Aoife Prendergast says Camogie needs to showcase the support for bigger crowds
Michael Bolton
As Dicksoboro were crowned Kilkenny champions once again, crucial to their success was Aoife Prendergast.
The Kilkenny camogie player helped her side defeat Piltown 1-14 to 0-12, avenging their league final defeat earlier this season.
Having been in this position before, focus has quickly turned to the Leinster championship, as Prendergast says the squad is more mature.
"I think the first year we on the county championship, we didn't care about much after that, I think it is different now.
"When you get a taste of it, you want to keep success coming back to the club. We know that now, as players, we have probably matured that way.
"We do know that we have the next challenge now and we want to go into it the best condition we have."
A day that will stand out for Prendergast and the entire club was the 2023 All-Ireland win.
Having previously captained to All-Ireland glory, going up the steps in Croke Park with those closest to her in the community was all that was missing.
"I think only after it really sunk in how big of an achievement it was. We had the whole club behind us.
"Just playing on the biggest stage with your club, it is something very special. Something that we will always remember.
"It is a great honour to play with your county. I got the honour of captaining Kilkenny to success, but it is something extra special when you are playing with your club.
"It is where you begin your career, it is where you are going to finish your career. You are playing with girls you grew up with since primary school."
For Kilkenny, the season ended in the quarter-finals with a defeat to Tipperary, the second time the Cats went out in the last eight.
A season where camogie grabbed all the headlines over the skort controversy, the coverage did not continue through the season, with disappointing crowds for the All-Ireland finals.
The Kilkenny player says the sport needs to be showcased more to increase crowds in the future.
"The showcase of the sport has grown in previous year, but I don't think we are quite there yet.
"We still need to fill stadiums more than we are. Our county final was in Nowlan Park, although we had a huge crowd there, we could have heard more noise
"Even people that are from the clubs that always go to men's matches. It just needs to be showcased more to add to the noise.
"It was great to get the crowds behind us at that time (skorts). We had so many people messaging us and getting behind us.
"We don't just want that negative media coming across, we want to showcase the skills that we have on offer and the point of the game rather than the controversy behind us."
