BY DARAGH Ó CONCHÚIR
LIBBY Coppinger has been defending her patch as full-back for most of her near decade on the Cork senior camogie team.
The four All-Irelands and two All-Star awards accumulated since being called up in 2016 and establishing herself the following season provide irrefutable evidence that she is in the finest traditions of Cork full-backs, though injury prevented her from playing a part on the pitch last year. Think resolute, think resilient, with not a dream of taking a backward step. A sure touch makes her the ideal blend of silk and steel.
Coppinger also provides an invaluable defensive shield in her professional life, as a depository officer with Alter Domus, a funds services company.
'When a fund is set up, there needs to be a depository appointed to it,' Coppinger explains. 'We’re not involved in the investments or anything like that, but protecting the investor. It’s kind of like a version of an audit. We’re just ensuring everything’s done properly and all the rules are being followed.'
A pretty significant pivot in 2021 brought the 28-year-old to this point, having graduated in public health. Life is, after all, one long journey of self-discovery, where the learning never stops.
There was never any doubt about Coppinger’s insatiable desire to wear the Blood and Bandage, however. West Cork would not be a traditional camogie stronghold but nobody told the girl from Kealkill and with St Colum’s providing a steady foundation, she soared.
While playing further up the field for the Rebels with the big ball and regularly getting among the scores, Coppinger’s job description with a camán has always been about minding the house. As the game has evolved, so too have the full-back’s challenges, to an extent. The job description remains the same.
'I think as a whole in camogie, the skill is gone phenomenal, and there’s some excellent hurlers out there. As a back, you’re going out to mark your player, and there’s obviously times where there’s sweepers and everything involved. But you just have to try win your battle with the forward. So that hasn’t changed. Just make sure they don’t score!
'I think maybe there’s a bit more licence to do a bit of hurling yourself. Before, you were probably just there to stop them playing. Now you’re playing a bit yourself as well. We talk about the forwards being the first line of the defence so the same way, we’re the first line of attack. You’re trying to give the ball to the player in the best position out the field. So hurling-wise, just in general, everyone’s kind of gone up a level.
'I suppose possession has become such a big part of the game now, whereas before, both sides might just try and get the ball down the field and clear their lines. So, there are more of those runs inside (rather than standing under a dropping ball). And they’re making a couple of runs. You’re trying to track them everywhere. So you have to be concentrating the whole game, make sure you’re not ball-watching. You might not touch the ball as much and to be honest, it’s nearly easier to be concentrating on the game when you’re on the ball the whole time. So that mental part of it is always there.'
Another constant is that Improvement and evolution continue to be the watchwords of the Coppinger code, but they are at the core of the Rebels’ success too.
There are always new peaks to scale, in terms of KPIs within games and through a season. And while the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Championship is the overriding priority in every term, securing a first Very League Division 1A medal had high value for Coppinger and most of her equally garlanded teammates. Only the Mackey twins and Ashling Thompson had been involved the last time Cork had won it, a dozen years ago.
'We were disappointed after our showing when we played Galway in the last round so we were very grateful to get to play them again just a few weeks later, when a cup was on the line as well. So it was good to win it.
'I think we got a lot from the League, players-wise, building, people getting game time and everything like that. We had been going for the League the last few years, so it was nice to actually get over the line this year. We’re happy out to have the medal.'
Coppinger was her usual authoritative self, having missed the Leesiders’ run to a second straight All-Ireland last year with a Grade 3C (very serious) hamstring tear. And while it did make her think about the mileage she has built up over the years playing both codes for Cork, she could not bring herself to lighten her load just yet.
Meanwhile, she hopes integration of the Gaelic games associations will take place in 2027, as promised, and will aid those that want to play both codes, particularly at club level.
'I probably did think about playing the two more than ever before. I guess it was about getting the body back to the standard it was at but I felt this year, I kind of just had to give it a go. There’s no point in throwing in the towel before you even try.
'But unfortunately, it’s just getting that bit harder. I know it ended my season last year, and you just want to park it but it still carries over, unfortunately, to the following year more than you’d like it to. But I’m happy to go another year. The decision is closer than I’d like it to be, but we’re gonna keep going for as long as we can anyway.
'I don’t really know where we’re at, at the minute with the integration. When we heard about it, you’re happy to hear it but it’s kind of, ‘Will it happen before the end of my playing career?’
'Obviously, there’s three of us (as dual players with Cork – Hannah Looney and Aoife Healy the others), and there’s more girls in other counties, and we’re kind of, I suppose, highlighting it at a an inter county level, but it happens all over the place with clubs. So I would just like to see more togetherness and communication throughout that.
'It’s our choice to play at inter-county level, and that makes it a bit more complicated. But the amount of girls playing dual all over the country, it’s great to see, and we don’t want to discourage that, especially when so many girls are walking away from sport as it is.
'So hopefully integration will happen and it will be beneficial to us all.'
A minor setback did rule her out of the early stages of this year’s Championship but she was back in situ for the defeat of Clare last weekend and is looking forward to building on that at Chadwicks Wexford Park this afternoon (2pm).
'Nothing’s been perfect yet, but we’re kind of building every game and trying to get through it and get to that semi-final spot and then reassess after that. But we still have Wexford coming, so all eyes are on that. You’re not looking further ahead at all.
'There’s been a few injuries and stuff along the way for different players throughout our panel. But thankfully, we do have good depth there, and everyone’s kind of fighting for that jersey, which creates good competition.
'We’re really just trying to go after our own performances in games, and you hope that the result will take care of itself then. You’re trying to raise your standards all the time. You might win by a few scores or whatever, but might have been the prettiest. So you’re always trying to review the game and learn from it. And we’ve been doing that throughout the year.'
The headline news? There’s more to come. From Coppinger, and from Cork.
