Determined Rebecca Barry focused on cup mission with Cork Harlequins

Rebecca Barry is hoping there is more glory around the corner on her road less travelled, as she chases the rare distinction of consecutive Irish Senior Cups with different clubs.

Barry’s Cork Harlequins side lock horns with UCD in Sunday’s decider at Belfield (1pm), and the Irish international forward is hoping to again get her hands on a trophy she lifted with Ulster Elks last season.

Those two clubs offer something of an unusual geographical juxtaposition for a player born and raised outside Limerick city, but it only tells half the story of how Barry ended up on Leeside.

A former Ireland U18 captain, she was scouted by University of Richmond in Virginia while in her Leaving Cert year at Laurel Hill Coláiste, and suddenly found herself heading to the USA to play college hockey.

There, she carved out a big reputation as a scorer of memorable goals.

One spectacular strike, featuring some soloing straight out of Barry’s Gaelic games background, was named as one of ESPN’s best sports plays in America in 2012, making her a reluctant internet sensation.

But since returning to Ireland, Barry has been all business.

Pitching up in Belfast for a masters at University of Ulster, she had a superb 2015/16 season with the Elks, culminating in that ISC win and a senior Irish debut.

Now a fixture in Graham Shaw’s panel — one of 10 shares between Sunday’s cup finalists - Barry returned to Limerick for work but she, Upton and Clare woman Naomi Carroll have been making the commute to Cork to play with Quins, who are Munster’s only representatives in the national EY Hockey League.

Their presence has helped Stephen Dale’s charges become title challengers after a middling debut season in the full national league, and get them to a first ISC decider since 2003, and Barry is confident they can finish the job.

“The belief levels in the squad would be quite strong,” says Barry. “We battled through a tough campaign, defeating Ards away on strokes and Pegasus away on a 1 v 1 shootout, so we have belief but we recognise how strong UCD will be too.”

Quins’ appearance in the decider again has the Irish hockey community marvelling at the longevity of their midfield duo Rachael Kohler and Karen Bateman. At 42 years old, the remarkable sisters-in-law are still well worth their place in a side laden with senior and underage Irish international talent.

“Eh, how long have you got?” is Barry’s response when asked about playing alongside them.

“They’re a dream. Fantastic role models in every sense. Karen is so passionate, her will to win is like no other, while Ray is so solid and dependable. They help make the club what it is, and winning this cup for them is a big motivation for us.”

Kohler was captain when Quins last claimed the title in 2000, with Bateman skippering the side that lost the 2003 decider. But Barry is their only other squad member to have appeared in a final — compared to six in UCD’s panel — while the Dublin students haven’t lost to Quins this term. UCD also have recent pedigree in winning three of their four final appearances between 2009 and 2014, and Barry reckons Quins will have to play down the occasion to triumph.

“We will recognise that getting to an Irish Senior Cup final is fantastic, but it’s just another game,” she says. “We’ll have to remember to implement all our usual tactics and stay as calm as we can. Our girls will be asked to step up on the day, no different from what we ask of each other throughout the season.”