GPA honours Cork's Fiona O'Driscoll for her incredible camogie career on and off the pitch
GPA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient former Cork camogie player Fiona O'Driscoll, left, with her wife Dierdre Roberts, during the GPA Hurling and Camogie Legends Lunch at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Former Cork and Fr O’Neill's camogie star Fiona O'Driscoll was the recipient of the GPA Lifetime Achievement Camogie Award on Friday last in Croke Park.
In a career laden with honours, Fiona was a superb player for club and county.
She had extraordinary skills, and she was the heartbeat of every team she represented.
She was an inspirational player, who always gave everything she had on the pitch.
She was a lethal forward and a goal poacher around the square, and without doubt, a nightmare for all defenders.
She was also a superb free taker, who showed her accuracy time and time again as Cork enjoyed huge success and her pace and skill was second to none.
Her list of achievements are huge.
In a career marked with huge success, she won six All-Ireland senior championship medals with Cork.
She was named National Camogie Player of the Year in 2002.
The holder of eight National League medals, including an incredible seven in-a-row from1995 to 2001, she added an eighth national league medal in 2003.
She was a huge player and leader for her beloved Fr O’Neill's, and without doubt one of her proudest moments came in 2003 when Fr O'Neill's finally captured the Cork senior county camogie championship after years of heartbreak in county finals.
She played on the University of Limerick team that won Ashbourne Cup titles in 2004 and 2005, and was honoured by them in 2007 as the recipient of their Outstanding Contribution to Sport, alumni award.
Following her retirement from playing, Fiona has continued to make an enormous contribution to the game in several capacities, as a coach, selector, administrator and volunteer.
She coached Cork to All-Ireland titles in 2005 and 2006 before returning as a selector with the 2024 All-Ireland winning team, and her work with the younger generation of Cork players shone through as she drove them on with the same passion she showed as a player.
She has held various roles in administration, including roles as president of the Camogie Colleges Association, chairperson of the National Coaching Committee, and chairperson of Fr O’Neill’s Camogie Club, helping to shape the next generation of players and coaches.
A huge role model in her beloved Fr O’Neill's, Fiona has continued to inspire countless young girls to dream big, believe in themselves, and wear both their club and county colours with pride.
This honour is richly deserved for one of Cork's finest ever camogie players.
Fiona was joined at the event by family and friends, as she was honoured alongside former Clare hurler Johnnie Callinan, who was the recipient of the GPA Lifetime Achievements Hurling award.
The adult summer cup competitions proved to be very competitive and ensured players had games during in June and July.
In the senior semi-finals, Sarsfields came through to meet Inniscarra, with Éire Óg taking on Aghabullogue.
In the intermediate grade, Kilbrittain/Timoleague will meet on Wednesday at 7.30pm in Castle Road.
Midleton played earlier this week and are in the final.
In the Junior grade, Nemo Rangers and Rockban will meet in the final on Tuesday next in Castle Road at 7.30pm.
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