Dual star Libby Coppinger played for the Cork Camogie and Ladies football teams on Saturday.
The St Colum’s club-woman played the full game for the senior camogie team in their 3-19 to 1-10 win over Down.
Coppinger lined out at full back for Matthew Twomey’s side who, having lost to Galway last weekend, got back to winning ways with this group stage win over their Ulster opponents.
Unlike her fellow dual star Hannah Looney, who travelled exclusively with the footballers to Galway, and didn’t play for the camogie team, Coppinger featured for both.
The Camogie game threw-in at 3.00 in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and, as soon as it was over, Coppinger made her way to Galway for the ladies football game.
That game threw in at 7.15, with Coppinger coming on as a 42nd minute sub.
The footballers were defeated by Galway, on a scoreline of 3-11 to 1-11 in this first round group game. Fellow dual player Aoife Healy also made the journey up alongside Coppinger though despite being named to start for the footballers, she didn’t come on.
Former Cork player Rhona ní Bhuacalla was on commentary on TG4 when Coppinger made her way onto the field in Salthill and she praised Coppinger.
“I don’t believe it really. Libby’s after playing a camogie game down in Cork, and then travelling three hours up the road along with Aoife Healy.
“The effort she’s shown, it’s unbelievable. A brilliant, important player for this team too,” said Buckley.
#PROPERFAN 18 nóim@CorkLGFA 1-09@GalwayLgfa 1-08
Libby Coppinger ar an bpáirc tar éis cluiche camógaíochta a imirt níos luaithe!
Straight from Páirc Ui Chaoimh 😱@LadiesFootball @GAA_BEO
BEO/LIVE ar @TG4TV pic.twitter.com/RYzdQcFc3p
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) June 17, 2023
“It was (a difficult decision to bring Libby on),” said Cork ladies football manager Shane Roynane after the game.
“But Libby and Aoife said they were going to come up. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Ideally I wouldn’t have brought her on as early.
“But Libby’s old enough to make those decisions herself. We left it up to herself. She said she was ready to come on. I think she’s okay. She made the effort to come up here. We’re quite happy with what we did.
“She’s an adult, not a young girl so she made that decision herself.
“Possibly the events of the week have taken their toll,” said Roynane of the dual issue, “we tried to insulate everybody from it, but we had a lot of people unsure of what was going on,” he added.
#PROPERFAN @CorkLGFA Bainisteoir na Foirne Shane Roynane
'Desperate times call for desperate measures' @LadiesFootball @GAA_BEO
BEO/LIVE ar @TG4TV pic.twitter.com/MkX6wyDphK
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) June 17, 2023
Two goals from Ailbhe Davoren and one from Kate Slevin in the final minute secured the six-point opening day victory for Galway in the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship at Pearse Stadium in Salthill.
Meanwhile, Roynane confirmed that Orlaith Cahalane, another dual star, broke her foot in training during the week while Sarah Leahy suffered a serious collarbone injury in Saturday’s game.
Related links:
- The food product Louth star makes which is being used by GAA and rugby players all over
- Keep up to date with all the championship action of this weekend in our live-blog
- Conor Laverty lets Down players back to their clubs
