'I stepped away myself last year so it’s a personal thing for me'

Last September, Antrim's Emma Laverty was a maelstrom of emotion. There was happiness for her friends after winning the intermediate All-Ireland but the prevailing feeling was one of devastation

ULSTER DERBY: Pictured ahead of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Premier Junior Camogie Championship final is Antrim’s Emma Laverty (left) and Michelle McArdle of Armagh. Pic: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Last September, Emma Laverty was a maelstrom of emotion. There was some happiness for her friends but the prevailing feeling was one of devastation.

She had been an integral part of the rebuilding of Antrim camogie, one of the more senior players providing the necessary glue as prodigious, nascent talent poured forth from the underage and schools’ systems.