âI know so many people are touched with this disease'
2015-11-13 11:10:00
âI know so many people are touched with this diseaseâ â Cork star OâConnor
CORKâS REMARKABLE CAMOGIE star Gemma OâConnor crowned yet another brilliant year when she was crowned Playersâ Player of the Year on Saturday night. OâConnor also collected a ninth Allstar award to go with the nine All-Ireland medals she has annexed during the course of a glittering career.
But the 2015 final was tinged with sadness as OâConnor paid an emotional post-match tribute to her mother Geraldine, who was suffering with cancer.
Geraldine has since passed away.
âMy Mam was diagnosed just over 12 months ago, I know so many people are touched with this disease,â OâConnor told RTÃ Sportâs Jacqui Hurley.
âI suppose when you play a sport, when that person is such a massive part of you, it becomes such a massive part of your life and you donât know anything else bar having that person alongside you.
âShe is your right hand man, I would not be here today only for her. Sheâs an amazing person and her heart is what drove me on until the last days of the camogie final. Itâs just absolutely amazing.
âThe GAA, it comes down to grassroots level, itâs about community spirit and and family spirit, and thatâs what itâs about.â
Despite losing a number of players before the 2015 season, including last yearâs All-Ireland winning captain Anna Geary, Cork still managed to retain their crown. And OâConnor reflected: âI think you just go out and play every year as it is. Some years are good and some years arenât. This year worked out perfectly for us. âIâm just grateful that behind Paudie Murrayâs management it worked in our favour and it worked in my favour. The county board and Paudie Murray were superb from start to finish."
âI donât know, you might find that strange but between 2002 and 2015, our biggest problem was inconsistency. Weâre after reaching 11 finals in between that and some people probably think thatâs absolutely magnificent. "
âThen other people say what happened in between? But there was always a massive trawler of great players coming along the way and you just have to adapt, get on and Paudie Murray in the last four years left no stone unturned and did everything he could possibly do. It was up to us at the end of the day, fortunately for us it worked out and we were able to reap the benefits.â And OâConnor has revealed that she will play on for at least another season, as she goes in search of a tenth All-Ireland medal. "
âTo be honest, you ask yourself time and time again, when are you going to give up? Iâve asked myself that question and Iâve come up with the answer that Iâll give it one more year and then one more year will definitely be it. âYou look at the likes of Jenny OâLeary who has gone, what a player, what an athlete. I aspire to Jenny OâLeary, sheâs a super player and athlete, what a humble girl she is and if I could be like Jenny OâLeary, I have all the boxes ticked."
âFor me itâs important to realise your stopping point. Of course you want to go out on a high, thatâs what next year is about."
âOther teams are going to try to stop that but if it doesnât mean itâs not going to be a high, so be it, but thatâs my objective for nest year."
âI donât want to be the player thatâs straggling along. I want to try and finish where Iâm fit and capable."
âEverybody has their own standards, I want to give it one last chance to win another All-Ireland.â