"They're a great team. They really put us to the pin of our collar. Every time we gave away the ball, they punished us. Even when we got the three points early on, they just went down and got a score back each time. They're a little bit ahead of us, so if it's where you want to go, you have to get up to that level and stay up there then. Ballymac this year have pushed on to that level, now they just need to build it on it a bit for next year again." - Ballymacarbry Manager, Mike Guiry, following his side's All-Ireland final defeat to Kilkerrin Clonberne.
Disappointment prevailed in Croke Park on Saturday with Ballymacarbry falling six points short of Kilkerrin Clonberne in the club ladies' football final at GAA HQ, but there was an air of what might have been with Ballymac proving they could hang with the big dogs in the final quarter.
Mike Guiry's side were forced to chase possession for the first half of play as the defending champions passed the ball through the hands to find their scoring opportunities.
They led 0.11 to 0.03 at the break and the mood in the upper tiers of the Hogan Stand signaled that the game was already over with the Galway Champions on their way to a processional third-straight title.
"This is what sport is about," Guiry noted in his post-game reflection, accepting that the Galway outfit were the better side on the day.
While Ballymac had struggled to find a foothold in the game in the opening half, it was after the break that they hit their straps, taking inspiration from goal-getter Clare Walsh who find the back of the net at the start of the final quarter to light a fire under the team.
That green flag forced the change of the tide with Ballymac showing that they had the minerals to challenge the Connacht Champions, outscoring them 1.06 to a single point in that final quarter.
Guiry gave a wry smile when asked about that late scoring flurry that saw them - even for a moment - convince the assembled fans that the comeback was on. The crowd that had been anything but quite suddenly found a few extra clicks on the volume dial as they tried to match the effort being given by the players on the far side of the white line.
"We were looking up at the thing [scoreboard] thinking 'three scores got', I hope they get a few more scores. Next ten minutes then they kicked on 1.06 to a point. That's unbelievable stuff on an occasion like this. They just didn't give up. They kept playing, kept playing & kept playing and that's what we've done all year. We've learned a lot from today," said Guiry.
Goalkeeper Lauren Fitzpatrick gave a great account of herself between the sticks to deny the now three times in a row champions goal-scoring opportunities. Her presence behind the defence was crucial in keeping Ballymac in contention with Guiry saying she was outstanding.
"Lauren is a top-class goalie," he noted. "One of the best in Ireland. They [Kilkerrin] were thanking their goalkeeping coach. How could you coach Lauren Fitz? She has everything. A lot of them Ballymac players too, they're all natural footballers that enjoy playing as a team. They'll bounce back and dust themselves down and they'll come back at it again next year."
If Fitzpatrick showed her class in the goalmouth, Clare Walsh did the same at the other end of the pitch. She scored two goals in the Munster final, and she found the only green flag of the game on Saturday. It was her goal that lit the touch paper with fifteen minutes left on the clock and Guiry said her effort was pure class.
"I saw the goal - and at the time you're caught up in it - but it was a fabulous goal. She done really well to do what she done. She's been playing well and progressing every game all along so fair play to the girl, she put in a lot this year."
Reflecting on the year as a whole, Guiry was positive. They claimed a second straight Munster title and made it 42 years of consecutive Waterford titles, maintaining one of the most consistent streaks in GAA.
"2023 was a massive year for Ballymac," Guiry noted. "It was a major plus. From last year - the number of players who stepped out for a few months and came back again - other players went out and came back again. Then the youngsters stepped up."
While there was massive impact from the youngest players in the squad - Summer Peters and Ruby Browne to name two - Guiry was pleased to see the stalwarts of the side get the chance to run out at Croke Park, while he wouldn't go so far as to refer to them as the older members of the squad.
"The young and the 'experienced' is the word I use, " he joked, adding "They'll be around again. They're a great bunch of players and they'll learn from this. They'll dust themselves down and get on with it. Sport is sport. Two teams play every day. One win and one don't, that's life. We'll learn from today and move on."
