More than 400 GAA stars, past and present, are taking part in a massive sleep out tonight.

Tipperary hurler Brendan Maher described this initiative perfectly when explaining that this evening’s Gaelic voices for change sleep-out is no act of rebellion or political statement.

I was one of those players who needed to tick all the boxes in order to feel like I had everything covered. Routine was everything, writes Valerie Mulcahy.

On Saturday, Mayo ended Cork’s reign as All-Ireland champions and destroyed dreams of a seventh consecutive title.

The current group of Cork players are in new territory tomorrow — in many ways, writes Valerie Mulcahy. 

There’s something akin to nostalgia in Valerie Mulcahy’s voice when the Cork GAA star recalls the very early days of her inter county career when she and her teammates would have a fry-up on the day of a big away match.

Up to 5,000 participants are expected to cycle through the streets of Cork City to help a charity fund the building of a new children’s centre.

On Sunday, the league starts. Teams will travel long distances with high hopes for the season; hoping to get momentum, lay down intentions, and gain experience.

As the new season approaches, old stalwarts and perhaps even some young guns will be assessing whether they will return to the pitch in 2017 to take on another season of their chosen sport, writes Valerie Mulcahy.

I’ve been fortunate to play on a team where winning was second nature. That wasn’t always the case — it took some time for it to become like that — but winning became standard. It became the expectation of ourselves.

Every second year, there is an All Star trip and I was fortunate to be among the group to visit San Diego. Unfortunately, the camogie All Stars do not get to experience such trips or rewards and I hope this will change in the future, writes Valerie Mulcahy

During my playing days, I often thought about how Ladies Football and camogie would benefit from an organisation representing the needs of players.

Valerie Mulcahy thought it might be beneficial to gauge the demographics of match attendances at Croke Park to better understand who is attending the games, why and work towards making a positive change in engaging supporters to attend women’s sport

Mental fortitude. That’s their secret. Or part of it, at least.

You know the rivalry-but-not-actually a rivalry that exists, or did exist, between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova?

Sunday, February 7. The first page turned in the next chapter of Cork ladies football.

In the course of her stellar career Valerie Mulcahy learned how to take her scores, says The Irish Examiner's Noel Baker. Yesterday she showed that her aim is just as true off the field.

Recently retired Cork ladies footballer Valerie Mulcahy has provided a damning insight into the “second-class” treatment of female inter-county players, claiming that the barriers and challenges faced by ladies footballers when the organisation was established in 1974 still exist today.

In the course of her stellar career Valerie Mulcahy learned how to take her scores. Yesterday she showed that her aim is just as true off the field.

 AT 12.20pm today, Valerie Mulcahy will take to the podium.

Valerie Mulcahy has called time on her inter-county career, safe in the knowledge that there is little else for her to achieve inside the four white lines.

They’re a privileged bunch, and they know it.

There won’t be another year like 2015 for Valerie Mulcahy. A 10th All-Ireland with Cork, an active role in historic legislation on marriage equality, her own nuptials and a tearful end of an outrageously successful union with Eamon Ryan. Beat that, 2016.

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

Briege Corkery earned her ninth TG4 All Star Award and collected her second Players’ Player of the Year award on a night when the legendary Cora Staunton joined Mary Jo Curran as the only players ever to win 10 All Stars.

Winning pretty, winning ugly. It doesn’t matter to them at this stage. So long as Brendan Martin is sitting at the front of the bus on the journey home to Cork on Monday afternoon, they’re a content bunch.