Hurling Hands: Amy O'Connor - 'Dónal Óg Cusack said one time that a day you leave the hurley down is a day lost'

Before I say anything at all about my hands I have to put something on the record: I have the coldest hands in the world if you want the complete truth! I’d wear gloves in the warm-up before games most of the time, and I always have hand-warmers in the gloves and in my skort pockets.

Injury-wise my hands are good. They’re in great condition and I’ve never broken anything, touch wood. Over the years I’ve had small niggles and injuries - the ligament in my thumb might have been strained, or the ligaments in my wrist. When that happens I’d use a squeeze ball to build up the muscle and the grip in my hands to recover, but that hasn’t happened in a while, and I wouldn’t use a ball like that - or anything else - to build up the strength in my hands.