MOIRA Barrett is no stranger to the West Cork Sports Star Awards – and it’s her leadership qualities that keep bringing her back for more.

In 2018, Moira was crowned the overall West Cork Sports Star Youth Award winner after captaining Cork to a first-ever All-Ireland minor A camogie title. Seven years later, she returned to the Celtic Ross Hotel in Rosscarbery to collect a monthly award after skippering her club Ballinascarthy to county intermediate glory.

It’s no coincidence that, as captain, Moira has steered various teams to the top.

‘Moira made one of the greatest half-time speeches that could ever be told. It would put the hair up on the back of your neck,’ Bal’s Clara Crowley told The Star Sport Podcast after the club’s county final triumph against Sliabh Rua.

Moira takes a modest approach when pressed on what exactly she said at half-time in that intermediate decider at Castle Road, with Bal leading 2-4 to 0-3 at the break.

‘I’m not exactly sure what I said,’ Moira laughs.

‘I was just trying to get everyone to hold on and not let it go,’ she adds, pointing to Bal’s one championship defeat – that group-game slip against Sliabh Rua when they led at half-time before losing by a point, 0-15 to 2-8. That one stung.

‘That first night against Sliabh Rua, we were winning by six at half-time and we let them back in, and lost by a point. So at half-time in the final I just said to think of that feeling, that we don’t want that again,’ Moira says.

Award winner Moira Barrett with her family; from left, Anne, Mary, Mags and Con. (Photo: Martin Walsh)

Her team-mates responded, as Ballinascarthy conquered the county once more. Twelve months after capturing the premier junior crown, they were intermediate champions, beating Sliabh Rua 3-7 to 1-9 in October. Cue the celebrations.

The seeds for success were sown the day they’d lost that group game. It didn’t derail Bal – they won four and drew one of their six group matches to finish in the top two – but it did shape them.

‘The character we showed when we lost to Sliabh Rua by a point stuck with me,’ Moira says.

‘We were sickened by the loss, by the feeling that we had left that behind us. The attitude within the group is so good; no-one felt we were done, it was more “we’re ready to go again”.’

Moira always felt Ballinascarthy could make a splash in their first year at intermediate. She recalls an early-season meeting where she said Bal had a chance to make an impact.

‘Maybe people thought I was deluded,’ she laughs, but she believed in the potential of this group. And they delivered. So did Moira in the county final, scoring 2-3 and being named player of the match. But she’s quick to point elsewhere too, like full back Kaela O’Driscoll.

‘The forwards always seem to get player of the match, but we gave up only one goal in six championship games, and that was in the last five minutes of the final,’ Moira notes.

‘Our full back was unreal all year. My marker even said to me during the county final “Your full back hasn’t put a foot wrong all season”. Kaela is unreal. The backs were phenomenal all the way through.’

Bal captain fantastic Moira Barrett receives the cup.

Now Bal step into premier intermediate in 2026, joining Carbery neighbours Newcestown, Clonakilty and Enniskeane. Crucially, back-to-back county champions Bal carry serious momentum.

‘It will definitely be another step up,’ she accepts.

‘People might think we were lucky to go up straight away, but I don’t think it was luck – we were consistent all the way through. We played six games with the top two in the final. There were no semi-finals, so no room for error.’

The age profile is another plus.

‘Martina (O’Brien) and Kate (O’Donovan) are the two outliers!’ Moira jokes.

‘Clara (Crowley) is next at 26, I’m 25, and everyone else is younger. And we have good numbers coming up, so we’re building all the time.’

With Moira leading the way, who knows how far this story can go. They are ready for their next challenge.

• The 2025 West Cork Sports Star Awards will be held at the Celtic Ross Hotel in Rosscarbery on Saturday, January 17th, 2026.