Gemma gunning for three-in-a-row

GEMMA O’CONNOR admits Andrew O’Shaughnessy didn’t seek her advice in advance of Limerick’s clash against Kilkenny and that she wouldn’t be consulting with him before Sunday’s All-Ireland senior camogie final in Croke Park.

She is captain of the Cork team which is in line for three-in-a-row and a member of the 4th Infantry Battalion in Collins Barracks in Cork, where the Limerick star is also based with the army.

A member of the senior squad since 2002, an uncle (Bill Geaney) captained Cork minor hurlers to victory in the All-Ireland final of 1974, while her brother Glenn was part of the Cork squad which lost in last Sunday’s final.

With St Finbarr’s making the breakthrough by finally winning the A championship last year, she has the added distinction of being the first from the famed city club to lead the county senior team. “Thanks to my club, I have that honour. It will be a special occasion,’’ she stated.

“You could say that there is pressure on us to perform going in as champions. Our priority is ‘to win’ on Sunday and we can’t be thinking about anything else. Because we were champions for the last two years, it doesn’t mean it’s going to work this year. We’re just going to play as if we never played in an All-Ireland final.”

Two years ago, Cork went into the decider under a different sort of pressure, facing the threat of a third consecutive defeat at the hands of Tipperary. Ideally, they should be as powerfully motivated this weekend, but she accepts it will be hard to approach the Wexford game in the same frame of mind.

However, if anything will help them it should be the fact that Wexford beat them in the first round of the Round Robin games in the championship. “We can look on that in a positive way,’’ she added. “Wexford’s win that day was a bit of a shock to the system. Now, we know what to expect. We’ll be well prepared.

“Maybe people have got tired of watching Cork and Tipperary. Wexford being there is certainly after bring a new freshness to the championship. We’re really excited about playing them for the first time in an All-Ireland final.

“It’s a big incentive for them not having won for so long (1975). That will drive them on, but we have our own incentive and our own motivation.”