*Laura Foley and Laura Rynne in action. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
Home is where the heart is, they say and for Inagh/Kilnamona senior camogie captain, Laura Rynne that is the case.
Living and working in Melbourne for three years (2019 to 2021) she decided to return to her home in Inagh. “I missed everything here. I love to be at home and it’s good to be back”, she told The Clare Echo this week ahead of leading her club into Saturday’s eagerly awaited Clare senior final.
Laura has played all grades of camogie for the club and continued to play the game when she moved to Melbourne where she lined out with the Sinn Féin club. She is already the holder of two county medals with Inagh/Kilnamona but this is her first year captaining the side.
“We set a target of getting back to the final when we started the season as it’s been a few years since we were there. Truagh/Clonlara and Scariff/Ogonnelloe have contested the past three finals. Truagh/Clonlara will carry the favourites title into Saturday’s final. They have great players but we will give it everything. There is a great tradition of camogie in the parish”, Laura explained before adding that “we have beaten them in the league final this year”.
Rynne continued, “we have great support in the parish. A lot of the girls’ brothers play hurling and there was a lot of disappointment when they were knocked out of the hurling championship. It’s now down to us to try and bring home a cup this year”.
Midfielder Laura added, “a good start is important. We got a good start against Kilmaley in last week’s semi-final. They never gave up and there is a great rivalry between the neighbouring parishes”.
“We expect a tight and physical game with no more than a point or two between the teams and we would love to be that point or two ahead at the final whistle. We want to win the county title and anything that would come after that would be a bonus. The focus is fully on Truagh/Clonlara”, according to the Inagh woman who is a payroll administrator working in Limerick.
Adding to Laura’s interest in this final is the fact that her sister Tara is part of the management team along with Marie Kenneally, Flan Barry and team manager Eugene Foudy.