Leinster camogie club final close-up a first for Gaelic games

When Youri Tielemans made his debut for Aston Villa last July, he captured the occasion on a bodycam.

A video was later released of that game against Newcastle United and showed the midfielder doing everything from swinging in corners to tackling opponents to encouraging team-mates.

It was well received with one report describing the rare footage as similar to a 'television advert', given how close it brought viewers to the action.

The thing is, that was a pre-season friendly and when Aoife Prendergast and Aisling Maher pull on similar cameras this Sunday, it will be for a game with everything on the line.

Prendergast, who captained Kilkenny to All-Ireland glory in 2022, will play for Dicksboro against Dublin star Maher's Vincent's in the AIB Leinster club senior camogie final, in Carlow.

The footage will be collated, pared and parsed afterwards before being presented to the public through AIB's Meet #TheToughest series.

"The fact that we are the first to do it in Gaelic games, I think that will definitely catch people's eye and bring some more interest in camogie," said Prendergast.

"I think it will bring a bit of publicity to the game itself. Hopefully it showcases the skill and physicality of camogie."

It will do that and plenty more. The camera on Tielemans also picked up various complaints to the referee during that soccer game.

There could be much to be gained from a coaching perspective too. Maher said it was the first thing her Vincent's manager asked when the idea came up - how can it help with analysis?

In Prendergast's case, she and boss Donal Carroll both went to the trial day when the camera, which peeps out through a tiny hole in the jersey, was first tried out.

"He was happy enough with it once I was comfortable