Dorgan still loving every step of her long road back to Croke Park

Linda Dorgan returns to the Jones Road venue a full 17 years after winning an All-Ireland senior medal with Cork.

Sat, 13 Dec, 2025 - 07:21

Therese O’Callaghan

Forty-two-year-old mother of two Linda Dorgan is honoured to be leading out her Ballincollig camogie team onto Croke Park for Sunday’s AIB All-Ireland intermediate camogie club championship final (2pm).

She returns to the Jones Road venue a full 17 years after winning an All-Ireland senior medal with Cork.

The Grenagh native grew up in a lively house with her 12 siblings. She was the youngest girl, sandwiched between two brothers.

“I have six brothers and six sisters, I’m the third youngest,” she says. “We live behind the pitch, so I was out playing with the brothers all the time. We were just thrown out the door and let off. I have two younger brothers and one above me, there was just a year between us all.

“The boys played with Grenagh, and Aidan played senior football with Cork, he was on the ’99 panel when they got to the All-Ireland final (lost to Meath).

“I’ve a sister in New York and a brother in London and they’ll watch it from there, and the rest will probably travel up.”

In the early days, Linda lined out with Grenagh, before making the move to Ballincollig.

“I joined Ballincollig in 2009/2010. Our club in Grenagh had disbanded. I was playing with Muskerry and I knew the Ballincollig girls, we won a county together. They were welcoming. They were senior at the time.

“I captained Ballincollig in 2013 when we were beaten by Milford in the final. It’s a nice honour to be captain again, but it is just one link in the chain.”

It’s rare to find someone with such a long, unbroken service, except when her son Blake was born.

“I had Blake in December 2017, so that was a year out.

“I had Mikayla two years ago, she was born in June and I played championship in August.

“The club is good and you give back as much as you can, while you can. It is not a task going training, you just get yourself as fit as you can.

“I was more driven than anything to get back when I had the kids, I think it is important for them to have something to look up to. They’d come out training with me, Blake would hit the balls out to me so I could hit them over the bar. Mikayla would run around.

“It never came into my mind to retire. The underage structure in Ballincollig is great.”

Living in Grenagh with her husband Kieran Ryan and their two children, the hour round trip to training is never a chore.

“I enjoy it so much. The club has been brilliant to get us back up senior. We’re enjoying the occasion and the support is great. It is nice for the community, and is a good boost.

“After Munster, the road opened up in front of us and it is a road that is reachable. Eglish (semi-final) were hard to get by, but we got over the line. And then you see Croke Park ahead of you and an All-Ireland final.”

Although, it was the furthest thing from their minds when they drew with Ballygarvan in the Cork final.

“It was one game at a time. Getting over Ballygarvan in a replay, you would never have thought of getting to an All-Ireland final. It is very special, a dream come through.”

If Ballincollig are to overcome the Camross challenge, Linda is hoping her prior experience will count.

“I played with Cork seniors from 2007 to 2013 - I've won one senior All-Ireland in 2008 and I have two Intermediate All-Irelands.

“I came on in the 2008 final so I played in Croke Park. I remember it well, playing Galway.

“Leah (Weste) is the only other one of our team who played there.

“We’ll surely enjoy it and the build-up, but you need to stay grounded. The girls will, they are a brilliant bunch and management have us focused.

“We will travel by bus on the morning of the game. It’s all new to us. Very professional nowadays, it is different to travelling around Cork to matches. We travelled up to Offaly to play Eglish, so that was a stepping stone to Sunday.”