Laura Treacy is staring into the gap, a lethal severe and contemplative look on her face, the epitome of a girl in her athletic prime and to not be messed with.
he’s to the left of Amy O’Connor and Amy Lee, each of whom are equally enraptured by one thing within the distance and seemingly contemplating quantum mechanics or the that means of life.
The scene is at a promotional picture shoot to mark the announcement of Kearys Motor Group as sponsors of Cork Camogie and the resultant snap is imposed giant on supervisor, Matthew Twomey’s van, parked now on the aspect of the pitch on the county grounds in Blackrock.
Treacy chortles.
“I’d say Matthew will get stared at every single day driving down The Hyperlink [South Link Road]. You’ve no fears of not recognizing it anyway!”
Growing visibility is a constructive and simply one of many many issues which have modified since she got here into the Cork squad a decade in the past. One of the placing adjustments is a unique supervisor for the primary time, although Twomey is a well-recognized determine within the set-up.
Coach, Davy Fitzgerald may be very new and his appointment garnered all of the headlines. He has settled in properly, serving to the Rebels again to the All-Eire ultimate once more, 12 months after their three-point defeat to Galway.
However there is no such thing as a Paudie Murray, the person who launched her to the squad in his first season as supervisor in 2012, nor his brother Kevin, a revered coach.
“Paudie Murray had me in, once I assume again, 16 turning 17 that 12 months. I had two years minor so I used to be enjoying minor that 12 months and had one other 12 months to play minor once more. It looks like an absolute lifetime in the past. That is my eleventh season now so it’s weird.
“There was a slight change this 12 months. Davy got here in, Matthew went to supervisor however there’s nonetheless plenty of related faces round. Teddy [Donovan]’s nonetheless right here, Neilser’s [Niall Collins] nonetheless about, Matthew’s clearly right here. It kinda looks like a little bit of continuity however on the identical time a little bit of freshness as properly.”
Whereas the twin All-Star and four-time All-Eire winner owes Murray a lot, the Killeagh defender is adamant that the sport of camogie has an identical debt to the St Finbarr’s man by way of elevating requirements and making the elite atmosphere a excessive efficiency one. He additionally broadened the tactical palette which had been very a lot orthodox, whereas the remainder of the Gaelic codes had moved on.
“We now have realized a lot from Paudie Murray. I give excessive, high credit to Paudie Murray about bringing on the sport, I might assume personally. Camogie normally, over the previous ten years. He introduced that normal up himself, introduced us with it after which different groups needed to observe.
“The Galways and Kilkennys all the time saved at us. I might give Paudie that a lot credit score. He was phenomenal as a supervisor. His backroom staff had been all the time A1. He bought the perfect of the perfect in. His brother Kevin Murray [as coach], what we realized from him was unbelievable.
“However folks transfer on, they get new jobs and new folks all the time step in and new voices is all the time good as properly.”
She is the oul’ wan now.
“How has that occurred?” she exhales, screwing up her face in mock horror. “I’ll say Ashling [Thompson] continues to be 5 years older than me so she will be able to have that file.”
To be truthful, Treacy will solely be 27 later this 12 months however there’s nothing she hasn’t seen. The fearlessness of youth is gone. However she will be able to deliver that mild serving to hand or phrase that legends of yore offered for her.
“I do really feel I’ve plenty of expertise at this level, particularly seeing the youthful ones coming in, the likes of Méabh Murphy, who’s the bones of 18, 19. Orlaith Cahalane, minor this 12 months. I keep in mind once I was that age coming into it. That’s many moons in the past at this level.
“It’s fully totally different. My first All Eire in 2014, I used to be 18 turning 19 and I used to be a bábóg. I used to be so small, gentle in stature, however I used to be given a job. I keep in mind, Matthew Twomey was concerned that 12 months and for the semi-final and ultimate, I keep in mind Matthew and Paudie talking to me.
“I significantly keep in mind marking Ursula Jacob within the semi-final in Thurles. They informed me, ‘Ursula Jacob normally will get on x quantity of possessions a sport,’ – I believe it was seven or eight – ‘however she tends to attain from them. For those who can rely it down from seven or eight; you’ve turned her over as soon as, you’ve solely seven extra. You turned her over once more, then you definitely’ve blocked her, now there’s solely 5 extra.’
“Now, I’m taking care of myself and I’m focussing on that so much main as much as the large video games, but additionally ensuring the women round me are okay. As a result of, Gemma O’Connor, Aoife Murray, Orla Cotter, the likes of these women all the time sorted me once I was that age. Checking in on me, all the time being there on the pitch as an possibility for me if I used to be on the ball. So I’m making an attempt to try this too for the youthful women.”
Having are available in as a corner-back when the present chiselled body had but to be sculpted, Treacy then stepped into full-back when Anna Geary retired. Centre-back was all the time her pure habitat and he or she is the reigning All-Star within the fulcrum place now.
“I used to be in full-back for longer than I anticipated. I by no means ever anticipated to be enjoying full-back for the Cork senior camogie staff and clearly I might play wherever to be sporting the Cork jersey however centre-back’s fully totally different.
“You appear to be extra concerned within the sport and linking up with gamers a bit of bit extra and the choice to go ahead possibly that little bit extra as properly. So I’m having fun with centre-back.”
She doesn’t promise the raking factors á la Gemma O’Connor, happier to keep up her position as a defensive anchor and to provide the likes of Katrina Mackey, Sorcha McCartan, Amy O’Connor et al.
Kilkenny had been the opposition in her first All-Eire in 2014. Solely Mackey and Ashling Thompson stay on the Cork staff, although Joanne Casey is concerned within the intermediates and the participant she got here on for in damage time, the legendary Jenny Curry [née O’Leary] is again for Armagh within the premier junior ultimate.
Claire Phelan, Denise Gaule, Katie Energy and Miriam Walsh survive for the Cats, whereas Emma Kavanagh and Leann Fennelly are nonetheless on the panel. They know one another properly.
“Considering again to the All-Irelands many moons in the past, even 2016 after they beat us, they nonetheless have plenty of these gamers and so will we. So we’re properly used to one another.
“We all know what Kilkenny deliver. They bring about that absolute dogfight. They’re severe hounders. They gained’t allow you to previous straightforward and so they actually work onerous on the easy issues. It’s an enormous ask for us to match that I suppose however now we have to if we’ve any likelihood of profitable this sport.
“All year long we’ve been hit with accidents, the lack of gamers like Orla Cronin by means of damage and stuff, so now we have needed to battle again from so much and likewise dig deep to win video games. That character is there.
“We confirmed that once more in opposition to Waterford but when can’t present that character for a full 60 minutes or the immense work charge, we gained’t come out with the win.”
