Cork's Amy O'Connor not taking success for granted

Having won six All-Ireland camogie titles with Cork, Amy O'Connor knows the effort it takes to be successful.

O'Connor returned from over seven months out with a foot injury in Cork's Very League final win over Galway—her first league title with the Rebels.

The time away from the sport made the 28-year-old eager to return, particularly as a leader in the group.

"I picked up a bit of an injury last year in the All-Ireland final, and I was out for seven and a half months. It definitely made me more hungry to get back, to be better than ever, so that put things into perspective for me.

"It was hard. The end goal is getting back doing what you love. That was it. It took longer than I was hoping for initially, but it was all about getting back to do the thing I love the most. Sunday was my first full game back after all that. I got so much enjoyment out of being back.

"This is my 12th year now, so you're a bit more experienced and you've been around a bit. You've played in the bigger games. You step into those leadership roles you may not have had when you first came onto the panel."

At the time O'Connor joined the Cork panel, alongside her were Méabh Cahalane, Laura Treacy, Libby Coppinger, and Hannah Looney—names who have all contributed to Cork's success.

O'Connor has been key to everything Cork has achieved over the years, but also knows the feeling of coming up short.

In 2023, O'Connor put in one of the greatest performances in an All-Ireland final, scoring 3-7 in the victory over Waterford.

Attention will quickly turn to the championship, with Cork facing Clare in the Munster semi-final as they bid for a third consecutive All-Ireland title.

The Cork forward insists this team is far from the finished article, and warned