IT was always in the back of Linda Collins’ mind that she would return home to line out with Courcey Rovers again.

But it was never a certainty.

‘I just didn’t know where I was going to be or if I was going to be up to the speed of things,’ she says.

The stars aligned.

In April, the former Cork camogie captain returned home to Ballinspittle. Since she left for Dubai two weeks after the 2021 All-Ireland senior final, Collins has played just one championship campaign with Courceys – that was in 2022, after spending a year in Dubai before then exploring south-east Asia.

Sydney became her base for the next three years, though the pull of home was always there.

‘I’m really enjoying it and I do feel like it was what I wanted to do, to come back and play with Courceys,’ she adds.

Even though she played GAA abroad during her travels, Collins admits her first training session back home was a reality check.

‘It was touch and go!’ she quips.

‘I was so lost inside. I had totally forgotten how to play at senior level and I was all over the place. I’d say they were like, “Yeah, well, you can tell Linda’s been away for five years”.’

Linda Collins in action for Courcey Rovers.

But class is permanent.

In Courceys’ senior camogie championship quarter-final win, 5-14 to 0-16 against St Catherine’s, the sharpshooter hit 4-5.

She’s back.

‘The ball coming in could not have been much better,’ she explains, ‘and we worked so hard out the pitch.

‘There were so many people cluttered around the middle of the field, there were hurls flying, bodies flying, and I just said to my marker from St Catherine’s, “Thank God we’re not out there!”’

But Courceys are thrilled to have Collins back in the full-forward line, as well as the return of stalwarts like Ashling Moloney and Jacinta Crowley. Add in players like Cork senior star Saoirse McCarthy and Fiona Keating.

It feels like the band is back together, ready to play some of the hits again, just like in 2020 when they topped the charts as county senior champions.

‘A lot of us were away. Edel (Moloney) was in Australia, Ashling Moloney was out with her back for a while, Jacinta had some kids, but it just so happened that this year I was coming back, Ashling was back, Jacinta was back, Edel was back,’ Collins says.

‘One thing I’ll say this year is that I just think everyone’s really enjoying it. And no matter how much you say you need to enjoy it, and smile, it’s easy to forget that when you’re going out and everyone’s serious and everyone wants to win.

‘I just feel like we’re actually getting the balance quite well in the sense that people are going out and enjoying it, not feeling too much pressure and just trying to do our best. At the end of the day, that is all we can do.’

Linda Collins celebrates scoring the winning point for Cork in the 2021 All-Ireland senior camogie semi-final.

Courceys’ winning run in the championship has certainly kept spirits high, too. They enjoyed a perfect record in the group stage, beating Blackrock (2-16 to 1-9), Ballincollig (1-14 to 0-11) and Ballinora (0-20 to 3-9), then St Catherine’s in the quarter-final.

Next, it’s Blackrock again in Sunday’s county semi-final at MTU Arena (2pm).

Another huge game, but Collins takes it all in her stride.

On Monday, she turned 30. A notable birthday. She jokes that Saoirse McCarthy has been saying she is 30 for the last while, so at least now she is.

The turning of the calendar also points to Collins’ experience. Been there, done that. Captained her county, won a county with her club, played GAA abroad – she has a lot of experiences to lean on. They’ve all helped her learn to enjoy the game.

‘From experience, and obviously having played for so many years, I do think when you get older, you do enjoy the game more,’ she explains.

‘With everything you do, you may as well go out and enjoy it because what’s the point in wasting your energy on pressure or nerves or anything like that?

‘Go out with a smile on your face.

‘We all started playing it when we were younger, playing with our friends, and going out and just hitting the ball against the wall. We all did it because we enjoyed it. Nobody did it because they hated it.

‘When you bring it back to that, I think people start to enjoy it, people start to play a little bit better.’

Her own mindset has changed over the years, too. Again, it’s the gift of wisdom, lessons learned on her own journey.

If a pass is dropped, it’s about the next ball. No dwelling. If she hits a wide, it’s about the next ball.

‘When I’m playing camogie, I go out with a smile on my face, to enjoy it,’ Collins says.

‘If I play bad, it doesn’t really faze me anymore, whereas before I could have played bad and I might have said, “Oh God, everyone’s going to hate me,” whereas now, you’ve a bad game, I know I worked hard, I know I tried my best, I know that I’m going to work tomorrow, I know my family are still going to love me.

‘At the end of the day, it is just camogie we’re playing and we may as well go out and enjoy it. That’s just what I’m doing at the moment and it seems to be working.’

Off the pitch, Collins has found her feet, too.

Naturally, it took time.

Adjusting from the weather and lifestyle in Sydney to living back home in Ballinspittle again was an initial shock to the system, though a familiar face from Oz helped – the sun.

‘The summer here was absolutely gorgeous, so I feel like that helped me to settle back in – go for walks and coffees, see your sunrises and sunsets and all of those kinds of things.

‘It was difficult at the start. I’m 30 now and all my friends have permanent jobs and things. When you come back, you do feel like you’re starting back at scratch.’

Returning to Courceys was important here. That sense of belonging again in her own community. And a new routine.

‘It’s even going down to Centra and people saying, “Oh, are you playing this weekend?” or, “Well done last weekend.” Everyone in Courceys is so encouraging and they all support the camogie just as much as they support the hurling.’

Currently working as a teacher at Kilbrittain national school – and loving it – Collins is enjoying this new chapter, on and off the pitch.

There’s no place like home, after all.