Sport

Brilliant Buckley wins Muskerry GAA Supreme Sports Star award

January 16th, 2016 12:00 PM

By Southern Star Team

Simply the best: Rena Buckley, Inniscarra and Cork camogie, Donoughmore and Cork ladies football, was chosen as the Muskerry GAA/Auld Triangle Supreme Sports Star for 2015 at a gala awards evening at the Oriel Hotel, Ballincollig. Included here are her parents, Helen and Tim, and sister, Mary.

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Cork ladies’ GAA ace hails Eamonn Ryan’s influence

BY KIERAN McCARTHY 

THE newly crowned Muskerry Supreme Sports Star of the Year, Rena Buckley, and her Cork football teammates have a new challenge this year: to win an All-Ireland senior title without Eamonn Ryan.

The legendary Cork ladies’ manager stepped down from the role late last year to take up a position as selector with the Rebel men’s footballers, bringing an end to his reign that oversaw ten All-Ireland ladies’ football wins in 11 years.

‘We knew that Eamonn couldn’t stay training us forever and that this day would come. We knew we’d have to move on at some stage,’ Rena told The Southern Star.

‘He has given us so much on and off the field over the years, and we are grateful for the time he gave us for so long. I’d like to wish him the very best.

‘The challenge now is to win an All-Ireland without Eamonn. It’s a big challenge and hopefully we will be up to it.’ 

Last Saturday night, the dual Cork camogie and ladies’ football star was crowned Muskerry Supreme Sports Star of the Year after her exploits in 2015 that saw her win All-Ireland senior medals in both codes, bringing her total haul to a record 16, which she shares with dual teammate Briege Corkery – the inaugural winner of this Muskerry GAA award last year.

‘It’s a great award to receive and I’m delighted with it,’ Rena said.

‘This is the second year that this award has been handed out, and Briege won it last year, so it’s amazing to think that two females have won the award. It’s a huge honour and it was a great occasion.

‘It’s nice to win an award like this, especially when it’s at home and it’s where you have grown up, where you live, where you work and where your life is.’

Rena received a standing ovation from the huge crowd of over 400 people at these Auld Triangle and Muskerry GAA awards. Also on the night, the 2015 Muskerry hurling and football teams were honoured.

The 2015 Muskerry Football Team of the Year is as follows: Dominic Kelleher (Inniscarra); Daniel O’Riordan (Iveleary), Kevin Barrett (Kilmurry), Barry Murphy (Iveleary); Ger O’Riordan (Iveleary), John Carey (Dripsey), Sean O’Leary (Iveleary); Alan Sheehan (Inniscarra), Fergal Kelleher (Clondrohid); Sean Kelleher (Aghinagh), Cathal Vaughan (Iveleary), Darren Dineen (Clondrohid); James Moynihan (Canovee), Peter Kelleher (Kilmichael) and Brian Cronin (Iveleary).

The 2015 Muskerry Hurling Team of the Year is as follows: Richard O’Shea (Blarney); Brendan Hourihan (Ballinora), Aidan Ahern (Cloughduv), Liam Long (Cloughduv); Shane Healy (Donoughmore), Sean Twomey (Blarney), James McCarthy (Cloughduv); Aidan Murphy (Cloughduv), Liam O’Riain (Inniscarra); Conor Cotter (Kilmichael), Brian Ahern (Cloughduv), Pat Fitton (Ballinora); Brian Murphy (Ballinora), David Howard (Ballinora), Jerry Lucey (Cloughduv).

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