From Croke Park to Kenya, 2023 is a year Camogie All-Star Libby Coppinger won’t forget

BY GER McCARTHY

FROM winning an All-Ireland camogie senior medal, second All-Star award and helping plant one million trees in Africa, Libby Coppinger has lived the fastest 12 months of her young life.

It’s August 6th, 2023. All-Ireland final day. The Cork camogie panel are back at Croke Park for the third year in a row and searching for a first senior title since 2018.

Waterford are Matthew Twomey’s team’s surprise opponents but the plan remains unchanged: bring the O’Duffy Cup back to Leeside.

Libby’s recollections of those last few moments before taking the field on All-Ireland final day remain as vivid as when she experienced them. The next hour will either represent the culmination of over three year’s preparations or an unthinkable third consecutive All-Ireland final loss.

‘There is always a bit of nervousness before an All-Ireland final but for me, I like having that,’ the Kealkill woman says.

‘You have to balance it with not being too nervous and being fully focussed. We had a lot of close games in the build-up to that final and knew we needed to perform for a full 60 minutes.

‘Suffering the heartache of losing an All-Ireland (final) and knowing what that feels like, it was a case of do or die that day against Waterford, to be honest.

‘I felt, after everything we had been through, that if we weren’t ready there and then inside that Croke Park dressing room then we would never be.

‘Thankfully, it all came together for us on that day.’

‘Seeing the smiles on the children’s faces when you sing and dance with them is something I will never forget’

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YOU’RE UNBELIEVABLE

From the moment the sliotar was thrown in, Cork proved they were more than ready. Taking the game to Waterford, Twomey’s team played like a team possessed and emerged the most convincing of 5-13 to 0-9 winners.

It took a full team effort to become All-Ireland champions but Libby, like every Cork player and supporter, was appreciative of their captain’s role in that success. Amy O’Connor stole all the following week’s headlines with a personal haul of 3-7. The three goals O’Connor netted in 119 devastating seconds will go down in camogie and Croke Park history. Libby was grateful to have a front row seat.

Having marked her captain throughout the year in practice games, Libby was in no doubt that Amy O’Connor’s new nickname, Amy 3:7, is a merited moniker.

‘That woman (Amy O’Connor) is unbelievable,’ the St Colum’s dual star admits.

‘Amy personifies everything you would want in a captain. She puts in all the hard work but also delivers out on the pitch when it matters most. Typical of her, she didn’t want to take any individual credit afterwards and was more interested in the whole Cork squad getting all the praise.

‘There are a lot of leaders in the Cork camogie senior dressing-room but to witness what Amy did, on the biggest day of the year, was something special.

‘I am sick of marking or just running after her in training (laughs)! Amy is one of Cork’s best ever players and scoring that 3-7 in the All-Ireland final couldn’t have happened at a better time for her either. She deserved it for all the hard work she put in.

‘I was so delighted for her. We had a great time bringing the O’Duffy Cup back to her club, St Vincent’s as well. We had a great night out there.’

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HEY NOW, YOU’RE AN ALL-STAR

2023 ended with Libby picking up her second camogie All-Star award to add to her 2022 accolade. It proved a memorable evening for the Cork seniors with Matthew Twomey winning Manager of the Year and eight of the All-Ireland winning Cork team also receiving All-Star trophies. Amy O’Connor, Katrina Mackey, Hannah Looney, Meabh Cahalane, Laura Treacy, Amy Lee and Saoirse McCarthy were the Cork All-Stars on stage with the Carbery camogie trailblazer that evening.

‘Winning an All-Star the previous year was a massive shock,’ she admits.

‘It is a massive honour to win but what we (Cork) wanted more than anything coming into this year were All-Ireland medals.

‘It made this year extra sweet and I am hugely grateful to have won another All-Star. I was delighted to be in attendance this year as well and get to experience the event with my family and the other Cork girls. I was in Africa 12 months ago.

‘These are lovely individual accolades and you are never going to turn one down! Camogie is a team game though and I enjoy sharing any Cork successes with my team as much as anything else.

‘My throat was sore from roaring all the Cork winners on that night!’

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SOWING THE SEEDS OF LOVE

Libby is only a few days removed from returning from her second trip to Africa, as she chats to us about her busy year. She, along with a group of inter-county GAA, LGFA and camogie players as part of Plant the Planet Games 2023 – a fundraising campaign organised by Warriors for Humanity, Self Help Africa and the Gaelic Players Association – travelled to Kenya in November. The aim of the annual trips is to plant one million trees to help local communities as well as take part in an exhibition GAA game and visit cultural and climate-related projects.

Although still recovering from her tiring exertions, the St Colum’s star was delighted to have made the trip to Kenya.

‘Even though it was my second trip, I still struggle to put into words what an amazing experience it was,’ she says.

‘I knew a bit more of what to expect going over this year. The goal of the trip was still the same, to raise enough money to plant a million trees. What we did over there this time was slightly different.

‘I am still in awe of every person we met over in Kenya. They are the nicest people you will ever meet. They welcome you with open arms. Maybe we get to see a different version of their lives when we are over there but they have so little yet would give you everything they have. It is amazing.

‘The Kenyans are so grateful for all the little things we are doing for them. That’s why it is so important to see first-hand the positive impact it will have on those families and to get to know them as well.

‘Seeing the smiles on the children’s faces when you sing and dance with them is something I will never forget. The group you travel over with is very special as are the bonds you build with them. It is great to get the opportunity to get to know those players off the field.’