‘We have nothing to lose’ — Watson 

Ahead of any All-Ireland final, players and management will often try and reduce the pressure on their shoulders.

That is an understandable tactic and in a sense those at the coalface on All-Ireland final day need to maintain a level of calm, even with the heightened tension and increased eyeballs fixated on their every move.

Yet when St. Dominic’s captain Niamh Watson speaks before a huge day in the club’s history next Saturday, what she says matches her laid-back demeanour. After overcoming the semi-final hurdle that had tripped them up in 2019 and 2022, she insists her side can attack this AIB All-Ireland Junior club final against Brídíní Oga from Antrim with abandon.

“It is unprecedented territory. I think we always knew we had it in us if we got out of Roscommon, and if we pushed on we definitely have the younger players there who are capable.

“We have the experience of winning (the county final) twice before and we have been in that semi-final twice before, having come out the wrong side of it. It is good to get out on the right side of it this time and get into a final. We will see what we can do. We have nothing to lose,” she noted.

After not scoring from play in their Connacht intermediate final and only bagging 0-3 outside of placed balls against Oran in the county final, the Knockcroghery-based side knew they needed to increase their scoring output.

Yet, few would have predicted St. Dominic’s would score 2-15 against St. Peter’s Dunboyne last time out, with 2-10 of that tally coming from play. Watson believes that with only five senior clubs in the county, it is often easier for the forwards to express themselves against teams outside the county who would not be as familiar with their style of play.

“It was great because we feel like we are so curtailed in Roscommon camogie. All the teams know each other inside out. 

"There are only the five senior teams and you know exactly who you are going to be up against, what you are going to be up against every day, and it is such a dogfight.

“It is hard to express yourself, but we find when we play the games outside the county, that you can get stuck into it a bit more. It is a bit more open. It wasn’t like that against Killimor (in the Connacht final) but I suppose the conditions and the weather were tough. It is nice to get out and play against different teams. You don’t know what you are up against,” Watson stated.

After returning to the Roscommon intermediate ladies' football panel she has been on the go for 13 months since Finbar Egan called the squad together for the first time on November 1st, 2024.

Once the intercounty season ended, she needed to balance dual commitments on the club scene, which she admits is tricky at times. However, with the sole focus on camogie now, Watson feels that the team are fresher than ever.

“When you are in the thick of it, you just get on with it. But then when the pressure is taken off from football, it is amazing how much you can give to the one sport. I think everybody feels that.

“The extra day or two off in the week, it does wonders. You are able to give it more in a match on a Sunday when you haven’t played a match Friday, or when you know you haven’t a match in three days' time.

“When you are in it, you would know no different. You would never pick between the two sports because you don’t want to let anyone down. When you have only one to focus on, it is amazing the extra per cent you can give,” she admits.

Watson knows these days are rare. With St. Dominic’s aiming to ensure the Phil McBride Cup travels to Roscommon for just the second time, she believes the younger cohort’s experience of winning All-Ireland medals at schools and underage level can help against a Brídíní Óga side who are aiming to win this title for the second time in four years.

“All the younger girls would have (played in) schools' C and B finals, minor finals and then there are a lot of us older girls who wouldn’t have that. We definitely have catching up to do.

“They will be the experienced ones on the day and leading the way. It will be unreal,” Watson concluded.