By Daragh Ó Conchúir
It is refreshing to hear a player describing her enjoyment of all that comes with operating in the inter-county sphere.
Aoife Donohue may be a little unusual however, in that while the dressing room and bonds built with teammates rank highly, as it does for most players, and then there is the glee that never leaves about playing camogie to a high standard, the newly crowned PwC GPA Player of the Year loves the grind and the grime of the hard work.
“I’m probably enjoying camogie now more than I ever did, to be honest, and particularly with the group that’s there now, we are all so close, we live for it. We love it.
“I’ve been lucky enough in that, like, a lot of work goes into training and the set-up is there for you, the environment is already in place for you to reach the highest levels that you can.
“Obviously, it’s years of work and I really like that part of it. It doesn’t happen overnight obviously, with the work on S&C and our coaches and physios are brilliant. And then there’s the work on the pitch, the load and stuff that we do.
“But I don’t particularly find it as taxing on the body as I would have at the start. Training is hard, it’s tough, but I think once you’re looking after yourself and you’re recovering right, and listening to your body, you’re fine.
“I dunno, everyone is different. It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of dedication, it’s lot of hours in the gym. Camogie’s gone very much that way. You’re gone five, six times a week compared to when I started Nines a week, compared when I started years ago, but it’s all worth it in the end when you win the All-Ireland.
“I’ve been lucky enough with injuries as well but I enjoy it. I enjoy going training, I enjoy working hard and I suppose that makes it easier as well.”
And it has ever been thus.
Madge Kennedy spotted her first when Donohue was playing schoolboys’ soccer for Kiltormer. A Man United supporter, this was Donohue’s game, and she was the best player on the pitch.
Kennedy was taken by the speed and determination of the tiny terror in amongst the boys and called down to the Donohue house straight afterwards to get her down to train with the Mullagh U14 team she was manager of.
Around nine years later, in 2013, Donohue was picking up the first of four All-Ireland senior medals with Galway, along with Ailish O’Reilly and Annmarie Starr.
Kennedy would reveal in an article on SportsJoe that when she had progressed to being manager of the senior team, Donohue would not miss one training session even though she was in with county.
The club boss feared she would burn herself out and so organised a session at the same time her player would be in college. A message quickly zapped into WhatsApp: “I’ll be over early if someone can bring sliotars for 7.”
She was skipping college.
In a previous interview, Donohue spoke about how much she loved her club and how Kennedy tried to protect her from herself.
“Madge Kennedy used to be sending me home alright because I would always be down there. You would only love to be going and seeing the girls and spending time with them. You would be pucking around yourself. And any time you can get on the pitch, it can only improve your own game.”
So it is no surprise really that was voted PwC GPA Player of the Year for the second time, having also earned the approval of her peers in 2021. She may look like poetry in motion but a lifelong dedication to her art has brought her to this peak state, at the age of 32.
And given her love of it, there are no thoughts of packing it in. Why would she when it isn’t a chore, she isn’t struggling and she relishes going into training every single night.
Getting over the line in a gripping Glen Dimplex All-Ireland final, one of the best of any era, was all the sweeter coming 12 months after a narrow defeat to Cork. That is was chronicled in the brilliant RTÉ documentary, Camogie: Inside the Championship is a nice little cherry on top.
“It’s really cool. Even watching the clips they were putting up beforehand, the previews, you’d nearly be getting goosebumps watching them.
“But it’s brilliant for camogie. It’s out there now on a national level. I think, particularly after the All-Ireland final, the amount of people that were talking about camogie, it was insane. I’ve never seen the likes of it.
“And now the documentary is out and people are coming up to you after it and chatting to you. Even in school, people are talking about it and it’s really cool to see.
“It’s good to get behind the closed doors and show what it’s like for players, the struggles they encounter, the amount of commitment and dedication it takes and what it means to people.
“I think it’s brilliant that Ross (Whitaker) came along and decided to try to showcase camogie on the biggest stage. And the content he has captured is class. It can only be good for camogie.”
Particularly with players like Aoife Donohue to showcase.
Aoife Donohue will the special guest on this Monday's 'Over The Line' (24th November 2025). She'll join Galway Bay FM's Darren Kelly in studio just after 8pm.
