With a senior inter-county career that stretches back to 2010, Kilkenny's Grace Walsh has been around long enough not to get overly concerned with results in the short-term.
The Tullaroan woman has experienced some great highs in the black and amber jersey – last year’s All-Ireland success was her third time climbing the Hogan Stand as a winner – but there’s also the pain of five defeats on the biggest day of the camogie calendar.
The Cats have registered just one win from five outings as they prepare for a final league game against Tipperary this weekend.
Kilkenny’s strength in the league – they had won five of the previous seven titles before Galway took the early season silverware – makes this season harder to fathom but, speaking at the launch of John West Féile 2023 at Croke Park, Walsh insists there is no panic over the poor run of results.
"We've no excuses. We've been training hard, doing hurling and fitness and things just haven't worked out so we just need to go back to the drawing board, see where we're at and see where we need to improve.
"We've been in this position before. Cork beat us fairly well in 2020 and we won the All-Ireland that year, so we're definitely not panicking and I wouldn't be doubting us too much either."
Losing at this stage of the year is easier to take when there are different variables at play. Falling short later in the year is always more difficult to take.
"I've been part of the team that have lost five All-Irelands, three of those were consecutively so they're tough to take, but every time you get to an All-Ireland final and get to lift that cup, you appreciate it.
"I think Covid personally taught me a lot. I appreciate every day now. With the losses, there's disappointment, but you still appreciate everything else that comes with it, as well, the memories that you make and stuff.
"So every win is always enjoyed."
A clinical nurse specialist in St Vincent’s Hospital, Walsh reflects positively on dealing with the challenges professionally that Covid brought. Staff had little option but to do as best they could, but longer term, she hopes improvements in the healthcare system as a whole will entice people to stay and work in Ireland rather than pursuing a career elsewhere.
"They are putting certain things in place, like say staffing and stuff. They are trying to keep the number of nurses on wards high, appropriate for the amount of patients that there are.
"Hopefully we’ll see some improvements in the next few months and years.
While the outside noise will be Kilkenny’s bid for two-in-a-row, not helped by the loss of Miriam Walsh with a cruciate injury – Walsh says it isn’t a motivating factor for her.
"It was definitely mentioned at the very start, but it’s not that we’re aiming to do two-in-a-row, it’s that we’re aiming to win the All-Ireland.
"If you could win two-in-a-row, that would be incredible, but it’s not our motivating factor. Any win is special now.
You have to appreciate everything, especially when you have had as many losses as we have. We are hopefully looking to win (All-Ireland) and then two-in-a-row is a bonus on top of it."
