IT’S back to a familiar routine for Áine Terry O’Sullivan this Sunday as Cork kick off their national league campaign at home to Kildare, but her recent trip to Uganda is one she won’t forget in a hurry.

The Allihies woman travelled to Africa in late November as part of the Plant the Planet campaign, an initiative aimed at planting one million trees.

‘It’s a different world there in so many ways, but you can learn a lot from it too,’ Áine Terry says.

‘We take so much for granted here. If we want something in the morning, you can get it. That’s not the case there. But you can learn from how happy and content they are, despite not having what we have.

‘Their outlook on life is so positive, and that’s something we can all take into our everyday lives.’

Áine Terry was joined on the trip by more than 30 GAA players, including four-time Cork camogie All-Star Saoirse McCarthy. It was the first time these two Rebel stars from different codes had crossed paths, joining the dots from Allihies to Ballinspittle.

It was another Cork GAA star, Libby Coppinger, who first planted the idea. Coppinger had twice made the trip and loved it, and that sparked Áine Terry’s interest. Plant the Planet Games Uganda soon became a target, and she began fundraising for Self Help Africa.

‘Each player commits to raising €10,000, and once you get out there, you see where the money is going. It’s a very worthwhile project to be part of,’ the Cork forward explains.

Saoirse and Áine Terry with Brother Colm O’Connell who lives in Kenya.

It was a packed week. The GAA stars played an exhibition match against Africa’s first officially registered GAA club, Simba Wolfhounds, founded by Galway man John Walsh, who works with over 1,000 children across Jinja, a town in southern Uganda. Áine Terry and her teammates were also guests at the official opening of Uganda’s first one-wall handball alley in Jinja.

‘One of the first things we did when we got there was visit a school and play a game of football against Ugandan girls. They had only started playing football a month before that, and we couldn’t get over the skills they had already. That was a lovely morning,’ she says.

‘Visiting the villages where we were planting trees was more eye-opening. When you see the living conditions and how they are living off those trees, the contrast to here is huge. But they all have the biggest smiles on their faces.

‘One day we broke into different groups and went out to different areas. The bags of trees kept coming and we kept planting, and they were delighted. To see the impact that planting these trees has is amazing.’

Back in her own sporting world, the Beara attacker is eager to make an impact with Cork this season too. She rejoined the county panel last year after a break of more than two years, a decision she doesn’t regret.

‘When I stepped away in 2022, I knew I wasn’t done. So when Joe (Carroll, Cork manager) texted at Christmas 2025, I was delighted to go back in. I love playing football, I love playing at a high level, and I enjoyed getting back fit too,’ she says.

‘The Munster and All-Ireland championships didn’t go as well as we had hoped last season, but we won promotion to Division 1. I was delighted to be back in a Cork jersey.’

With Cork back in the top tier, Áine Terry is relishing the chance to test herself against the country’s best, though the 12 new playing rules being trialled in the league add extra intrigue.

‘A few years ago the game was free-flowing, but it has become more defensive. Having a rule where three players must stay up should help that. The solo-and-go should speed up the game as well,’ she says.

‘They are also going to let the game become more physical, which is a big one. Players put in a lot of work in the gym now, and with the tackle, the ball had to be out very quickly. It will be good to have more contact. You could barely tackle in recent years, so change was definitely needed. Hopefully it will improve the game as a spectacle.

‘The last number of years it’s been very stop-start with frees, so hopefully this will lift the standard of ladies football.’

From Uganda to MTU Cork this Sunday, Áine Terry is making a difference.