'It's so special' - Sorcha McCartan targets dream end to the Barrs' camogie journey

There’s a possibility that McCartan's next chapter may see her say goodbye to St Finbarr’s and Cork in 2026. If that is to be the case, and it might prove not, Sunday silverware would be the perfect sign off.

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025 - 06:56

Eoghan Cormican

Sorcha McCartan landed on Leeside in June of 2021. College work placement at Stryker had taken her five hours down the road from home in Castlewellan. She didn’t hang about in finding a new home. A camogie one, that is.

Consideration was given to joining St Vincent’s on the northside of Cork city. Douglas, on the southside, was also in the frame. Both had their attractions. Amy O’Connor fronts the former, the Mackey twins and Julia White led the latter.

In the end, the Barrs won out through an old and distant link to home in Castlewellan.

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Blues legend Gemma O’Connor had officially launched the Castlewellan camogie club in the mid-noughties. Over a decade later, in 2021, they still had a contact number for O’Connor and so contact was made.

Another Barrs camogie stalwart, Marian McCarthy, went and collected McCartan to ferry her to Togher for her first training session.

To have watched the Down native’s abrasive and authoritative on-field nature during the Barrs run to Sunday’s All-Ireland is to think impossible that she could ever be a bag of nerves where camogie is concerned.

“I'd say I nearly gave Marian a heart attack in the car when she brought me to that first training because I kept saying, ‘oh my God, I'm so nervous’. She was like, you’ll be grand, but I was screaming,” 24-year-old McCartan laughingly recalled this week.

McCarthy was of course right. The new girl had nothing to worry about. The welcome mat of her new home was put down by many.

“Everyone was accepting. They weren't frosty or anything, it didn't take any time to get involved with them. They took me to the beach like a week later, and after that is history.

“This group of girls are different. There's obviously a few of us that have come in because it is a city club, that happens, but they treat us as if we've been there since we were young’uns.

“This club is just filled with amazing people. Obviously sport's a huge part, but they actually care about you as a person. I can recall John Neville when he found out I was going into the Cork panel [in 2022], he was our S&C, I remember him taking me out during December, out of his own time, to come and train me to get my fitness and touch up.

“Whatever you need, the people in this club will never leave you wanting.”

St. Finbarr's Sorcha McCartan blocks a shot from Anna Connolly of Loughgiel Shamrocks. Pic: ©INPHO/Leah Scholes.

Neither has she left them wanting in this dizzying run to Sunday’s All-Ireland decider.

The free-roaming forward was the county championship’s top-scorer from play with 4-17. She’s since added 1-7 to that tally across the Munster and All-Ireland series.

Her total for a year still running is 6-53 (1-29 from the placed-ball). It’s a total and run of form she attributes to the freedom of the club stage.

“With inter-county, you have a job to do. You know that if you're not pulling your weight, there will be someone to come in and take that jersey off you. Whereas with the club, you're more free to express yourself, so you can kind of make more mistakes, and not be afraid to make mistakes.

“I don't know if this is the same for anyone, but I just think I'm less tense and I'm just going out and playing.”

“I know camogie is such a big part of it and it's not going to be there forever, but neither are your 20s, so I'm going to have to just go out and see. But look, if it comes to February or March, whenever it is, and I want to come back again, I'll see when the time comes.

“It would be a dream come true [to win on Sunday]. I never foreseen joining this club, so to be here in this journey, with this group of people, it's so special. I’d love nothing more than everyone in this club to experience that feeling.”