Déise camogie midfielder Clara Griffin has been blown away by the reaction to her incredible piece of skill during last Saturday's All Ireland quarter final win over Limerick.
The Tramore player picked up the sliotar with a broken hurley in front of the Old Stand in Semple Stadium. The viral moment has been watched almost 400,000 times on social media.
Yesterday we posted a 4 second clip of pure skill from Waterford camogie star Clara Griffin. To date this video has been viewed over 300,000 time. Up the Déise @deisecamogie @OfficialCamogie @damienwlr @tomasmcc @WaterfordGAA @ShelRyan1211 @mlverney @wlrfm @officialgaa pic.twitter.com/fXL7p7AtzF
— Déise In Dublin (@DeiseInDub) July 17, 2022
"I didn't really realise I did it at the time until the girls had the video up afterwards! You're so used to having the hurley in your hand, it's just what came naturally to me at the time. I didn't think twice and it just happened! It's great promotion for camogie, especially in Waterford. To be honest, everyone is sending me the video and I don't think it's myself in it!"
"She was inundated with messages on her phone after the game. "I had to actually to turn it off for a while! I just couldn't get over it all."
Waterford and Cork clash in the All Ireland semi finals on Saturday in Croke Park. The Déise beat Limerick last weekend to make the last four for the first time in 63 years. Griffin was delighted to get over that quarter final hurdle. "I think I saw Niamh Rockett running towards me so she jumped into my arms! That sums up exactly how we felt after the final whistle."
Clara's family have backed her every step of the way. "The earliest memories are over in our local club in Tramore GAA with my brother and my sister. My Dad and my Mam have been with us the whole way. My Dad coached us through the years with constructive criticism! It's all been beneficial."
She got an early inter county call-up. "I think I was 13 when I first started playing for Waterford, a long time ago! I started in those blitzes up and down to Dublin and Ennis and different places. There's a small number of girls on those buses who are still left. Sarah Lacey and Keeley Corbett Barry are two girls I grew up with so they'd be the ones I'm quite close with."
Waterford v Cork will be our George Corbett Skoda Big Match on Saturday. Join Tomás McCarthy and Shona Curran for live coverage from 3 o'clock.