Armagh captain Clodagh McCambride says that the team have proved that they can compete with the top teams in Ireland week-in and week-out and that they are looking forward to this weekend’s final against Kerry.
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00:00 So Clodagh, obviously a successful league campaign to this point, you won the six games that got you into the final.
00:06 How do you reflect on how things have been going this year?
00:08 I suppose for us, our experience in Division 1 so far has been really positive.
00:13 I suppose coming into the year we were just trying to prove to ourselves that we could compete with the top teams.
00:20 We've been able to do that, we've had our performances, had to ground out wins.
00:24 That's got us into the position that we're in now. Looking forward to the league final, which is great.
00:29 Have you found that confidence building? Probably going into it, the talk around Armagh was avoiding relegation.
00:34 But when you got those first couple of wins, maybe the targets started to change?
00:37 Yeah, definitely. Going into those first few games especially, we had Waterford up first at home, which was massive.
00:42 To get that win at home, to then go and beat Courtois, with every game you're building in confidence that we are capable of competing with these top teams.
00:51 Once you get three or four wins under your belt, you know you're safe.
00:54 Our focus can turn on actually pushing on and aiming for a league final.
00:59 We were able to do that. We had a good few tough teams coming up near the end of the league there.
01:05 It was really tough getting up to the line, but we were able to do it.
01:07 How great has this run been for Armagh? Without trying to send us back into Division 2, you were stuck in there for a while.
01:14 But now you're playing the likes of your Dublin, Nees, Carey's, week on week.
01:18 Has that been good for the development of the team, do you think?
01:20 Definitely. Division 1 has always been a target for us for years.
01:24 They're there about getting into Division 1, but it was so tough, especially when it was only one up at a time.
01:31 To now be in Division 1 and reaffirming our place there, that we are capable of competing with the top teams, was really important to us.
01:39 We might come into Championship and you're taking on a big team.
01:43 We can't just be waiting to those games every year to actually do that.
01:47 We need more exposure to those to be able to actually push on and progress to the Championship.
01:51 How much does it mean to be reaching the Division 1 title for the first time in Armagh's history?
01:56 It's really special. It's something that I know we as a group are really looking forward to.
02:01 It's going to be a special day for our family, the wider team and all of our supporters getting a day out in Croke Park.
02:07 We had a great day there last year, getting our Division 2 title.
02:14 It will prepare us for every other game, but it's something to embrace and enjoy the build up to.
02:20 The Championship is just round the corner. Do you feel as the leagues go on, you're getting more and more games, you're building towards the Championship pace?
02:27 Definitely. The weather has been great the past few weeks.
02:33 Coming into Championship when the weather gets a bit drier, you'll get into proper Championship football.
02:38 We're starting to see that as the games have progressed through the league. We're building up speed.
02:44 In those couple of weeks leading up to the Dundee goal game, training will really step up.
02:48 That's when it will probably be Championship season.
02:52 But definitely these next few weeks, especially leading up to the League Final, where it's not a knockout game, but it's a game that is of real value to us.
02:59 That will be great preparation then leading up to the Championship.
03:03 How have you found Greg McGonagall coming in this year? Of course you had him before Clan Arran.
03:08 Looking at the results, things have been going pretty well. How have you found his influence and what does he look like as a manager?
03:13 We are so lucky to have Greg in with us this year. He's so well respected within the camp.
03:19 The main thing for us is that we as a group of players feel so prepared.
03:23 He really leaves no stone unturned and really challenges us as a group to try and push on and get the best out of us.
03:30 We are working towards that. There's still a lot more and obviously we'll be working on that over the next couple of weeks.
03:35 But I think having him come in, especially with his experience in Division 1 and all Ireland finals in the past, it's something that we can't take for granted.
03:44 I suppose the girls are just buying into everything he's asking of them, which is great.