Niamh Rockett: Waterford's quarter-final win tinged with sadness

Niamh Rockett was contemplating history after Waterford had finally gotten over a Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie quarter-final, her two goals and a stellar first-half display by Derek Lyons' team propelling them to a 3-16 to 1-12 victory over Limerick and a semi-final meeting with Cork at Croke Park next Saturday.

But Rockett was also thinking of more important matters that contextualised sporting achievement, even one as notable as a first semi-final for Waterford since 1959 after four consecutive failed attempts.

Foremost in the minds of everyone in the Waterford camp was former All-Ireland U16 winner Shauna McGrath from the Abbeyside club, who died in a road accident during the week on her way home from working on a night shift as a midwife in the University Hospital, at the age of 22. Rockett also had a family bereavement earlier this year that she wanted to honour.

The Déise led by a point when Rockett gathered a sweet delivery from the magnificent Beth Carton in the fourth minute and ignored all her coaches’ advice by going high instead of low. The net shook.

She did the same in the 42nd minute, this time after a delivery from the beautifully balanced midfield dynamo and official player of the match, Lorraine Bray.

"It was tough conditions with the heat and even trying to prepare for it but summer hurling, that’s what you want, to be in the knockout stages so we’re all just thrilled with the victory and thrilled to get to that semi-final stage, finally pushing over the line," said a beaming Rockett.

"We lulled a bit in the second half – we’ll have to do a bit more running next week. We were really up for it in the first, we wanted to grab the bull by the horns with it being our fifth quarter-final in a row.

"The