to 0-9, but Murray insists the more significant result was Wexford’s championship victory a month later.

“They were probably six or seven weeks off hitting form in the league final,” he says. “The Enniscorthy game was a better reflection of where we were at. They beat us by five points and we played second fiddle for a long part of that game.”

“But the league was a boost for us simply because there was new management in place, we were trying to do certain things, so by winning that day maybe the players started to believe we were on the right track.”

“We’ve come a long way since the league,” says White, “but Wexford have too. We’ll use it for confidence, but it won’t be in the back of their minds, it won’t worry them.”

Murray, whose sister Aoife is the Cork goalkeeper, is looking for “big games” from the team’s experienced core, among them Gemma O’Connor, Briege Corkery and Rena Buckley, who have a hatful of All-Ireland medals between them.

“The final won’t phase them, but the younger players are starting to hit form, the Mackeys (Pamela and Katriona) are coming in to their own, Katie Buckley, Claire Shine, we have a nice blend there really.”

Hopeful?

“Ah yeah, but we’re relaxed enough about it,” he says, “I suppose we’re not expected to win. But we’ll do our best.” Wexford might suspect they will too.

Past is gone, Wexford just focused on present glories

Cork looking to get back to the top after lean run