ashbournememories

One of the most valuable assets for any camogie player wishing to participate in the Ashbourne competition is a selective memory. Once January and the snow arrives it is time to don the plastic bags inside the hurling boots (as perfected by one UCG player who shall remain nameless_ and to start reminiscing on the previous years Ashbourne weekend. This is where the selective memory is a must, the memories of the countless training sessions in artic conditions, frostbite on fingers and toes and of course the early end to Christmas partying must be forgotten and the memories of victory speeches or narrow defeats need to be recalled to make you dig out those plastic bags one more time.

Having been on a victorious UCG team in my first year of college, it was not until the following year as we partied Saturday night away in the Metropole Hotel that I realized how difficult and special it is to win an Ashbourne medal. Unfortunately in my remaining years at college I was to attend three Saturday night functions � although they were very enjoyable ones in UCC, UCD and UUJ I wish I wasn�t at them, where the pain of defeat is still fresh in your mind. One of the most difficult things about being beaten in an Ashbourne semi-final is that because the competition is played over one weekend, each team regardless of whether they make the final or not must endure the same amount of rigorous training. In other competitions being beaten in a semi-final sometimes provides the consolation (poor consolation that is!) that at least the tough training if finished for another year � not so in Ashbourne.

Having said all that, I believe the experience of the college camogie club is one of the best. Life long friends are made from both your own and opposing colleges (sometimes). Friends that are there when you need them i.e. with notes from last year for your exams, with books for next year, free drinks vouchers and membership cards for "The Oasis�, introductions to their male friends etc� all the important things in any students life.

As I recall preparing for Ashbourne was not all about training and hardship � well not in UCG anyway! There were other aspects that were as equal if not of more importance than training (although I doubt if Tony or Prof. Lee would agree!) Firstly the song contest � UCG�s version of �The Eurovision� with attractive prizes on offer each year. This contest, hosted by the club captain usually in a high profile venue (such as the hotel at 117 Hazel park) was an annual event held about a week before the Ashbourne weekend. Weeks of composing and rehearsing went into this event to enable UCG to sing better than anyone at the Ashbourne Banquet. (I later discovered that the real purpose of this night was to keep players from going to the Oasis � but this didn�t always work!)

Other events that I will always have fond memories of are the Christmas Dinner party which ranges from a spaghetti bolognaise in someone�s house for the entire panel or dinner in the Salthill Hotel depending on the state of the funds at Christmas time. The Sports Ball when invariably the entire camogie team would be in attendance to add life to the party and usually provide the house party as well. And of course we cannot forget rag Week Pub Crawl where each year many ladies clubs would attempt to steal the crown away from the camogie team � without success I might add�! � We always had that extra fitness plus a great ability to drink Guinness in a hurry. These were just some of the highlights of my years as a member of the UCH camogie club and I hope that I have managed to jog the memories of some of UCG�s past players about the good times we had.

Olivia Broderick