Relentless Cork camogie team too hot for Galway to handle

A number of years ago Mary White wrote a book about the Cork ladies football team who won 10 All-Ireland titles in 11 years.

The book was Relentless and it told the story of their rise from nowhere to achieve a level of success that will be difficult to match again by any county.

Though they haven’t risen from nowhere to the level they are at, as Cork camogie has always been in the hunt for titles, the title could easily be used in regard to the current squad.

It sums exactly what they are, a driven squad that expect high standards of each other and will fight for every ball to the final whistle. It doesn’t matter if they are 10 points up or down the level of effort is the same.

You could see this in the last few seconds of their Very Division 1A title win over Galway on Sunday at FBD Semple Stadium as they ran out winners by 0-21 to 0-10.

Despite being 11 points up and in no danger they won a ball back in defence to deny Galway a score and that was celebrated as much as any score at the other end.

SPIRIT

This fighting spirit was also epitomised by Amy O’Connor and Sorcha McCartan around the 45-minute mark.

Galway had their ball on their own endline and yet they were tackled by the Cork duo, the latter without her hurley, as if their very lives depended on it.

That type of effort is what lifts everyone according to the Player of the Game on Sunday, Ashling Thompson.

“We always say that that the forwards set the tone of the performance and it was the same today, the pressure they were putting on the full-back line when they were trying to bring out the ball was giving us some relief out the field.

“That's what we say when we look up the pitch and see these forwards, you know, absolutely working their socks off gives us some confidence. So we always say that it's dictated by the forwards.”

Along with Katrina and Pamela Mackey, Thompson was the only member of the to have a league medal, with Cork’s last win coming in 2013.

So players like O’Connor were delighted to add a league medal to their trophy cabinets, that for most already have Munster and All-Ireland ones.

“It was brilliant to win as it’s 12 years since we last won the league,” said O’Connor. 

I think there were only three on the that have them already so it was nice to get over the line.

“We will enjoy celebrating but we will be back in training fairly fast as we have a massive Munster championship game against Clare next Sunday and we need to focus on that now."

And that sums up this squad, job done, now let’s set our next target and focus on that.