AN DUINE IS fearr ar domhan?
18-time All-Ireland champion, legendary dual star and all-round Cork icon Rena Buckley has quite the career to look back through.
And she does just that alongside those close to her when she gets the Laochra Gael treatment next week.
Buckley bowed out from the inter-county game last May, bringing the curtain down on a glittering dual career which she capped with camogie glory in Croke Park the previous September.
She became the most decorated player in Gaelic games as she captained the Rebels to the All-Ireland crown — and collected a remarkable 18th Celtic Cross (11 football, seven camogie) in doing so.
While the 32-year-old physiotherapist likely hoped to slip away quietly and continue her club football and camogie on the down-low, the polar opposite happened with an Irish hero honoured accordingly with exceptional coverage and recognition from near and far.
“I was blown away,” she recalls, adding that she was satisfied and content to step back when she did. “I was totally overwhelmed. I could not believe it. It was completely unexpected.
“It turned out to be a much more lovelier experience than I had anticipated. It was above and beyond anything I had expected. I was just so grateful for the amount of messages, cards, well wishes and thank yous. It’s something that I’ll cherish forever more for sure.”
Satisfied and content to step away when she did, Cork camogie boss Paudie Murray is one of the many contributors with kind words for Buckley on the TG4 programme.
He admits that the fact that she was named captain for 2017 kept him at the helm for more, and echoes many others’ words that it’s time to name a landmark after her on Leeside.
“I suppose when you drive around Cork City you’ve got the Christy Ring Bridge,” he says, “you’ve the Jack Lynch Tunnel, and certainly there would be something else named after that person whereas just Rena’s been Rena.
“Rena’s a girl that doesn’t look for publicity either so she probably doesn’t help that in a way. She’s quite modest, but I’d like something done in time.”
In the episode we also meet Buckley’s boyfriend, Páidí Collins, whose father, Paddy, sings a song about ‘the greatest Rebel of them all, our darling girl called Rena’.
“I was hugely taken aback first and foremost,” Buckley laughs. “Very, very taken aback and then I came to realise that it was just a really lovely gesture. I think I just embraced it. I just enjoyed it.”
Páidí adds: “You’d get a few Snapchats from teams after a few drinks after matches and they’re singing it. We’re definitely enjoying it a lot more at the moment anyway.”
From playing with her siblings in the back garden to All-Ireland cross coutry medals, the nerves on the night of her first All-Star (and the nine others that followed) to praying before an All-Ireland final as a team to settle themselves, the insights are plentiful.
Then there was cutting a J1 short to help both county panels to All-Ireland titles, the pride in being crowned RTÉ Sport Team of the Year in 2014, and the endless stories about Eamon Ryan.
And while she’ll be remembered as Rena18 by many for her incredible exploits on the pitch, her partner in crime Briege Corkery perhaps says it best at the end when she shares her memories of Buckley away from the four white lines.
“Her big smile, the Bold Thady Quill and a pint of Guinness.”
Rena Buckley — Greatest Human on Earth? will be shown on TG4 next Wednesday night at 9.30pm.
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Bernard Jackman joins Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey to discuss the backlash to World Rugby’s league proposal, captaincy styles, sports psychology and more in The42 Rugby Weekly.
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Genuinely not having a go, but why not just stay off it, away from it and completely avoid social media. People will always oppose strong opinions and equally strong opposition to those opinions.
@blindside: I think its because he is trying to stay relevant.
@blindside: even if he didn’t have a profile online the abuse would still be there. Obviously he didn’t help himself last week, but every November he gets more than anyone’s share of abuse
@Adrian Carroll: Wrong. Players these days are isolated and they need it. Mich like us now.
@Louis Jacob: *much
@Adrian Carroll: clown
I’m sure he gets fairly bad insults from social media and during matches but certainly don’t help himself wearing balaclavas putting it up on social media either
The abuse he gets from his fellow countrymen is nearly every bit as bad as bad as what he gets across the water. The fella is the first one to put his hand in his pocket whenever there is fundraising for anything, he can never be found wanting for effort each and every time he pulls on a green jersey. While he may have made a mistake last week it in no way justifies the abuse he gets.
@Mel Roberts: my god for once I agree with u
@Mel Roberts: It was a badly misjudged joke on his part. Naive and Stupid. But there’s no doubt he receives way worse online than his joke last week.
Priceless asking McClean to take a cut Even though he’s donated a lot of money in the last month not to mention other causes in the last few years.McCleans not on the same money as the lads at the very top,he won’t be getting that money when he retires and what he does earn now will be taxed heavily.Yes he can live comfortably now but he’s not obliged to take a cut,he’s doing his bit in this crisis.
Let’s be honest here the abuse is vile and wrong but he puts out stuff like last week that brings it on ,I’m not justifying what the trolls have said to him but he should know by now what will be said to him , I have a serious problem with his ability on the pitch and he makes me angry but I dont wish harm on him , ya he gives it 100% every time he plays in green but that’s just him running about like a headless chicken , unfortunately he will still make the squad at the moment but let’s call a spade a spade here , he has in no way lived up to the hype from the start of his career and now never will
If the stories of his donations in the past few weeks are true then fair play to him he is doing more than the owners of alot of clubs and should be commended
OMG , when you are in a massive hole, ffs stop digging.
He is a media gift that just keeps giving.
Has he shit for brains or what. Has he no advisors or does he just not listen to friends or family.
Just play football and shut up trying to justify your stupid actions of posting yourself in a balaclava .
rich people try to buy their way into our hearts with their donations or cover their badness,in any case it should be done and it’s tax efficient for him.
Now he is using reverse psychology that he is the victim and totally innocent.
I suppose through time he will lead us to the ‘ it has effected my family and they are receiving treatment as a result ‘ bit to buy him some sympathy or his sister will LEAK what a good boy he is putting someone up for Christmas .
Don’t make me laugh
Your going to reap just what your sow!
Sticks and stones