Ten years after receiving her U16 Monaghan Camogie Player of the Year award, Isobel Kieran was once again the belle of the awards ball at the tail end of 2007. The 2007 county camogie awards presentation saw Inniskeen dynamo Isobel Kieran take centre stage as she was announced as the Senior Player of the Year. The honour said much about the player's skills, leadership and courage but she is keen to deflect the bouquets elsewhere. "It was great to be honoured as such but I think it was just as much a reflection of the progress the club (Inniskeen) made since getting back together again," Isobel commented. "2007 was the first year we had fielded a team in years yet we managed to win the one-day blitz competition in Truagh before going onto make the county final." The fact that the championship title was ultimately scooped by Clontibret did take some of the lustre off Inniskeen's rejuvenation but Isobel looks back on it in philosophical mode: "We started out the year hoping to do our best and take advantage of whatever opportunities came up and we ended up surprising ourselves really. "As the year progressed, we began to realise that beating the more fancied teams was well within our reach and that we had the potential to get among the cups. "We beat Truagh in the league final, which meant that we won two out of the three competitions, but we didn't do ourselves justice in the championship final against Clontibret. "When the team was started up again, we couldn't have imagined that we would have done as well as we did - winning the two cups was something we could have imagined." And the circumstances which lent themselves to the revival of Inniskeen? "I'm not sure really. Father McGuinness was the instigator behind getting the game up and running in the area again and it just started off from there. "He started it in the schools way back but the numbers went down at adult level eventually but luckily Fr. McGuinness came back last year and got us organised again." And so it came to pass that by the end of February last a battle-hardened panel of 20-plus was in place to build on what had been achieved the previous year. Sadly, the past year didn't quite pan out the way Isobel and her team-mates and management team would have liked as injuries and other factors took their toll. "Things didn't go the way we would have wanted this year but we were unfortunate with injuries and we were short players at times due to holidays and also others migrating. "The backbone of the team was missing for a while and we ended up losing to Truagh in the first round and then went onto lose to Clontibret." The conspicuous absence of the erstwhile 2007 Player of the Year from the second half action against Clontibret, due to a shoulder injury, was obviously a mortal blow for Inniskeen. The Drogheda-based PE teacher is one of the most high-profile dual players in county Monaghan; arguably as well-known for her football exploits as her camogie skills. Despite still being only 27, one wonders just how long more she can envisage competing at the highest level in two different codes? "I honestly don't know if I can give the commitment indefinitely to the two sports," the former U14 All-Ireland football medallist comments. "I'm happy at the moment to continue to be a dual player for my club and the county but I can see the times when I have to choose between them becoming more frequent. "The past year was a bit of a nightmare with the way some games clashed but that's what you have to expect when you're involved with so many teams. "At the start of the year, I opted out of the county football scene from January to April because I couldn't give it my full commitment but then I took it on after the Easter break. "Later on, the All-Ireland (senior) football semi-final against Mayo in Navan was on the same day, August 25th, as we (Monaghan) played a camogie blitz in Ardboe in county Tyrone. "We had games in the blitz against Wicklow, Tyrone, Donegal, Cavan and Mayo with the first game getting underway at 10.30 in the morning. "We beat Cavan but lost to Wicklow and then in the next game against Tyrone I had to leave with Helen Hughes (Clontibret) at half-time to make our way to Navan. "Luckily we met up with the team bus in Carrickmacross and made it okay to Navan on time for the game and, even better again, we won it by eight or nine points." Isobel confesses that camogie remains her first love but growing up with a house full of football-mad older sisters (who played with Shelagh in Louth) helped lay out another path. Reflecting on the state of play in camogie circles, Isobel reckons the game is a more healthy state now than when it was when she first (1994) played senior for Inniskeen. "It's unfortunate that there's no longer clubs like Latton and Killanny playing the game but the structures are now better and the county development squads are a good idea. "Players are now far better looked after and the treatment is very much on a par with whatever the footballers get and the publicity is getting there too for camogie now." And as for the intercounty scene? "Monaghan is a more competitive team nowadays, probably because, unlike years ago, we are playing at our own level against teams similar in stature to us. "Years ago we had to play against the likes of Antrim, Down and Dublin at minor level and more often than not we'd get hammered which wasn't an enjoyable experience. "We're now competing at a level that we know we can be fairly successful and win some games even though the game has become a lot faster over the years." Of course, mention of Isobel's 2008 season wouldn't be complete without reference to the fact that she was capped by Ireland against Scotland in the Camogie/Shinty test series. Last October the Monaghan senior camogie captain (and Inniskeen football captain) was duly recognised for her talents, principally on the back of her outstanding displays in Ardboe. In tandem with some of the country's premier camogie players, Isobel crossed camans with the creme de la creme of Scotland's talent in a terrific clash at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny. County Monaghan was actually represented on the Ireland team that lost out by 2-1 to 2-2 by five outstanding talents in total. Helen Hughes (Clontibret), Eileen McElroy (Castleblayney), Orla Sheerin (Truagh) and Roisin McKenna (Castleblayney) all teamed up with Isobel and the rest of the Ireland team. "It was an amazing experience and one I'm sure I would enjoy again if the opportunities arose," Isobel confirms. "It's one thing to represent your county but to represent your country is something else altogether and a great honour. "I think everyone who played on Sunday would love to have another go at playing against Scotland and I definitely think the squad would be better prepared for them. "We went into the game this time as real novices but we'd know what to expect if we were to play them again which, I hope, will be on the cards." And any sense of apprehension beforehand about partaking in such an, albeit ongoing, experimental game? "A bit. It was scary at first to see the size of their stick which has a weight on the base which allows them to drive the ball further and harder. "It was unfortunate that we didn't manage to score in the first half. We could have scored three goals with a bit more luck. "Having said that, Roisin (Hughes) kept us in the game in the first with some great blocks but unfortunately a slippery goal near the end beat us. "I found the game very fast, faster than camogie and the ball really flew on the ground around the pitch meaning you had to be very fit and sharp to make use of the ball when it came your way. "They had a bit of advantage because I think the compromise rules were weighed a bit more in their favour. There was a bit of an imbalance there. "All the same, I think the game was a good advertisement for the sport and getting t.v exposure was great." Looking ahead to the New Year, Isobel's wish-list on the playing field spells has an injury-free season at the summit. Having experienced the ravages of her shoulder injury earlier this year and her subsequent enforced lay-off, she is keeping her fingers crossed that 2009 will be that bit more kind. "Whatever about the conflict of interest that might arise due to the camogie and football, there's nothing much you can do about getting injured so that would be the biggest pain of all. "Losing games is all part of the sport but at least if you have your health, you can perform to the best of your ability and hope for the best." Tweet

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