Cork's Laura Hayes: 'It's a much better winter when you're after winning the All-Ireland'
Whatever about Cork retaining their All-Ireland title, or even picking up a second All-Star, being named Player of the Year was nowhere on her radar.
To such an extent that when the nominations came out, the St Catherine's star realised her travel itinerary would preclude her from attending the awards ceremony.
'I had flights booked to Thailand and Vietnam,' says Hayes. 'I was going in November, and then the nominations came out.
'I had a decision to make. My grandparents were going to go, and I thought that it would be a special thing. It was one of those things that could work out or not, so I actually booked a flight home for it.
'I came home for a weekend from Thailand and went back out again on the Monday. It was a complete risk, but it was well worth it, and the night itself was lovely to spend it with everyone.'
Cork's Laura Hayes at the camogie All Star awards. Pic: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy.
Rectifying a loss is often the most potent motivation, and Cork made use of those consecutive All-Ireland defeats in 2021 and '22.
Now, with the Rebels chasing a hat-trick of O'Duffy Cups, Hayes mines powerful inspiration from the victories too.
'The year was really special and we always say it's a much better winter when you're after winning the All-Ireland.
'Everything that came after it was just lovely with family and friends. But there comes a point where you're ready to look forward.
'It made me more excited to go back and hungry for more. The winning feeling is something you can't replace. If you could bottle it, you'd be a millionaire.'
This Cork group make a conscious effort to hone in on those motives. They conduct an exercise where players speak about their 'whys' with the panel. The fear of losing doesn't leave you, but that winning feeling will always be mentioned.
Hayes has noted an evolution in how inter-county camogie players are seen over her eight years in the squad.
The growth in interest among young girls and boys is clear. Speaking at a supporter meet-and-greet event, Hayes and her teammates are thoroughly engaged and well aware of their potential impact on the next generation.
If the group were to sit in a circle and reflect on their 'hows' – the pathways which led them to the top – the inspiration given by local role models would feature highly. For Hayes, it was seven-time All-Ireland-winning clubmate Orla Cotter.
'It's embarrassing now because I play with her, and I played with her for one year with Cork as well, but when I was growing up, I wouldn't be able to say 'boo' to her. And I wouldn't be shy.
'But it was just great. You'd have seen her around the club, you'd have seen her training, and when it's that close to you, you just think it's so reachable. I'd definitely be conscious of that now for younger people as well.
Laura Hayes, centre, celebrates with the O'Duffy Cup. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.
'I took up her free-taking style there a few years ago. I had to take the frees with our club, and then she came home. I was very embarrassed because I was still using her style.
'With those things, I was down in a camp in Charleville, and the boys' group were taking penalties. You could see them emulating Darragh McCarthy's penalty style. I was just like, 'Jesus, they really do watch everything and take everything in, boys and girls.'
'It's the same here. They'd be looking at Amy O'Connor's free-taking style. That shows what impact it's having.'
Her first All-Ireland in 2018, after coming onto the panel as a minor, was a 'blur'. These days, Hayes knows what to expect as they face into an All-Ireland final rematch with fierce rivals Galway.
Not that she'll get too much time off ahead of that decider. Hayes runs a coffee trailer at home in Conna, which celebrated one year open last week.
'These few weeks are manic. Everyone's coming out and wanting to know what's going on and congratulating and wishing me luck.
'That's probably the best thing about being part of a small community around these weeks. You really feel the strength of that and that everyone's behind you, which is really nice.'
It's a bumper month for turnover, so?
'It's a high-revenue month,' she laughs. 'And then I have a week after to spend it all!
'It's a lot of hard work – probably more than I bargained for – but, oh my God, it completely pays off in the people you meet.'
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