by Daragh Ó Conchúir

“That did drive me. It’s important that you just didn’t go out there to represent yourself. You were representing people you never even met. And they got a kick out of it, all over the world.”

So said one of Kildare’s greatest ever footballers, Johnny Doyle upon his retirement from inter-county football in 2014.

That sense of responsibility never left the Allenwood man, who starred at 45 to propel his club back to the top flight by winning the intermediate championship last year. All while coach and selector of the Kildare seniors.

Not for him, the glib statement about doing it for others. He meant it. He lived it.

Ciara O’Sullivan seems a bit shocked by the notion that there are sportspeople that will refer to ‘doing it for the supporters,’ but are doing it by rote. Ticking a box. Not cognisant of what that actually means.

Surrounded by a slew of young children, mostly but not exclusively girls, brought to the Cork Camogie Grounds on Castle Road for an open night ahead of tomorrow’s Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie final against Galway (5.15pm, live on RTÉ2), the Newcestown attacker is utterly aware of there being a greater cause.

“There’s a girl here that has a scrapbook full of photos from every time she’s with us over the last two or three years, and she's just adding to it every week, newspaper articles and photographs. And it's brilliant when you see that. It makes you want to play, because you're playing for them as well as the pride in Cork,” says O’Sullivan.

O’Sullivan was that girl once too but now, when she is giving autographs, she is sharing canvasses with the traditional giants of Cork sport.

“I remember getting signatures off every Cork player, and then you'd be going home studying whose signatures was whose, and asking your parents to help you figure it out. You’d only be thinking about that when you're signing the jerseys, and you'd see Shane Kingston and a couple more of the hurlers’ signatures on it as well. And when they hold you as highly regarded as they hold the men, it's brilliant to see.”

Gemma O’Connor and Ashling Thompson were her Cork heroes and now, the 22-year-old shares a dressing room with Thompson. The first role model though, and thus the most important one, was the one that proved you could perform at the highest level, even if coming from a non-traditional camogie hub.

“Colette Desmond was in with Cork teams and was definitely one I've always looked up to through underage. She was fantastic for Newcestown and it was just brilliant to see that someone from Newcestown, that’s not a city club or anything, can go and they can represent their county.

“I'll never forget one of my first trainings with the Newcestown senior team. And Colette had come back after taking a break for a few months, and her touch was unbelievable. Her hurling was unbelievable. It just makes you want to be like her and play like her.”

Now, the Carbery outfit have a new totem. A two-time All-Ireland minor winner, O’Sullivan completed a memorable personal double in 2019 when following up that second All-Ireland with a player-of-the-match performance in Newcestown’s county intermediate final victory.

A Black Tip belt in taekwondo, she is clearly a multi-talented operator and not one to be messed with.

Paudie Murray was impressed enough to hand the youngster a starting role in the 2021 All-Ireland final defeat to Galway. Matthew Twomey also picked her on the first 15 when they tasted that bitter against Kilkenny the following season.

Last year, however, was a write-off.

“I did my ACL in the Ashbourne semi-final in February. I was still in with the panel last year, but I just missed out on playing when we won the All-Ireland final and I missed club as well. I was only coming back into it this season.

“I got the opportunity to play with intermediates at the start of the season, and then I got called up back senior again. So I was delighted and have just been pushing myself ever since to try and make the team.”

Playing catch-up in such a competitive outfit is difficult but her contributions, whether as a starter or off the bench, have been notable. Her attitude has always been not to sulk if she doesn’t make the 15, to try make an impression when she comes on, to push harder in training.

The squad’s sports psychologist, Michelle O’Connor has been very helpful in this regard. O’Connor’s role was highlighted time and again last season by Twomey and she retains a key position under Ger Manley this term.

“I wouldn't be one for the conversations with the trainers or anything, though you can always get feedback there. We have a sports psychologist on board, and she's brilliant. I think a lot of us would go to her to talk about how we're feeling about maybe not starting, or if you didn't come on, or if you did come on, and how you did.

“I think our big thing this year is channelling everything through to Michelle. You get to offload then, and then you can go back to the pitch the next night and just give it everything.

“In the last two, three years now, we've had Michelle involved and it's just been a game changer. It’s obviously handy if you do have mental health issues, but the primary role for Michelle is in sports performance.

“Naturally, for us as athletes, you're trying to perform at your best, and that does take a toll on you mentally, and you need to get your head right in order to perform at the top level. That’s really what it’s about. There's so much in that playing field that’s about the six inches at the top of your head. So, I think it's a very important aspect of our preparation.”

Having just gotten her business finance degree from UCC, O’Sullivan will begin a graduate programme at KPMG in October. Just another potential worry clutter removed from the mind.

Little wonder she is optimistic about what Cork will bring tomorrow.

“I'm confident in us all right. You know, we performed all year, and as long as we stick to our goals and our measures, I'm sure… I don't doubt… I don't doubt in our performance.”

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