Magnificent seven All Stars
RENA Buckley, Briege Corkery and Ashling Thompson topped off a spectacular season at the recent All-Star Awards as the Cork team scooped seven of the 15 All-Stars on offer at the weekend.
Buckley, sensationally claimed her 16th All-Ireland medal this year in both camogie and ladies football. The Iniscarra club woman is one of the most decorated female stars in Irish sport and consistently performs at the highest level in both codes year in, year out. Rena is also very successful on a personal level, she is a qualified physiotherapist.
Briege matched Rena’s achievement this year, when she won both her fifteenth and sixteenth All-Ireland medals in this years football and camogie finals. The 28 year old St Vals star has been a household named in Irish women’s sport for the last decade, ever since she won her first All-Ireland medals in 2005.
No female sports star in Ireland this year has made more of an impact than Cork’s camogie skipper Ashling Thompson. The Milford woman’s road to glory is as impressive as any you’ll see. Thomspon has fought back from devastating blows over the last few years, including being involved in a car accident, losing a boyfriend to suicide and battling depression.
The Rebelettes dominated the awards along with their Galway counterparts. Both teams claimed seven awards each.
Aoife Murray, Pamela Mackey, and Orla Cotter all clinched All-Star Awards while Gemma O’Connor picked up her ninth award as well as being crowned Player of the Year.
The Rebels success didn’t stop there. Manager Paudie Murray was named Liberty Insurance Manager of the Year.