Rena has healthy respect for Armagh

CORK’S success in getting back to the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies SFC final in Croke Park, on Sunday, is a notable feat.

Already this year they retained the league title and that, allied to the All-Ireland senior camogie championship success — seven players are common to both squads — indicates unparalleled progress .

One of the dual players sharing in the successes is former Irish Examiner Junior Sports Star winner Rena Buckley, who is in her second year of physiotherapy studies in UCD.

For her, the demands of travel to and from Dublin for training and games are an increasing burden (and also for her parents), but it’s one that is borne with a fortitude that reflects her performances on the field.

“You could say that it has been a bit of a roller coaster, just unbelievable,’’ she comments, offering a ready explanation for it all.

“More than anything we are blessed that we have two fantastic teams in Cork at the moment. The camogie team is top-class and the football team too. One kind of ‘feeds off the other’ and, with both being successful, it gives both camps a lift.

“I’m lucky that I’m only 19 and I have got two All-Ireland camogie medals and looking for a second football medal at the weekend.’’

The travel can take its toll, she agrees, being back at college since September 11 and caught up with preparations for the two All-Ireland finals as she gets back into her studies.

However, it’s in the early months of the year, around March, April and June, that she feels it most. And, she appreciates that her ability to continue playing with both teams will depend on how long more she is able to give the necessary commitment.

Reflecting on the camogie team’s victory over Tipperary, which turned out to be surprisingly easy, she says that hunger played a big part.

“Tipperary are an excellent team. I suppose you could say they have been the team of the millennium and you can’t take away from that. On the day, Cork were probably more hungry. We just tore into them and we were lucky to get the scores.’’

The two teams continue to be ‘lucky’ off the field too, she points out, in the way management liaise on the dual players involvement.

“We’re fierce lucky that we have Fiona O’Driscoll as trainer with the camogie and Eamonn Ryan with the football. Both played inter-county, so they easily understand the demands that are being made on us.

“I suppose freshness is a huge thing. You can train all you want, but if you are not fresh on the day it’s pointless. Thankfully, they understand that and things have worked out very well’’

On the football front, the League final against Meath was one of the toughest of the year.

“We got the scores. We were able to grind out a victory and that’s what it comes down to on the day. Even if we’re not better on Sunday, hopefully we’ll come out on top the same way.’’

Their All-Ireland quarter-final meeting with Mayo marked another big step in Cork’s ongoing development.

It was ‘a huge game,’ Rena stressed, recalling that when Cork came through from Munster the first time, two years ago, the Westerners taught them a lesson in football.

Twelve months ago, Cork gained revenge, in dramatic circumstances at the semi-final stage.

“We only got ahead of them by a point in the last 20 seconds and there was a lot of talk afterwards that maybe we didn’t deserve our victory. For that reason, we definitely wanted to set the record straight, to show that we were as good a team if not better. I think we did that. It was a huge burden off us.

“The game with Laois was a bit of a tricky one for us. They are an up-and-coming team and won Leinster this year. We hadn’t come up against them previously, but they had been scoring goals left right and centre.

“That worried us before hand, but we kept their score down.’’

While they played Armagh in the League quarter-final and had monitored their progress, the expectation was that it would be Galway who would come through again.

Apart from the controversial nature of their victory, Armagh proved a good team in the semi-final.

“They are good footballers and very strong — especially down the middle. We’ll certainly respect Armagh."