Ciara’s comeback gets glorious end she has earned

BY SEÁN HOLLAND

CIARA O’Sullivan’s journey back to the pinnacle of camogie is a story of true resilience and determination.

After being sidelined with a serious knee injury in February 2023, the Newcestown star faced the heartache of missing Cork's All-Ireland victory last year. However, her return in 2024 was nothing short of monumental, culminating in Cork's thrilling 1-16 to 0-16 triumph over Galway in the All-Ireland senior camogie final.

Reflecting on the victory, O’Sullivan’s emotions were a blend of disbelief and overwhelming joy.

‘It's absolutely unbelievable,’ she said. ‘I feel like it hasn't set in at all yet. I think it will really set in maybe next week or something. We're just still in our bubble at the moment.’

The weight of this win was intensified by the memories of the previous year.

‘It was definitely tough last year,’ she admitted. ‘As much as you're still part of the squad and the training panel, to get your own All-Ireland medal and to play on the day, I was just so happy. It was unbelievable’.

Once she was able to play, to get back up to intercounty speed, O’Sullivan found herself with Cork's intermediate team. This environment provided her with the perfect platform to regain her rhythm and confidence.

‘I just think that playing intermediate allowed me to get back into the swing of it, get my touch right, get my fitness right, and get up to speed with the pace of that game. From there then move on to the pace of senior,’ she noted.

The camaraderie within the Cork intermediate setup helped further bolster her spirits.

‘In Cork, we all know each other. We all play with each other at various stages throughout our lives. There were girls on that intermediate team that I played with all the way up through the different age groups. So it was great as well that you could just go into that environment and walk straight in and sit in with them. They were brilliant. I really enjoyed it,’ she admitted.

While the senior team's focus was on their impending clash with Galway, O’Sullivan wasn’t able to watch the All-Ireland intermediate final, but once she emerged for her warm-up, her heart swelled with pride watching the intermediates clinch their own victory.

‘I wasn't able to see any of it. When we came out, they just blew the whistle for half-time’, she recalled. ‘I actually didn't even know that they had won. We were doing our warm-up, and I could see the Cork jerseys running across the pitch with the cup and I just knew then that they were ecstatic. I was delighted for them. I think that gave me a bit of a lift to see all those friends that I shared a lot of time with this year get their medals’.

As for her role in the final, O’Sullivan remained ever-prepared, even if specifics were kept under wraps until the last moment.

‘Well, Ger (Manley) wouldn't tell us anything. I think he just expects everyone to prepare as if they're coming on. I knew that I had come on the last couple of the games, so there was a strong chance that I'd be called upon on Sunday. I was just grateful to take the opportunity when I came on then.’

Stepping onto the pitch, initial nerves quickly transformed into determination.

‘I was probably a bit nervous watching from the sideline throughout the game. But then once when you're called upon, you're just in focus mode and you're ready to go. I just knew I had the energy and work-rate to track back the field and help us transition forward. And once I took care of my role, and we all took care of our own roles, the game would look after itself,’ she said.

The culmination of her efforts, and those of her teammates, was realised when the final whistle sounded.

‘I think I was just so relieved that we won and that it was over’, O’Sullivan confessed. ‘Because Liz (Dempsey) was really playing a lot of extra time, six or seven minutes on the clock, and I was really wondering if it would ever end. When she did blow it up, I think it was just almost a sense of relief. I was over the moon, to be honest. I couldn't believe it. I think a lot of us have said that we really believed this year that we would win. So for us to just get across the line then, it was our goal, it was like a box ticked for us’.

For O’Sullivan, that tick marked not just another All-Ireland for Cork but a personal triumph over adversity.