‘Home’ training has Buckley buzzing

FOR the last few weeks, Rena Buckley has been enjoying what the majority of her colleagues on the Cork senior camogie and ladies football teams probably take for granted.

She is able to travel to training sessions from her home in Inniscarra!

That’s something her parents appreciate too, because for the previous two years she was in college in Dublin at this time of the year, meaning lots of trips to the capital for her father — transporting her to training sessions and games.

In her third year as a physiotherapy student in UCD, she is currently on placement until Christmas — in the South Infirmary Hospital in Cork for a six-week spell and in the Mater in Dublin for a month.

“It means I’m home for training and it’s brilliant. The last few years I have been in Dublin in the run-up to the finals,’’ she explains.

Rena’s sole focus for the past 10 days has been on getting herself tuned up for Sunday’s gala All-Ireland senior camogie final in Croke Park against Wexford. In addition, she is also a member of the Cork team which will meet Mayo in the All-Ireland ladies football final there on September 23.

She is one of half a dozen dual players, of whom four play on both teams. Notably, for the past two years when each of the teams annexed All-Ireland titles, these players have managed to achieve a remarkable level of consistency.

Burn-out hasn’t been a problem, possibly because players at this level tend to be younger than their male counterparts. More significantly, the respective managements have worked in close harmony.

But, for the girls themselves, it hasn’t been easy and, if anything, it’s proving to be particularly demanding.

“I suppose psychologically it’s probably getting a slight bit harder,’’ she commented. “You are more used to the physical aspect at this stage. It’s just a question of getting yourself mentally prepared for each match as it comes — and that can be a very hard challenge.

“With the club championship just gone by, you are trying to psyche yourself up every time. You’re saying to yourself, ‘this is championship, you have to be right’. When that keeps happening it’s difficult enough, but thankfully we have managed on the county scene until now. And hopefully we can get it right for the final.

“We all love playing and that’s the reason we are involved. But, the fact that you are winning keeps things going. You’re not ‘down’ coming to training. You’re buzzing.

“On the other side, Wexford have a lot of dual players as well. And their junior (ladies football) team is into the All-Ireland final, so they are in the same boat as ourselves. We’re all just training as hard as we can. As long as we’re winning and enjoying it, that’s the main thing.’’

Motivation shouldn’t be a problem for the team on Sunday, she feels. It’s not merely the fact that defending their title creates an added pressure, but the consideration that Wexford were the only team to beat them in the round robin series of games,.

“The way we looked at it, it was the first round of the championship, it gave us the incentive to go and prove ourselves. Wexford won’t fear us and we know they are a strong side.

“But, we’ll be looking on the positive side... that this Cork team has confidence and self-belief. And, hopefully we’ll have the hunger as well."