Down native McCartan thrilled to play a part in Cork’s triumph

Shortly after Sunday’s All-Ireland senior camogie final, Castlehaven GAA club posted a photo of two proud dads at Croke Park – one a son of Cork, the other a son of Down.

Niall Cahalane has his arm draped across Gregory McCartan’s shoulder in the picture and both have classic plaited red and white headbands dangling around their necks. As players they were opponents when Down beat Cork at Croke Park in the 1994 All-Ireland SFC semi-final, but at the same venue on Sunday they were united behind their daughters.

Meabh and Orlaith are continuing to build on the Cahalane family dynasty while Sorcha McCartan, who scored Cork’s first goal on Sunday, is Gregory’s daughter.

This is Sorcha’s second year playing with the Rebels after an internship through her studies led to her residing in Cork. An All-Ireland intermediate camogie winner with her native Down in December 2020, Sunday’s triumph has seen her become the first player from Ulster to win a senior camogie All-Ireland medal since Antrim’s success in 1979.

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“I heard that alright, that’s obviously unreal but it’s just one of those things. I’m just very thankful that I’ve found myself here,” says Sorcha. “I’m extremely lucky and privileged to be on this team.”

She was studying Biomedical Engineering at the Ulster University and for her third year she accepted a work placement with Stryker in Cork. She has since transferred to Munster Technological University and, after initially continuing to play with Down while living on Leeside, the Castlewellan native eventually joined St Finbarr’s GAA club in Cork city and a Rebel County call-up soon followed.

Sorcha actually played for Down against Cork in the 2021 championship, a game the Munster side won 1-13 to 0-10 in Newry.

“It was a big transition [joining Cork],” she adds. “But we were only beaten by six points in that game in 2021, so I suppose that sort of let me know that I wasn’t too far away.

“But when I came down and trained with them it was unbelievable, I just had to find my feet but thankfully I found them at the right time.

“It’s unbelievable, I’m speechless for once, we’re absolutely delighted. Last year was really disappointing, thankfully we clicked when we needed to this year.

“I wouldn’t have been expecting this if you had told me three years ago, but I’m absolutely delighted.”

Meabh Cahalane was handed the task of marshalling Niamh Rockett on Sunday and rarely allowed the talented Waterford attacker an opportunity to impact the game, holding her to just a single point.

Her sister, Orlaith, came off the bench during the second half and clipped over Cork’s last score of the game.

The Cahalane contribution to Cork GAA continues to be immense, Niall and Ailish’s three sons – Damien, Conor, Jack – have all pulled on the blood and bandages as well while the youngest of their seven children, Kate, is currently emerging through the county’s underage ranks.

“I think Orlaith now has one [an All-Ireland medal] at every level so she’s after passing me out,” smiles Meabh. “I suppose we just all love to play, we’ve never really been dragged to the hurling or football field.

“But I think we just get such enjoyment out of it. There probably have been more bad days than good days in our household but I suppose we’re just so lucky to get this opportunity.”

Both the Cahalane and McCartan clans were well represented among the 30,191 in attendance at Croke Park on Sunday.

“The bandwagoners,” jokes Sorcha of the McCartan contingent who supported Cork to O’Duffy Cup glory.

“Yeah, he [Dad] is buzzing. He’s probably more buzzing for me than I am. He’s like that, I probably wouldn’t be here without him either, so I’m delighted.”

It has been an interesting year for Sorcha, who in June found herself coming up against her native county at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Cork ran out 3-19 to 1-10 winners over Down on that occasion.

“It was definitely strange,” she recalls. “But, to be fair, the girls understand the situation so there was no bad blood or anything. I’m friends with most of them.

“When I’m up home I get a coffee with them. It was a bit of a laugh as well, but when you stepped on the field you just had your game-face on.”

She had her game-face on from the off on Sunday as well and hit 1-1 during the first half, her goal all but ending the contest as it put Cork 1-7 to 0-1 ahead.

“We talked about a strong start because we knew they were going to come out and really put it up to us,” she says. “That was our main goal, the first quarter and the third quarter, we really went after those.

“Amy scored three goals in the third quarter and that settled us for the remainder of the task. I think we just focused on performances all year, to be honest. It was always just about aiming to give a performance. And if you weren’t performing, somebody was going to come in and take your spot.

“We have a serious bench with players who would be starting on any other county team. So you know if you weren’t performing that you were under pressure then to stay on the pitch. We just all had that internal competition that drove us on.”

All the way from Down to Cork to Croke Park.