It is exciting times for Loughgiel Shamrocks and Amy Boyle helped them to another Ulster camogie title when they defeated Swatragh last weekend.
In the past, an Ulster title was a hurdle too many for the club. However, since 2022, they have turned around their fortunes and have now won three ina row.
For Boyle, having been part of the team that had come up short in Ulster before, it makes her appreciate these victories and not take them for granted.
“I suppose for so many years we struggled to get over that Ulster mark. It just shows how quick the time goes; we went from getting beaten six years in a row to now being three times Ulster champions. It really is a great achievement.
“It is hard coming back, getting beat so many years in a row. In that time, we've been so successful in Antrim, it was just about getting over that extra line, getting over Ulster, that was the thing, that was the driving force.
"You remember all those days ending in heartbreak, it makes these last couple of years even better.”
For Boyle, success with her club has helped overcome a difficult season with Antrim.
After avoiding relegation from Division 1B. the championship proved more difficult, with relegation from Senior camogie. Despite some positive performances, they could not be turned into results, something which Boyle found frustrating.
"You have people saying you weren't far away in this match, and you weren't far away in that match, but we still didn't win them. You set out to win every match.
"It can be frustrating. We struggled with numbers on our panel, so hopefully this year we will be able to increase that. By the end of the season, we a lot of girls out, and a lot of our experienced girls out with injuries.
"Hopefully going forward next year, we will be able to get some of those girls back in the panel, and bring on some of the younger ones as well."
The Loughgiel Shamrocks woman will be hoping for a strong end to the year, as they face defending All-Ireland club champions Sarsfields, in a repeat of the 2022 decider.
A club where community is central to everything they do, they have gone from strength to strength in camogie.
“Even myself coming up underage, we always just had great mentors in every age group.
“Ronan McCloskey, who is part of the management set-up now, he took a lot of the girls, who are still playing senior now, he took us at U16. He really helped the mindset of that team, maybe we had been used to getting beat quite frequently, he brought a lot of the senior trainings down to us at U16.
“When we made that step up to senior then, we were a lot more ready for it. That is the same thing now. Some of the camogieers, who have retired in the last couple of years are now going back in taking underage teams.
“You've Ella McMullan and Charlene Campbell there, it is great they are going back down and hopefully keeping players coming through every year.”
While an All-Ireland with the local club is a dream for any player, Loughgiel Shamrocks winning the All-Ireland camogie title would be an incredible achievement, and one which would show the level of Ulster camogie according to Boyle.
"I suppose it doesn't have the same platform. Our Ulster final was on Saturday as well, it was streamed so at least people could watch it.
"There is serious talent in Ulster camogie. Maybe some people don't realise, but some of the girls on our team are as good as anyone you would be coming up against.
