AFTER a tremendous decade of service, four-time All-Ireland senior winner Martina O’Brien has hung up her inter-county gloves.
The Ballinascarthy woman has decided to retire from Cork football, but will continue to play club football with Clonakilty.
The 32-year-old West Cork woman made her senior inter-county debut in 2013 and was the natural heir to legendary shot-stopper Elaine Harte, who retired from the Cork set-up in early 2014. O’Brien was back-up to Harte when the Rebels won the 2013 All-Ireland senior crown, the first of four Brendan Martin Cup triumphs for the Bal woman.
When Harte exited stage left O’Brien grabbed her chance with both hands and became an ever-present between the posts for Cork, winning further All-Ireland titles in 2014 and ’15 under Eamonn Ryan, and in 2016 with Ephie Fitzgerald as manager.
The experienced shot-stopper also won six Division 1 football league medals and five Munster senior medals with Cork during a hugely-decorated career, and she captained the Rebels in 2021 following West Cork’s title success in the 2020 Cork senior football championship.
In fact, 2020 was a dream year for O’Brien. As well as winning the county senior title with West Cork and the county intermediate football crown with Clonakilty, she was named on the 2020 LGFA Senior Team of the Championship and was also selected as the 2020 Munster Ladies Footballer of the Year.
This season new Cork boss Shane Ronayne rotated the number one jersey between O’Brien and Mourneabbey’s Meabh O'Sullivan, with the latter giving the nod in the All-Ireland senior championship.
O’Brien has always been recognised as a leader, at club and county level, and her experience will be missed in the Cork set-up.
‘She’s commanding. She’s a great shot-stopper. She has a presence. She’s a great reader of the game. And she’s a leader,’ Elaine Harte told The Southern Star in 2020 – and that’s rich praise from the eight-time All-Ireland winner.
‘Her communication is excellent and that’s very important as a goalkeeper, she’s always talking, always keeping her defenders on their toes and always keeping them alert to the dangers.’
With her inter-county chapter now closed, O’Brien will give her full attention to club football with Clonakilty, who compete in the senior county championship, and club camogie with her home club, Bal.
