When the time came for Amy O'Connor to choose between soccer and camogie, there was only going to be one winner.
Now a four-time All-Ireland winner with Cork, she has no regrets about her decision.
O'Connor played soccer at international level up to U19. She was part of the Ireland team which reached the semi-final of the European U19 Championships in 2014.
"I would have played with Sarah Rowe the whole way up," O'Connor said at the launch of the 2019 Littlewoods Camogie Leagues.
Funny, we both ended up back playing GAA. We'd always be slagging at training or whatever, that we'd have a Gaelic match the following day, 'don't tell no one.'
When we finished the Europeans, Paudie [Murray] had rang me and asked me would I be available for the panel. I was delighted.
We had the European qualifiers the following year at the same time as the All-Ireland final.
I grew up never really wanting to play senior soccer with Ireland, I never wanted to be anything - I never wanted to be a teacher, I never wanted to be a doctor - but I always wanted to be a Cork senior camogie player.
It's the only thing I've ever wanted in my life really and I just thought it was an opportunity too good to turn down. I just rang the soccer [management] and that was it really.
The 22-year-old developed a love of camogie despite growing up in a family with no sporting background.
"I actually liked the gear!" she jokes.
"From the first week I joined, I just fell in love with it. I couldn't wait to go back the following week. Genuinely, I just loved it.
"Even with the soccer growing up, I'd have a soccer match and I'd miss a camogie match - I hated doing that because I loved camogie so much. I never enjoyed soccer or Gaelic as much as playing camogie."
O'Connor had offers to play in the US, England and France but ultimately decided to stay close to home and study Pharmacy at UCC. She did so initially on a soccer scholarship, one which quickly morphed into a dual soccer and camogie deal.
"Just with ladies sport in general, I don't know if you can make a full career out of it. I wanted a career outside of sport.
"I'm such a home bird anyway! I wouldn't have left to go to England, America for a scholarship or whatever. The scholarship to UCC was worth an awful lot more to me than going to the States or England or France.
"I finished pharmacy in UCC in October. I'm with the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin now doing a Masters in Pharmacy.
"I'm based in Cork, thank God!"
Photos by Sportsfile and INPHO
