Easy to double back to Corkery

Irish Times/Vhi Healthcare Sportswoman of the Year September award: What is it leading sports people often say? 'It's hard enough reaching the top, it's tougher staying there.' Well, this time 12 months ago we congratulated Briege Corkery on reaching the top in her chosen sports, we now applaud her for staying there.

A year ago we chose her as a monthly winner in our awards after she did the double with Cork, when she was a member of the county's camogie and football All-Ireland winning teams. When it came to judging our overall winner, her achievements clinched her the 2005 Sportswoman of the Year award.

She told us then that she wouldn't settle for the double, the 'double double' was on her mind. But when she mentioned in passing that her routine involved "six nights training a week with, more than likely, a match at the weekends", we half suspected this 19-year-old would decide that a free night or two might be nice along the way.

So much for that.

A year on and she did it again, along with Rena Buckley, Angela Walsh and Mary O'Connor, like Corkery starters in both the camogie and football final line-ups, doing the 'double double'.

We tried to contact Corkery on her mobile last night, but we should have known better.

Ring, ring.

Hello? "Hello?" Is that Briege? "No, can I take a message?" Is she busy? "She is yeah, she's playing a match."

Naturally. What else would a 19-year-old be doing on a chilly October night, having already completed the double double? Buckley, Walsh and O'Connor would have been equally deserving recipients of our award, their commitment and talent no less remarkable, but in both finals - Cork beating Tipperary 0-12 to 0-4 in the camogie and Armagh by a point in the football - Corkery was simply irresistible.

The camogie final was won with ease, Cork getting the better of Tipp, who they have met in every decider, bar 2001, since 1999, for the second year running. Alongside Gemma O'Connor in midfield, Corkery was inspirational, her work-rate and ceaseless hounding of opponents helping Cork gain a grip of the game from the off, one they never relinquished.

She was no less impressive in a thrilling football final against Armagh, the sight of her charging the length of the field, from the left corner-back position, in the final minute not just an indication of her fitness levels, but also her tenacity.

"Tired legs were evident all over the field," read the report in The Irish Times the following day. "The game opened up. Briege Corkery duly followed up her awesome display in the camogie final by running riot during this spell. She started as a corner back but occasionally abandoned the position whenever Cork required another attacking option."

So, much as we might have liked to opt for another member of the two Cork teams, and there were countless candidates, Corkery, for the second year running, shone so brightly she nigh on blinded us.