Dual star Danielle O’Leary sparkles in Clanmaurice’s team of diamonds

This unique 22-year-old sports woman was always going to play football for Kerry, but coming from Rathmore, camogie was not on her radar - she never played it at underage level.

“I only took up camogie in my second year in college in MTU in 2021," O'Leary says. 

"I was playing a bit too much football. I kind of wanted to find another sport. It was a choice between camogie and rugby and I picked up the camogie. I was staying with a girl from Offaly who played camogie and Kate Lynch from Glenflesk, she was there as well, and we both joined Clanmaurice in the same year. 

"She has been brilliant and I have her to thank for all of my skill set. Even in the last few months, any time I have asked her to go for a puck around, she would be back to me within 30 seconds and down to our local pitch in Barradubh or Glenflesk or even in Tralee after work, she’s brilliant. She has definitely been a big influence on my camogie skill set.” 

O'Leary admits that being a dual intercounty player is no longer a runner: “In 2023 I tried playing both the football and the camogie. It actually worked well for a while. The Munster Ladies Final did clash, Kerry were playing Laois in Lixnaw the same day. Having the football on first was kind of good because I could keep the football guys happy and the camogie were delighted to have me come on. 

"But look, it is hard to play dual, especially in Kerry, where camogie wouldn’t be as popular as football. I don’t think anyone fully achieved playing dual before in Kerry. It can be hard enough, there is a lot of people with you and a lot of people against you, but if you look at Cork and their great dual players, they are able to manage it and that’s the light at the end of the tunnel for me. I really enjoy playing the game, 100%. It’s something fresh, something new. It all comes down to the craic at training, I’ve a lot of respect for Clanmaurice and Kerry camogie and their management, their training style is brilliant. 

"There’s no doubt that there is plenty of craic on and off the pitch. It’s easy to do something when you have the love and passion for it and most of all when you are enjoying it.” 

Patrice Diggin was herself part of the Kerry Ladies football panel at one stage, and Danielle has enormous respect for her team-mate and captain. “Unbelievable. I don’t think there are words to describe that girl to be honest with you. Such an under-rated player, it is frightening. In terms of skill set, in terms of athleticism, definitely the best player I have ever played with, trained with, even played against. She is an unbelievable player, personality, character, she has it all. The passion that she shows for the game is obsessional. I think it was actually said in the huddle before the Munster Final, that if there was any one day or reason to do it, it was for Patrice Diggin.” 

This is O'Leary's second time heading to Croke Park this year to face a Galway team in an All-Ireland decider and third time when you throw in the league final against Armagh. Heading back to HQ for a third time this year, can Danielle believe it? 

“It’s brilliant to be going back to Croke Park. It did actually occur to me during the All-Ireland Ladies Final that hopefully I might be back here again in December. It was always the goal. Last year was such a great memory, we all wanted to repeat it. It is something special to play in Croke Park, especially with your club, and especially with this bunch of girls. They are just such a joy to play with. It’s not really about an All-Ireland medal – in one sense, it is, of course, but the journey to get here, everything that they have been through and are going through, the least they deserve is another All Ireland medal.” 

O'Leary does admit to some butterflies on All-Ireland final day but she appears to be nerveless.

“You try to take every game in your stride," she says. "You can tell yourself that it’s just another game but nerves are natural, you know? If you didn’t have nerves, you wouldn’t really want to win. The more you want it, the more nervous you get. Every player is different. For myself, I like a good bit of distraction before games. I listen to my music. I go for a bit of a wander, look at the other dressing rooms and poking my head through doors that I probably shouldn’t! I will do anything to distract myself. Maybe wandering around the Croke Park Hotel catching up with friends you might not have seen for a while, now that training has tapered down and you’d actually have a bit of time before the game. Even now, it’s my sister’s wedding next Saturday, so there will be plenty of distractions.”