Kelly embraces ‘different challenge' as defending champions

Colm Kelly admits that 2025 is different. Very different.

After Oran memorably ended their 22-year wait for championship glory 12 months ago, they now aim to stitch successive titles together against familiar foes St. Dominic’s.

Trying to navigate a path back to this Saturday's county final in Ballyforan has been challenging. Every side’s aim at the start of the championship has been to take the defending champions off their perch.

“There wasn’t much pressure on us. We were underdogs last year and, to be honest, I feel that we are still the underdogs this year. It is a good Dominic’s team. But there is a bit of pressure off too because we ended the famine in 2024.

“It takes an extra bit of work to get to a final two years in a row, especially after winning it last year. It takes an awful lot of concentration, and the workrate has to be higher. It is completely different,” Kelly stated.

The Oran manager feels that his side’s one-point semi-final win over Four Roads provided the perfect test ahead of this Saturday’s rematch with St. Dominic’s in Ballyforan.

“Four Roads improved a huge amount from last year. We played out a drawn game with them earlier in the championship up in Four Roads as well. Joe Mannion has done a huge amount of work with them.

“To come from four points down in the conditions and to win it by a point, it was massive for the girls. It was like winning the county final again because it was a serious Four Roads team,” he noted.

The success of any adult club team is largely due to the work by volunteers who give up their weekends, and often their evenings during the week, coaching players from when they are learning to hold a hurl.

That work behind the scenes is helping Oran thrive, according to the manager.

“It starts from the very, very bottom. The management teams from U-6s up put in a huge amount of time. Camogie is a hugely skilful game. Unless you start at a young age, it is tough to get to where they are today.

“It takes an awful lot of work. You wouldn’t do it unless you really loved it, and I can see that the people involved in Oran really do love their camogie,” he concluded.