Ulster Intermediate Camogie Club Championship final
Crossmaglen v Eglish, Pearce OG Park, 1.00pm, Saturday
BY RICHARD BULLICK
THIS autumn’s club championships in gaelic games have thrown up some heart-warming stories, not least the Grimley family’s incredible connection to the historic men’s football county title wins by Madden and Loughmacrory in Armagh and Tyrone respectively.
For once, Crossmaglen’s men didn’t feature in the Orchard decider but there has still been a big buzz around the club thanks to their ladies football and camogie teams reaching county finals after absences of 18 and 21 years respectively.
The ladies footballers were beaten by Ulster title holders Clann Eireann in their final but, 20 days later, Cross camogs were crowned Orchard champions for the first time since 2003 by overcoming a Granemore team aiming to complete four in a row.
Among 11 players to start the two domestic showpieces for Crossmaglen was Aveen Donaldson Bellew, who played the full 60 minutes in both finals despite being the team’s elder stateswoman in either code.
One of only three players still around from the club’s last ladies football final appearance in 2007, the camogie showpiece was a career first for the 36-year-old after almost two decades in the team, with winning being the icing on the cake.
An Ulster All Star recipient after helping Armagh reclaim the provincial crown after a six-year wait in 2020, Aveen is now a reluctant fly-keeper in the Ethan Rafferty mould for the ladies footballers and a steadying influence in defence for the camogs.
The finals were real family affairs for former county footballer Aveen, a teacher in St Patrick’s PS in Crossmaglen, with sister Orla Donaldson togged out too, husband Dermot serving as team physio and her two young sons Danny and Odhran watching on!
“We filled out player profiles ahead of the final and I went with having my boys now watch me play as my sporting highlight, despite being fortunate to have had some memorable days in my career including in the Armagh jersey. Having them there with me is special.
“Danny is familiar with all the girls, and both boys have been at training sessions and gym sessions with me. The girls are great, and anyone injured normally helps out with minding them! My husband sometimes has work so the only option is to take them with me.
“Dermot came in to help out as physio for championship and it’s great to have him there although it can be tough then getting Odhran minded but both families have helped us out there with taking him to the games for us.
“Our oldest, Danny, comes on the bus with me which he loves and enjoys sitting beside the girls and he always talks about it afterwards. He has a great memory so I hope he remembers this year for a while!
“Dermot then sorts Odhran with family members either at the pitch or on route to the venue as he’s a bit young to come on the bus,” explains Aveen, who missed the latter stages of Crossmaglen’s run to the All Ireland Junior B final two years ago while expecting her second.
“I was just over 13 weeks pregnant with Odhran for our Ulster final in 2023, but I didn’t tell anyone until after that game. I’d actually found out the week of our Armagh Intermediate final against Derrynoose, which went to a replay.
“I just had to play as these opportunities don’t come around too often. I was lucky enough to be playing a sweeper role so I knew I could look after myself a bit and also Dermot was on the line so I knew I’d be ok.
“There were a few moments in those games where I pulled out of tackles that I wouldn’t usually do, but thankfully it all worked out,” says Bellew, whose Crossmaglen team will now meet Tyrone counterparts Eglish in Saturday’s Ulster Intermediate final.
“It was tough going back this year while working and having the boys, but winning the camogie made it all worthwhile. As the oldest player in both teams, and there so long, it has meant a lot to me to reach the two county finals this season after such a big gap for the club.
“We’ve won Intermediate titles in both codes – football in 2017 and camogie 2018 and 2023 – but haven’t really done ourselves justice in Senior. However, with all the hard work over the last few years and so much young talent coming through, we felt we had it in us.
“With Armagh clubs being regraded in Ulster, we will be playing two levels higher in the provincial competition than when we won Intermediate, but we’ll give it a real rattle. The team has come on so much in the past two years and we’re playing top-class camogie.”
This autumn has been a special period for Crossmaglen sportswomen with the club reaching the ladies football county final for the first time since 2007 and winning on their return to Orchard camogie’s domestic showpiece after that 21-year gap since their last appearance.
It’s been exciting for all involved no doubt, but it’s probably fair to say that nobody appreciates these times more than long-serving stalwart Bellew, who has worn the famous amber and black faithfully for around two decades in both codes.
Now a mother of two, she’d played in the football final as a schoolgirl but being involved in last month’s camogie showpiece was a first and thankfully Crossmaglen got over the line against strong opponents tipped to make it four county titles on the trot.
Although the oldest of the 46 players listed in either Crossmaglen squad, Bellew was on the field for the full hour in both finals despite the fierce competition for places which saw her sister Orla Donaldson, a previous regular, miss out on game-time in either match after injury.
As Aveen Donaldson, she had won an Ulster All Star in midfield five years ago on the back of Armagh reclaiming ladies football’s provincial crown for the first time since 2014, but Bellew found herself in the role of roving goalkeeper for September’s Orchard decider!
Given her great experience, proven pedigree and physical presence, instinctively you felt having her in nets was something of a waste when seeing the Crossmaglen line-up listed ahead of the Clann Eireann clash.
But Bellew looks like a capable shot-stopper whose outstanding kickouts are a real asset for Crossmaglen and her confident forays from the back, reminiscent of All Star nominee Ethan Rafferty, make Aveen a real rarity yet in ladies football.
With their squad depth and age profile, Crossmaglen appear well-placed to be the main challengers to Clann Eireann’s domestic dominance over the next few seasons and, however reluctant, Bellew as sweeper-keeper could be an important part of their jigsaw.
“Lasting 60 minutes in both games was a shock as the girls on the bench are really pushing hard. There isn’t much between us all in certain areas of the field and a lot of the girls are versatile and can play nearly anywhere,” reflects Aveen modestly.
“I was gutted Orla missed out in the finals, which just shows what depth we have now. Myself and her would be fighting for roughly the same position in camogie and have played together in the same line in games throughout the year, which was nice.
“Regarding doing goals for football, it was a position I did as a favour initially but then ended up there all year bar the games I missed with a calf injury. Riona McConville and Mairead Watters were excellent there and Aislinn McMahon filled in too, but nobody wanted to do it!
“It’s not a position I can say I like or enjoy, but it was for the benefit of the team that I did it. I knew my kickouts were a big asset to the team and my ability to come out and join the attack was great, but you always have the goals being your job at the back of your mind.
“So I didn’t venture too far in the championship games even though I wanted to, but feared I may not be fit to get back quickly enough and didn’t want to be lobbed! Caoimhe (Dooley) and (sisters) Aislinn and Eimear McMahon always had me covered though when I did go.
”She was a steadying influence in defence for the camogie alongside skipper Riona McConville, who talked in a recent interview for Local Women Sport about how much she still looks up to Bellew despite being in her third season as club captain now.
“I think Riona and I just work well together in the backline. We get each other, we have good trust and always cover each other if needs be. We’re similar type of players and just get on with it. Well used to each other at this stage, as I’ve previously played in front of her.
“Riona is a great captain, quite quiet but when she speaks everyone listens. I’m vocal, which maybe comes with age and experience, or else it’s the schoolteacher in me, but I’m constantly talking at training and in matches.
“Faye Fitzpatrick likewise was a great captain this year for football and took to the role well. It made her more vocal and she led on the pitch also. (Camogie vice-captain) Aislinn McMahon is just amazing and covers everyone on the field.
“Aislinn played a different role in football this year due to Faye being injured earlier, but has been outstanding all year, and this last few years, for the work she does and the ground she covers.
“All three girls are a core part of the camogie team and the spine of the side. It’s brilliant to see how much they have matured and stepped up into the experienced members of the team,” enthuses Crossmaglen’s mother hen Aveen with a mix of affection and pride.
Aveen sadly lost her mum as a teenager but, having followed Mrs Donaldson’s footsteps teaching in the same school, St Patrick’s PS in the town, she’s a respected pillar of the local community and the elder stateswoman of both her Crossmaglen sides.
In the aftermath of the camogie county title triumph, the St Patrick’s pupils turned out for a great celebration – Player of the Match in the final Faye Fitzpatrick teaches in the Irish-medium wing, while another panellist Clodagh Conway is a classroom assistant.
“The school celebrations were lovely. The vice-principal and other staff members did a great job sorting the video, music and short assembly with the KS2 end of the school. We’ve a few clubs represented in school, so it was nice to see everyone out showing support.
“The homecomings after both finals is something I have been really proud of, especially seeing the crowds come out to celebrate our camogie win was amazing – you’d young and old there, family members, and some of the men idols of the club too,” enthuses Aveen.
“A lot of the 2003 team (Crossmaglen’s last camogie county title-winners) were there and saying how proud they were of us. I played alongside some of them in my early days and their latter days; now some of them have daughters coming through and playing.
“The Leneghan girls’ (Claragh, Caitlin and Rionagh) mammy was a main figure for that Armagh Senior Championship team of 22 years ago – who went on to win the Ulster and All Ireland Junior titles – and their aunties played too.
“It was lovely seeing the young girls getting jerseys signed by our players. Usually, it’s the men back at the club signing jerseys. Hopefully the squad remember that and are proud to be the idols of those younger girls for whom role models are so important,” she reflects.
“I think the camogie came at a good time for us. The football final loss was a hard one to take as I feel we aren’t an 8-point lesser team to Clann Eireann but different things didn’t go our way on the day.
“The early goal let in from me didn’t help and left us chasing the game. We just missed a bit of scoring power up front, whereas in the camogie we have scorers all over the field and were confident from having drawn with Granemore in the league.
“We had a stronger team out for the final than that day so we had the belief despite their great recent record. It was a good performance from us, but it was a really tight game and we were aware that a slippy goal would change everything.
“I was constantly on egg-shells until right at the end when I knew we had it. The referee Lisa Bannon said there was 20 seconds left on the clock when I was taking that free at the back. I knew it had to go to a Cross player for we really couldn’t afford to give up possession.
“When I looked up the line all I saw was (Granemore) green. I wouldn’t normally go across the field but I saw Faye in a bit of space and tried to pick her out. She’d a bit to do but, thankfully, won the ball and we eventually got another free from it well upfield.
“Myself and Riona were actually celebrating as Faye took that free, which ended up going wide. We didn’t realise the referee would allow another puck-out but the final whistle went – eventually! – and the celebrations began.
“It was a very different feeling to three weeks earlier when we lost the football, albeit that match didn’t come down to the wire. I do think, if we were to play Clann Eireann again now, we would give a better account of ourselves but unfortunately you only get one chance.”
This writer used to label the then Aveen Donaldson as Armagh ladies football’s lucky charm considering that, after quite a few years around the county set-up on and off, her first two starts in the orange jersey came in the Orchard’s first ever victories over Dublin and Cork!
She went on to a have a more sustained impact for the county, notably in their run to the 2020 All Ireland Senior Championship semi-finals, while All Star Lauren McConville is an all-time Armagh great who brings great general experience to this Crossmaglen camogie team.
Having seasoned campaigners like Lauren and Aveen around will be beneficial for Cross camogs going into this Ulster Intermediate decider, and the team can draw upon their run to the 2023 All Ireland Junior B final, which Aveen had to sit out as she was pregnant then.
“There are plenty of girls with big game experience. Megan (O’Callaghan) and Alanna (McEntee) played for Armagh in the All Ireland Junior final in Croke Park and a few have won an All Ireland B title with the county Minors earlier this year.
“Lauren always knows the right thing to say and everyone looks up to her as she has incredible experience, even if it may not be in camogie. I definitely think we can give Eglish a rattle,” declares Bellew, who is relishing every experience in the autumn of her career.
Orchard county champions Crossmaglen and their Tyrone counterparts will clash at Pearse Og Park (1pm), an ideal halfway house venue which is on Armagh soil but actually closer to Eglish geographically. It should be another intriguing tussle for Bellew and her team.
Sisters Aveen (left) and Orla Donaldson with the Ulster Junior B trophy won by Crossmaglen camogs two years ago
Crossmaglen camogs (from left) Aveen Bellew, Faye Fitzpatrick and Clodagh Conway work in the local St Patrick’s PS
