Michelle Barry’s return to the camogie field in her beloved Nenagh Éire Óg colours represented a remarkable demonstration of the strength of the human spirit.

Having been sidelined for almost exactly three years due to illness, the young transplant recipient was delighted to make her long-awaited return to competitive action for Saturday’s first-round Tipperary intermediate camogie championship clash with Borris-Ileigh.

The 22-year-old, who underwent a kidney transplant in April, played the full 60 minutes and, although the result didn’t go their way, it was without doubt a historic and unforgettable occasion for Michelle, her family and team-mates.

During the 1,091 days between games, Michelle faced an extraordinary journey, spending time on dialysis before receiving the life-changing call from Beaumont Hospital to inform her that a kidney match had been found.

Having served as a selector during her lay-off, to make sure she could continue spending time with the group, Michelle turned her attention immediately to regaining full fitness post-surgery and her story is an inspiration to anybody facing major challenges in life.

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