Galway's Ainé Keane is tired of supporting from the sidelines and is ready to resume playing duties as her recovery from a cruciate injury nears its conclusion.
The defender tore her ACL in the first round of the championship against Dublin in 2025, ensuring she played no further part as the Tribe County lifted the O’Duffy Cup for the first time since 2021.
Now seven months post operation, the St Thomas’ player looks set for another frustrating watching brief as University of Limerick begin their three-in-a-row Ashbourne Cup charge, although the player said "nothing is impossible" should the Munster college make it to the latter stages of the competition.
Either way, last season’s player of the tournament can see the light growing stronger at the end of the tunnel and admits that it has been a difficult journey.
"It's definitely been a challenging time," Keane - speaking at the Electric Ireland GAA higher education and camogie third level championships launch - said of not being on the field of play for Galway’s triumphant season.
"I think I was very lucky in the sense of I had Niamh McPeake with me, who was obviously in the same situation. We both obviously were playing the year previous in the final [a loss to Cork] and then both of us were ACLs. So I think I was lucky that I had someone.
"It was building for four years to get to that point and get over the line, so I think, for me, the overwhelming feeling I had was just how proud I was. I could see it happening in training that they were just improving and improving as the weeks went on.
"But obviously there is that part that's a bit bittersweet to not be on the pitch, because when you win an All-Ireland, you want to either have an impact on the pitch in some way, whether it's off the bench or starting the game."
When Keane does eventually make her return – ideally for her when claiming a third Ashbourne Cup in as many seasons with UL – the player feels that she will be more robust mentally given the testing challenges posed by major surgery.
"It's probably changed me a good bit as a player mentally wise," Keane told RTÉ sport of the impact of the injury.
"I'm definitely more resilient and I've gone through a lot more than I ever thought I would as a player. And I suppose I've seen a different side to myself, which is good too.
"Sometimes unless you go through these things, you don't fully know what your body's able to do and what you mentally are able to do.
"So that's probably one of the only real positives out of going through an injury like this, that you actually see how much as a person and as a player you can take and definitely it has revived the hunger in me even more to get back on the pitch."
That hunger has been revived by on-field success too; these are heady times for Galway camogie.
As well as that O'Duffy Cup triumph last August, the county’s Under-23s won the first-ever All-Ireland at that age group in 2025 while earlier this month, Athenry won the senior club title with a thrilling replay win over St Finbarr’s.
Screened live on RTÉ, the match caught the imagination of the watching public and Keane, who was present in Thurles, said it was even better in person.
"Last year was a year none of us will probably ever forget.
"From a whole Galway camogie point of view, Athenry winning the All-Ireland, I was there myself and to be there in person when they won that, it's incredible what they've achieved. Obviously, we've also been lucky enough to have Sarsfield over the last couple of years doing that as well and that's hugely inspiring for any club team.
"Sometimes unless you go through these things, you don't fully know what your body's able to do and what you mentally are able to do."
"Winning the U23 All-Ireland last year, it was incredible. It was actually the day I got my surgery so to wake up from that in not so good of form, and to watch the girls who I've played along (with) because I should have been U23 last year as well.
"To see them win I think gave a great inspiration to our senior panel to go on to win All-Ireland.
"We'll obviously try and be successful again this year in U23 and senior, but as everyone knows in any county season, in any code, it's really hard to be successful - really hard."
