A new challenge for Rebel Rose Geary

Anna Geary has compared being a Rose of Tralee contestant with lining out on the pitch.

The Cork camogie captain will lead the Rebels at Semple Stadium tomorrow week for their Liberty Insurance All-Ireland semi-final against a resurgent Wexford, but has been focused on her responsibilities as Cork Rose since last Saturday’s quarter-final victory over Offaly.

That won’t detract from her on-field performance, she insists, although she admits that none of it would be possible without the support and understanding of her family, friends, boyfriend and the Cork management and players.

The Milford woman is renowned as a teak tough defender who has won All-Irelands with both club and county in Croke Park and she was back at GAA headquarters on Monday putting on a display of freestyle hurling for her fellow Roses — an impressive feat in dress, sash and high heels. It encapsulated in one minute why she was so keen to pursue this opportunity, once her camogie commitments allowed.

“I love meeting new people. I do it in my job. It’s the main reason I played camogie. This is an opportunity to meet a group of women from around the world that are proud to represent where they come from and proud of their Irish heritage. That, to me, on its own, makes sense.

“Not to mind the fact that you look at the GAA and look at everything the GAA stands for; it’s all about representing where you come from and celebrating something that’s unique about Irish heritage. So if you think about it, the Rose and the GAA are actually very similar. It may mean that I do one in a pair of football boots and another in high heels but they do have a lot of similarities. So it was a very easy decision to make.

“Regardless of what people say about the Rose of Tralee, I am currently in the presence of 31 other women. I would challenge anyone to say that they are not modern. They represent everything that the Irish modern woman should. Having been in their company for the last few days, I would encourage anybody, even if they are not prepared to watch the Rose of Tralee in its entirety, to watch Rose TV. There is a camera crew that follows us around — you can see it on its social media — it gives an insight. The reception as we travel around is phenomenal. Phenomenal.”

There has been much discussion surrounding the modern woman in sport following a recent controversial article in the Sunday Independent. Geary says the debate should be welcomed but that the article itself should not be given credibility by constantly referring to it.

“I play sport at a very high level and I’m very proud to be a woman but ultimately I’m a sports person and I think any sports person, male or female, will tell you that’s how they want to be recognised.

“Fiona Coghlan, the captain of the Irish women’s rugby team said that. It’s not about men or women playing sport, it’s about sports people.

“People need to focus on the sport, not draw attention to these type articles. People can say what they want and it’s really not going to affect us.

“I wear fake tan. I like getting dressed up and I’m walking around all day in the gear. But when I play sport, it’s because I want to be recognised for the athleticism, all the things you associate with top class sports people.

“I don’t think ‘Gooch’ Cooper or these guys would appreciate it if somebody was analysing how they look, or whether they’d got their roots done. Maybe by highlighting it, it’s giving it more credit than it’s worth. It didn’t really affect me. If that’s what she thinks, that’s fine. But women’s sport has come on so much now that those articles won’t affect us.”

Geary and her colleagues have been to Roscommon, Leitrim, Athlone and Limerick since leaving Dublin and landed in Tralee last night. She is looking forward to sharing the stage with Daithí Ó Sé and making lifelong friends. Most of all though, she welcomes the opportunity to do what she has done for half her life now.

“It makes you realise that this is so much bigger than yourself. It’s about your family, your community and your county. And anytime I get to represent Cork I’m never going to complain.”