‘CIARA’S an O’Sullivan from Newcestown, and they don’t lie down too easily,’ says John Wilson.

‘She’s tough, like all the O’Sullivans – they are always up for the battle.’

That goes some way to explaining why Ciara O’Sullivan – tough as nails – has battled back from two cruciate injuries in less than three years to earn her place back on the Cork senior camogie panel.

‘It’s a very hard thing to come back from, two cruciates, but fair play to her. She’s back again and mad to drive on,’ added Wilson, who is over the Newcestown premier intermediate camogie team along with Colleen Twomey.

‘It shows Ciara’s strength, you know.’

O’Sullivan’s first cruciate injury suffered in February 2023, in the Ashbourne Cup, ended her season. But she came back the following year, won her place in the Cork senior squad and even featured in the Rebels’ All-Ireland final triumph against Galway in 2024.

Last year, on the Tuesday night before the All-Ireland final, O’Sullivan suffered her second cruciate. A disaster, just days out from the biggest game of the year.

The long, and now familiar, journey back began.

Ciara O'Sullivan with her sister Karen who was on the Cork minor camogie panel this year.

On Saturday, June 6th, nine months after her operation, O’Sullivan made her second comeback, called on off the bench late in Cork’s terrific All-Ireland series Group 1 opening win away to Galway.

The Newcestown star hadn’t even played a challenge game beforehand.

‘She’s incredible. So many people wouldn’t be able to cope with that injury happening again, but she just took it on the chin, had her time, and worked her way back,’ says Noelle Buckley, chairperson of Newcestown camogie club.

The O’Sullivan genes, like Wilson intimates, are strong. Ciara’s brother Cormac lines out with Newcestown, and her sister Karen, a Cork minor this year, plays camogie with the club too. Ciara’s uncle is Jim O’Sullivan, Newcestown senior football manager, and his sons – Richard, Seamus and Tadg – are all cousins. Move outside the county, and Ciara has cousins who play with Boherlahan in Tipperary – Doireann Ryan plays for Boherlahan and a Tipperary minor this season, Charlie Ryan is a Tipp U20 hurler, and Euan and Harry Ryan play for their club too.

Back home in Newcestown, the club take huge pride in the fact that two of their players – Claire Kingston is involved with Cork, alongside O’Sullivan – are representing this remarkable GAA hotbed at the highest level.

‘Ciara and Claire have always been involved at underage level with Cork, so when you’re making those teams all along, you just keep carrying on up. They’re two very good players, so it's great to see them there,’ Wilson says.

Newcestown duo Saoirse McCarthy and Claire Kingston at the Cork camogie press evening ahead of the All-Ireland senior final. (Photo: George Hatchell)

Two buses packed with supporters will depart from Newcestown early on Sunday morning, heading to the capital where Cork will take on Galway in the biggest camogie game of the season in Croke Park. They travel to support the Rebels, and two of their own club women.

‘We’re absolutely thrilled for the two girls. They work so hard and they’re great club members as well as great club players,’ Buckley says.

‘They’ve both had to deal with injuries too – Claire is still managing one at the moment, and Ciara has come back yet again with such bravery and commitment. It's incredible. They’re two wonderful girls and, as a club, we’re extremely proud of them.’

Kingston has already tasted success this season. She was full back on the UCC team that won the Ashbourne Cup in February, the college’s first success in this competition in 23 years. Remarkably, it was her third Ashbourne title in a row, having won with UL in 2024 and ’25. And she was named at full back on the third level colleges’ team of the year. She then made her first senior start for Cork in the Division 1 league opener against Waterford. So, it’s been another season of progression.

Wilson knows O’Sullivan and Kingston better than most, and highlights what they bring to the table.

Claire Kingston with her grandmother Kathleen Fitzpatrick after the Newcestown player won a West Cork Sports Star monthly award this year.

‘Ciara brings great drive.  She pushes teams on and drives things forward. There's no holding back with her – it’s all about go, go, go. She doesn't like people holding back. It’s the same with Claire. They're both ambitious and they both want to drive forward all the time. That's just the way they are,’ he says.

‘They’re leaders as well. They lead by example and, in general, they’re leaders around the group. That’s a big strength they both have.’

The Newcestown duo’s talent and work ethic have taken them to the top in camogie, and they are heroes for young girls in their club who can see the path ahead of them. Like Luke Meade with the Cork hurlers previously and David Buckley currently with the Cork footballers, Newcestown has the knack of developing senior inter-county quality players.

‘When you’re one of the younger girls in the club and you’ve players like that, hopefully winning on Sunday, and with a big crowd from Newcestown up there supporting them, that should inspire the young girls. That's what they’ll want to do as well – follow in their footsteps,’ Wilson says.

Noelle Buckley agrees.

‘It's huge. You can see it over the past couple of years – we've filled two and three buses to go up to the All-Ireland. I think that speaks volumes,’ she says.

‘When you see so many children and families travelling to a camogie All-Ireland final, it really shows what their participation means to the young people in our club.’

On August 18th, O’Sullivan and Kingston will be back in Newcestown colours for a local derby with Enniskeane in the county premier intermediate championship.

Newcestown will hope they return as All-Ireland winners – a fitting reward for Ciara O'Sullivan's remarkable resilience, and a second All-Ireland title of the year for Claire Kingston.