"Blink of an eye. It's actually scary," says Amy O'Connor as she contemplates if it really feels like this is her tenth season as part of the Cork senior camogie team.
The forward, who hails from Knocknaheeny on the northside of Cork city, is a four-time All-Ireland winner. As the Rebels aim to win their first title since 2018, O'Connor will captain the team for the second time.
"I was captain in 2020," says O'Connor, speaking ahead of the Very Camogie Leagues Division 1A final against Galway this weekend.
23 July 2022; Amy O'Connor of Cork during the Glen Dimplex Senior Camogie All-Ireland Championship Semi-Final match between Cork and Waterford at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
"It's definitely a lot different to how it was then. That's just because of Covid, there was a lot more logistically involved, being that in-between between players and management. While I am still that, it's definitely a lot less.
"I definitely learned a lot a pile about it, the role itself back in 2020. I spoke to someone earlier in the year, and they put it to me that if you sit down and think about it, in the GAA, you play on a team of 15 and a panel of 30, and ultimately your role as a captain is to collect the trophy on behalf of your team, if you're lucky enough to win.
"That's something I'm definitely thinking about a lot. My role in the dressing room hasn't changed, I haven't all of a sudden become the loudest in the dressing room, or I haven't all of a sudden become someone who says a lot. I still try to lead by example as best I can on and off the pitch.
"While it is a huge honour for my family, my club, and myself, I definitely thought about it more in 2020. Somedays I actually forget, because my role hasn't changed."
Since losing last year's All-Ireland final to Kilkenny, Cork manager Matthew Twomey has made some additions to his backroom team.
"We've brought in Wesley O'Brien as part of our S&C [team]," says O'Connor.
"We've brought in Liam Cronin as well. Wesley is probably the best in the business in terms of S&C. And Liam Cronin is right up there with some of the best coaches in the country. So, learning a pile. Which is obviously very positive and very enjoyable as well."
O'Connor made her senior debut in 2014. Since then, strength and conditioning has been one of the major influences on her camogie career.
10 September 2017; Amy O'Connor of Cork in action against Collette Dormer, centre, and Anne Dalton of Kilkenny during the Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Senior Camogie Final match between Cork and Kilkenny at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
"Obviously, physically I've got a bit bigger even though I'm still the smallest on the panel, which I can't believe! Physically, I've filled out a bit, gotten to the gym," she says.
"I don't think [being small] makes that much of a difference. In the men's game, perhaps there's a lot more physicality involved. Players are bigger. So if someone was my height on a senior inter-county men's team, it probably wouldn't be advantageous. But because in female sport, there's not that much of a difference physically, I don't think it's a disadvantage.
"You're playing with quality players every week in training. Your hurling improves, your tactical awareness improves over time working with different coaches on different styles. Those are the main changes."
This weekend's Very Camogie Leagues Division 1A final between Cork and Galway will be the second of three meetings between the sides in 10 weeks. In the final round of the league, Galway won by a point at Páirc Uí Chaoimh while they are also set to meet in the opening round of the championship in early June.
"We're not going to approach it any different," says O'Connor.
"We're going to go out and give it our best shot, and hopefully we can come away with the win. You'd hear that saying, 'Oh, we're not going to show our hand'. There's none of that, and I don't think it's Galway's style either. We go out to win every game that we can.
"I always say that we learn a pile by playing teams like Galway, by trying different things out. We won't be approaching it any differently to a championship game."
Very are calling on the nation to go to the finals in Croke Park and support the players by purchasing tickets.
See Also: Career Ending Injury Leads Derry Couple Into Inter-County Camogie Management
