By Daragh Ó Conchúir
Laura Treacy thought last year’s victory was the sweetest but contemplating how Sunday’s Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie final against Galway had unfolded and how for a while, there was a worry she would not be involved at all, the Killeagh stalwart determined that medal number six might just be the most valuable of them all.
There would have been few arguments about Ashling Thompson’s selection as official player of the match but Treacy was monumental and was surely in the reckoning. It’s what we have come to expect from a player that has just concluded her 13th season.
She began life at this level as a teenage corner-back following her introduction by Paudie Murray in 2012 and progressed to full-back after Anna Geary’s retirement.
Stepping into the shoes of Gemma O’Connor, she has really blossomed as a player in recent years as a ball-playing, creative centre-back with the game knowledge to cut off potential danger with sublime positioning and movement but also the necessary ruggedness to force turnovers in the collision zone.
The 29-year-old has been there and seen it all but it doesn’t get better than this.
“I said in an interview with RTÉ last year after we winning the All-Ireland that I thought that was going to be the sweetest All-Ireland ever but I think they get sweeter as they go on,” says a smiling Treacy.
“I guess you put so much work into one specific thing. Our lives are camogie from when we go back early January until now. Sleep, food, work revolves around it. Family. Friends. So to get a reward at the end of the day, it makes it all so special.”
It has not been a straightforward year for her, even if Cork were moving serenely through the Championship before Galway provided them with the stiffest of examinations at HQ.
“I can look back and say it’s all worth it now but obviously you can come off on the opposite side of things as easy and Galway put up a huge performance against us and we really struggled for parts of that game I think.
“But we dug deep there at the end. We kept tipping away, we didn’t panic and we’re so grateful to come out the right side.”
Treacy’s desire to be on the pitch transformed a hamstring train into a 10cm tear that was dangerous close to a tendon issue. Crucially, she explains, the tear when upwards towards her glutes rather than downwards in the direction of her knee.
“It was a really tough time, I’m not going to lie. I’ve never had a long-term injury and it really opened my eyes to the girls who have been through that, like Ashling Thompson, Ciara Sull (O’Sullivan) coming on today – really proud of her.
“Gráinne Cahalane got a bad injury just a few weeks ago and Libby Coppinger has been out all year. I was lucky,
“I did a 2B, 2C almost tear in my hamstring. It wasn’t as bad to begin with and I went back running and it went again. I wasn’t maybe as patient as I probably should have been. I was doing what I was told but putting the physio under pressure to get me back. That’s my own fault and I’ve learned a lot from those times.
“There was always an aim to be back. When I was going to be back I don’t know. It’s very difficult when you’re not seeing fast improvements – I wouldn’t say I’m the most patient person.
“When you come around and get to perform in Croke Park again, it makes it all worth it. But when you’re stuck in the thick of (rehab), God you have some isolating, low days. You really have to pull yourself out of that and keep going.”
While not necessarily knowing what was to come – Galway started with Niamh Mallon on the wing in direct opposition to one of the summer’s most dominant figures, Laura Hayes, and sited Niamh Hanniffy and Carrie Dolan – Cork knew enough about the manager of the Tribeswomen that they expected a different picture to be presented than what they had seen to date.
In the end, it came down to honesty – in words first and then in effort on the pitch.
“I think we were expecting them to do something. They’re such an incredible team and Cathal Murray has so much experience with that crew as well. So I wasn’t surprised to see Niamh Mallon out on the wing and Carrie Dolan inside but they worked extremely hard. They turned us over a lot in the middle of the field and they got scores from that and got success from that, especially in the first half.
“We really had to dig deep and we had harsh words at half-time and we had to just go out and give it our all and thankfully we’re out the right side of it.
“We’re a very honest group with each other. When our backs are against the wall, nobody takes things personally but there is always going to be harsh words when things aren’t going right or people maybe aren’t performing to their best. We knew we had more in us at half-time and we came out and performed well for about ten minutes and we got a lot of return from that hard work.
“But then Galway, as Galway do, they always come back into the game. Carrie Dolan with super frees. We were never going to get that far ahead of them to be comfortable but thankfully we’re here with the O’Duffy Cup again.”
