AHEAD of the Ireland v Scotland camogie-shinty clash on Saturday, Saoirse McCarthy joked how her dad was delighted telling everyone that his daughter was captain of Ireland.

He will be even prouder this week after Cork camogie star Saoirse inspired Ireland to a 5-3 to 2-0 victory in Inverness on Saturday.

The Courcey Rovers’ woman was the best player on the pitch, and scored a hat-trick of goals in her 3-1 haul. Captain Fantastic Saoirse scored two goals in the first and a third just after the restart, and Scotland couldn't handle her athleticism and touch.

Another Cork star, Ashling Thompson, also impressed for Ger Manley’s team, who led 2-1 to 2-0 at the break before pulling clear in the second half. Speaking ahead of the clash, Saoirse said getting to grips with the rule was the biggest challenge: ‘The rules take getting used to, and I don't know if we're fully used to it yet! But I think the hardest thing for us is not being able to catch the ball, especially when you're running. If you're soloing, and you need to catch the ball to look up... that's been the hardest learning curve for me. Kicking it as well – you can't kick it.’