SAOIRSE McCarthy is still hurting after Cork’s All-Ireland final heartbreak last month, so she grabbed the chance to relive one of her proudest camogie moments and happier times.
The pain of the loss to Galway is still there, worsening if anything – more of that later – but a trip back to MTU’s Bishopstown Campus recently brought back great memories.
The three-time Camogie All-Star spent four years with the Cork college, starting her third-level journey in 2019 when it was still CIT (Cork Institute of Technology), and finishing in 2023 with an honours degree in sports and exercise management.
Her final year also brought a career highlight – McCarthy captained MTU Cork to Purcell Cup glory in February 2023 and was named player of the match in the final against the University of Galway.
John Meyler, Keith Ricken, Saoirse McCarthy and Kevin O'Callaghan at the launch of the 50-year celebration of the GAA Club in MTU Cork Campus. (Photo: Aisling Hennessy)
‘It’s one of my proudest moments,’ she smiles, back at her old stomping ground when MTU launched its upcoming GAA Club 50th anniversary celebrations, taking place on Monday, September 15th.
‘You only have a limited time to win a cup with your college – so to win in my final year as captain, and get player of the match in the final, really meant a lot to me.
‘We had lost the All-Ireland final (with Cork) in 2022 by a point, it was a really long winter and I was probably struggling an awful lot myself. Going back I really focused on the Purcell and playing with MTU, so to go out and win it was really, really special.
‘You make such good friends on your college team too. There were four Courceys girls on the team, including Fiona Keating. The Purcell is a really special one to win, and I’ll always count it up there with the other All-Irelands I’ve won.’
Saoirse McCarthy was named player of the match in the 2023 Purcell Cup final.
McCarthy (24) has developed into one of the top camogie players in the country, and she attributes much of her rise to the time spent at MTU Cork.
‘I owe the college an awful lot – it played such an important part in my camogie career,’ she says.
‘When I started in 2019 I was coming off a summer when I didn’t get a whole lot of game-time with Cork. I also had a very average club campaign that year. But getting stuck in at CIT in my first year reignited that love of camogie. I really enjoyed it, loved that there was no pressure attached to it and that I got to go out and play.
‘The support within the college is fantastic too, with Keith Ricken (MTU Student Services Manager) and Kevin O’Callaghan (MTU GAA Officer). They had huge parts to play in why I enjoyed my time there so much.’
MTU Cork helped equip McCarthy with the tools to take on the world, both sporting and professional. Those who know her best will vouch that she will conquer both, given her energy, application and work ethic. But there will be bumps in the road – like the recent All-Ireland camogie final loss to Galway.
The stars were meant to align as McCarthy and the Rebels chased three in a row, but Galway had other ideas and edged an epic 1-14 to 1-13.
We’re almost one month on from that Croke Park heartache, and it still hurts.
Saoirse McCarthy lifts the Purcell Cup after MTU Cork’s win in February 2023.
‘I actually think it gets worse,’ McCarthy admits.
‘At the time you are still in the bubble … obviously it hurts, but when you stand back and look at what you left behind you or maybe didn’t do, it makes it more real.
‘Everyone has to get on with their lives but it’s still a tricky one – you’d be driving down the road, and you remember it, and think of something that you didn’t think of before.
‘I have played the match back in my head a million times. There’s been a few sleepless nights. You think of something – it could be a missed ball and you think “what might have happened if I did this or did that”.
‘You’re not meant to dwell on it, but you can’t help having these thoughts because we were disappointed.
‘We didn’t become a bad team overnight and I am still immensely proud of what we achieved, but we are all heartbroken.’
She knows what it’s like to win the big prize – and has done it three times – but she has also suffered the anguish of defeat. She won’t ignore that feeling; it’s part of the learning process.
‘You have to feel the hurt – there is no point in pushing it out or pushing it away. Feeling it and knowing how much it did mean is a really good thing because that means winning will mean more when you do,’ the Cork star explains.
‘There are learnings that we will take from this, definitely, as we move on to next year which will give us the chance to right those wrongs. We need to learn and grow from this.
‘It can be tough, but it’s about getting back on the horse. I played a challenge game with Courceys the Wednesday after the All-Ireland. The body was a bit sore and I was mentally drained, but I felt I needed to blow off some steam.’
McCarthy will bounce back. She’s made of tough stuff, and her journey with county, club and college has steeled this classy Courceys trailblazer. Those MTU memories are good ones to relive, a reminder of great days she shared with friends – a huge chapter in her ongoing story.
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MTU Student GAA Club will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a special event on September 15th at MTU’s Bishopstown Campus in Cork. The evening will kick off with food and refreshments at 6.30pm, offering current students, alumni, staff, and friends of the club a chance to reconnect and reminisce. This will be followed by a panel discussion at 7pm, featuring a selection of former MTU players and club members, who will share their memories and reflections on how the GAA club has shaped campus life and sporting culture over the decades.
