Echo Women in Sport award: Clare Mullins led the way for slick Sars
Sarsfields' Clare Mullins is tackled by Douglas' Seosai Mulrooney during the SE Systems Cork senior camogie championship at Castle Road. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
SARSFIELDS camogie star Clare Mullins was awarded The Echo Women in Sport award for October following her Player of the Match performance in the senior camogie final against Seandún.
Scoring 1-2, she had also hit 1-1 in the semi-final as one of Sars' top forwards. It was a season with far greater thrust than previously.
"The young players have made a huge impact in training; they’ve completely transformed not only our outlook but our competitiveness.
"They’re absolutely phenomenal coming up and we have to remember those girls have actually won three All-Ireland titles at Féile from 2016 to 2018.
"A lot of us wouldn’t have had that experience and they bring great drive and push to the team.
Clare’s family is steeped in camogie and hurling; her dad is former Carlow and Na Piarsaigh hurler Mark Mullins, who is still coaching in Na Piarsaigh.
At 23 years of age, Clare is playing camogie since she can remember. "I was probably about 4 when I first picked up a camogie stick."
Tom, Clare’s only brother, a hurler with Sars, heads the siblings at 27 years of age. Maeve is the eldest of the five Mullins girls at 25. Then Clare, then Áine, 21, who came on in the final, the dynamic Orlaith follows at 19 years of age, and it doesn’t end there, as Aoife is following on at 17.
There are two years between them all except for Maeve and Clare which is just 15 months. Clare’s brother Tom left for Australia an hour before we met to chat about the season.
It’s another big Cork sporting family under the Mullins' roof. The dynamic in the house based on the girl’s games is at full throttle.
Typically, it’s your older sister that inspires you, and while Clare followed in Maeve’s footsteps, she highlights Orlaith’s excellent displays in the 2022 campaign as her inspiration to knuckle down.
"With Orlaith having shone so much last year I feel she really pushed me on, seeing my younger sister do so much damage and also really thriving for Cork two years ago, it created great energy in the house. It got us all, I won’t say re-interested, but it definitely sparked something in myself to kind of, you know, knuckle down this year and give it a serious go.
"Normally, it would be the opposite way around, you’d be looking up to your big sister, but I find myself looking at Orlaith saying, 'Jeez I’d like to be like her again'. Áine and Aoife are great as well."
A primary school teacher, in the Gaelscoil in Midleton with two of her teammates, Lucy Kelly, and sister Maeve, camogie is never far from their discussions.
The positiveness of young players having fun at training is immeasurable and when Clare reflects on her early years with Sars, it’s the fun she remembers most,
"I’m almost sure it’s Ann Barry I remember as our trainer. All I can remember is going down on a Saturday morning, my favourite game would have been ‘snatch the bacon’ with the sliothar.
"You go in, you fight for the bean bag as the sliothar, you had a number and if your number was called you ran in and tried to get the sliothar.
"I was just dying to get it; I remember that so well on a Saturday morning. I loved going down to the club training and having fun."
She credits so many people in Sars who brought her and her teammates all the way to where they are today.
Great people like Ann Barry, Orla Butler, Edel Murphy, Eithne Allen, Maria Dinan, John McAllen, Paddy Connery, and Tadgh Óg Lynch as well as her mother and father.
"Dad was going up and down the road constantly with us until one day he said, 'Right that’s it you can play with your older sister now'," she laughs, "so I ended up stepping up a bit, which stood to me.
"Mum was fed up I’d say going down the road the whole time picking us up, but they always did it without complaining."
The well-worn road has been repaid in folds. Underage with Cork for eight years, after being called up to squads when in fifth class, Cork won the minor the one-year Clare decided not to play.
"I was doing my Leaving Cert. I made a decision I wanted to do primary school teaching and I wouldn’t get it if I didn’t put my head down. That was 2018, Moira Barrett was the captain.
"That was a bit gutting to be honest, having played with the girls the whole way and not being involved but I was delighted for them."
As for a potential call-up to Cork’s senior squads, Clare is unsure what lies ahead.
"I don’t know in relation to Cork now. I love training with my club and this year I really, really enjoyed it."
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