The standard bearer

JULIET MURPHY casts her eyes upwards and her mind back, trying to recall when it was.

She’s been asked when was the last time she treated herself to a dessert, what with her preparation levels renowned in ladies football circles as being McGeeney-like. Finally she locates the answer, volunteering without a hint of self-promotion or self-consciousness either, just as a matter of fact — July. Her brother got married back in July and she indulged herself that day all right.

Her club-mate Mary O’Connor knows all about winning; between camogie and football, O’Connor won 10 senior All-Irelands with Cork before her retirement early this year. O’Connor knows too all about what Eamonn Ryan calls “winning choices”, the Cork coach having an abhorrence for the term “sacrifices”. A few years back O’Connor had a brother getting married as well, but because Cork had a challenge match the following day, she was at home in bed by 11.30pm. It didn’t matter to O’Connor that she was only playing a challenge game; she was still playing for Cork and with that honour came responsibility.