Begley: Banner driven to push on for McNamara
Clare attacker Róisín Begley has said that the Banner players have renewed determination to push themselves to their limits following the devastating cruciate injury suffered by key player Lorna McNamara.
Begley was speaking after picking up the PwC GPA Player of the Month for May in camogie – following in McNamara's lead who was April’s recipient.
The duo started the All-Ireland campaign in a blistering scoring tandem, combining for 2-11 in their Group 2 opener against Dublin and 2-03 in the success against Wexford. McNamara only managed one white flag in the latter though, going down in obvious distress 17 minutes in.
In the days before their Round 3 win over Limerick, the dressing room was informed that the news was as bad as first feared – a blow that carried extra weight given that her team-mates were well aware of just how much work McNamara had been putting in to play whilst suffering from chronic groin pain.
"I don't know if I'd be sitting here if Lorna hadn't gotten injured," Begley told RTÉ Sport.
"She's in form that we've never seen her in before and works so hard. So unfortunately we've lost her and that just means the rest of us have to step up and get those goals and get us over the line.
"They're huge boots to fill. She's phenomenal on the frees as well as putting the ball in the back of the net – she did it twice in the matches she played. It’s really unfortunate.
"Last Saturday, she went up and down to Santry [clinic] and came straight to Cusack Park to be in the dressing room with us.
"It's a shocking injury and she's not long back from having surgery in her groin; we're definitely going to be playing every ball with her in mind, it's disappointing to lose her."
McNamara’s absence is a rare low point on what has been a productive 2026 to date for Eugene Foudy’s side.
The Division 1B league title secured Begley’s first medal with at senior inter-county level and those three All-Ireland wins leave them in a great position to escape Group 2 in a format that really offers little in the way of wiggle room.
While the four teams in Group 1 – comprised of last year’s semi-finalists – are guaranteed a spot in the quarter-finals at worst, only the top two teams from six make it out of Group 2 and into the quarters.
PwC GPA player of the month for May in camogie, Clare's Róisín Begley
It’s Kilkenny next on 20 June for Clare, a meeting of the two counties with 100% winning records to date, and a loss could bring the chasing pack within striking distance.
It’s a pretty unforgiving format in place this season, but Begley has no qualms whatsoever.
"I suppose it is a cut-throat but if you look at the men's, their championship is very cut-throat and we want to be in the same playing field as them," Begley continued.
"Winning, it's great but I suppose if we had lost our first few matches it would have been a long slog to get over the line.
"We will have lots of matches under our belts and we'll take great confidence in that going into the quarter-final hopefully, if we can manage to get one more win."
Foudy is in his first year in charge of the side having acted as a coach under previous boss John Carmody.
Eugene Foudy is in his first year as Clare boss: Photo: INPHO/Stephen Heaney
He took over a side that has really failed to make a mark on the All-Ireland series over the previous five years, four times failing to make the knock-out stages and needing a relegation play-off win over Offaly in 2022 to maintain their senior status.
They did reach the quarter-finals last year – and the 10-point loss to Waterford was an unflattering reflection given they gave their Munster rivals a real fill of it for 50-odd minutes.
That fade-off is something they’ve looked at under the new manager, according to Begley.
"I think this year we've had a huge emphasis on fitness and it's something Eugene was definitely going hell for leather for when he took us over.
"We were running in muck and dirt, you definitely need to get your fitness up because once matches start it's full on and you need to have all the work done in advance."
Watch an All-Ireland Football Championship double-header, Louth v Armagh (1pm) and Tyrone v Mayo (3.30pm) on Sunday from 12.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
