When Waterford qualified for the 1945 All-Ireland final, camogie looked like it was on the crest of wave in the Déise County.
The year before they were defeated by Clare by a single point in Munster, but they had been limited to a western selection from within the county and were much stronger the following season.
Good work from the county board saw the eastern part of the county revived for the '45 campaign – they provided eight players in all to the squad – and crucially Antrim had to come to Cappoquin. The first All-Ireland final to be held in Waterford was actually featuring Waterford too.
It all looked set up for a glorious day for the Munster side, but a more experienced Antrim took control in the second half, winning 5-02 to 3-02 after the sides had been level at the break.
As the teams enjoyed a post-match céilí that night, the Waterford players surely would have been thinking of going one step further the following season.
They didn't, nor the year after and, indeed, it took until 2023 – some 78 years later – before they even booked a ticket back to the final where they will meet Cork at Croke Park this afternoon.
It’s been an agonising wait but not overly surprising when you consider the evidence, evidence that adds extra weight to their achievements this campaign.
Since minor finals were introduced in 2006, Waterford had never reached a decider until this year, losing to Cork, with successes confined to B title in 2014 for a side containing the likes of current senior stars Lorraine Bray and the dynamite Beth Carton who scored 3-01 in that final win over Derry.
Tears of joy flow for Waterford. What a day for camogie in the Déise County. pic.twitter.com/WP0EUufyZS
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 22, 2023
A Waterford club has never even competed in the All-Ireland Senior final, although Lismore and Gailltír have achieved intermediate success in the last decade giving the likes of Clodagh Carroll and Annie Fitzgerald valuable experience of the big occasion.
In short, the pedigree hasn’t been there to be a very top team and that has manifested itself into championship performances.
The results over the five previous seasons are testament to that. In 2018, Tipperary swatted them aside in the quarter-final and Galway did likewise the following season. In 2020 they looked like they could rattle Tipp as they trailed by just two points at the break having played against the wind, but they ended up losing by five points. The Premier County had six points on them the following season at the same stage.
Last year though, they took a significant step forward as they defeated Limerick to reach the semi-final for the first time in 63 years.
There, they came up against the Rebels and looked on course for a famous day. Carton gave Katie O’Mahony a torrid time leading to her early substitution and Waterford built on that to lead by six points early in the second half. The rest of the game belonged to Cork though with Ashling Thompson, who had a red card rescinded in the lead up the game, causing turnover after turnover and the likes of Sorcha McCartan and Amy O’Connor throwing the darts that led to an eventual five-point win.
Derek Lyons stood down in the aftermath but new boss Seán Power was crucially able to maintain the upward momentum that had engulfed the panel.
They breezed through the 2023 group stage with the minimum of fuss, Carton helping herself to an incredible 3-31 (3-12 from play) while Mairead O’Brien (3-03) and Niamh Rockett (2-06) also chipped in heavily as Offaly, Limerick and Antrim were unable to lay a glove on them.
That secured passage straight to the semi-final and a meeting with old Munster rivals Tipperary with a huge Waterford crowd making their way to Kilkenny.
They would have been anxious for a lot of it though with the game having a very obvious looking plot-line of Tipperary just being that wee bit better in the opening 20 minutes. That was reflected on the scoreboard too as Waterford trailed by seven points and it very easily could have been more.
Mairéad Power, who did a superb marking job on Karen Kennedy, goaled to kick-start a revival though and with their supporters shouting themselves hoarse, Carton, Vikki Faulkner and Bray stood up to the plate to help deliver a 1-12 to 1-11 triumph.
When the manic celebrations subsided, the team sat back and watched the second leg of the double-header as Cork deservedly defeated Galway to ensure an all-Munster final.
While Waterford may be lacking pedigree in some departments, Cork can call on it in spades.
They sit atop the roll of honour with 28 titles. Waterford are preparing for their second final, Cork their 51st. Twelve of their players have already secured winners’ medals.
They haven’t lifted the O’Duffy Cup since 2018, somewhat of a famine for a county that would surely have more titles to their name if it wasn’t for their decision to withdraw for eight years in the 1940s and ‘50s in a row over administration.
No management team can plot how a season will pan out, but inside the Rebel dressing room the mention of one team would have taken on added significance, Galway.
The Connacht outfit have had Cork’s number and continued to do so in the early part of the season with three wins in various competitions extending their winning run to eight in games between the counties.
In the semi-final, that frustration manifested itself into the perfect blend of emotion and class.
Where will the O'Duffy Cup be heading? @CorkCamogie and @deisecamogie are set for the final battle - watch it live on on @RTE2 and @RTEplayer, listen for live updates on @sundaysport on @RTERadio1, live updates on @RTEsport #rtesport #sundaygame pic.twitter.com/5x7NoenNY1
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) August 6, 2023
In the first quarter, the Rebels crunched firmly but fairly into tackles, forcing turnovers and letting their opponents know all about it.
They had set the terms and Matthew Twomey’s side executed them too with no little amount of skill, albeit finding it hard to kill off a Galway side that kept finding a way to hang in there.
Team captain Amy O’Connor, who very well could have been with the Republic of Ireland squad at the World Cup had she opted for another path, made use of dead-ball situations with five frees, a ‘45 and a point from play. Saoirse McCarthy was a livewire throughout and Sorcha McCartan, daughter of Greg, the lovable rogue of the Down ‘91 and ‘94 All-Ireland winning teams, didn’t get on the scoresheet but was involved in brilliant link play.
'We hadn't beaten them since 2017 and that was a monkey we wanted to get off our backs'
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 22, 2023
Player of the match Saoirse McCarthy explains what that win meant to Cork pic.twitter.com/etJtsvcuSx
It is the quality of the bench that should cause Waterford some sleepless nights though. Twomey introduced Laura Hayes, Cliona Healy, Orla Cronin, Thompson and Orlaith Cahalane during the contest – a quintet laden with experience and excellence and that very may well be the difference between the teams.
Waterford have faced Cork 13 times in the championship since moving to senior in 2015 and have won just once, but that was this season. "It will be like going to war," said Déise captain Keeley Corbett-Barry earlier this week. They’ll need to make it a battleground to have any chance of repeating that win from the Munster championship.
Waterford may not have the pedigree of their opponents, but they are undoubtedly a county on the rise. However, like back in 1945 though against Antrim, experience should win out and the Rebels look good to end their wait for the All-Ireland title.
Just don’t expect Waterford to take another 78 years for the chance to atone.
Watch the All-Ireland Camogie Championship finals on Sunday from 12.40pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, including the senior final of Cork v Waterford (5pm), follow a live blog on RTE.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app or listen to live updates on RTÉ Radio 1
