For the past four years, Róisín Black has been a teacher at Scoil Mhuire, the same primary school she attended in her home town of Oranmore.
It might have been a tiny bit weird at first - being a colleague of some people that taught her as a child - but she loves everything about it. The profession itself, of course, but the familiarity of the surroundings and its denizens, who have been welcoming and encouraging.
They threw a party when she concluded last season with a deserved All-Star. They might have another after the announcement that the Oranmore-Maree bulwark will be captain of the Galway camogie squad for 2024.
She succeeds Shauna Healy and before her, Sarah Dervan, in the role and the similarities are impossible to resist.
Staunch defenders, the terror of opposition forwards, with bone-shuddering physicality and that invaluable incredible knack of winning possession in tight spaces. Think defiance, think raging against the dying of the light. Galway manager, Cathal Murray and his brains trust have chosen wisely.
Black’s progression as a player has been gradual rather than electric, having first come into the county panel in 2016 after skippering the minors to an All-Ireland final, just before sitting her Leaving Cert, but only established herself as a starter in 2022.
An All-Star nomination provided confirmation of her impact and 12 months later, she left the end-of-year function with the prized gong.
Last week’s call from Murray about the captaincy came out of the blue, however.
“I was surprised as there are so many other great leaders on the team but I was delighted,” admits Black.
“It’s a great honour for myself, my family and my club. I’ve two great vice-captains as well in Carrie Dolan and Siobhán McGrath."
“Shauna and Sarah have been pivotal to Galway camogie for so many years. You learn on the pitch from them and you learn off the pitch as well from them. I’ve definitely big boots to fill!”
Black has no doubts about why she was a slow burner rather than an overnight sensation.
“I suppose I gave it my all for the last two years. I left no stone unturned with the gym and the training, left it all out on the field. Maybe that came with a bit of maturity. I understood what it was to be up there. You have to give 100%.
“Watching the girls too that had won All-Irelands and All-Stars, the likes of Shauna and Sarah and Niamh Kilkenny. I learned from them and understood what you had to do to get on the starting team because the competition is so fierce. You want to be going into an All-Ireland semi-final or final, knowing that you’ve done everything you can.
To that end, Galway Camogie is attempting to do the same. They are part of a united effort among Tribes County’s Gaelic games family to build a centre of excellence for use by the four female and male codes.
The plan is to include a full-size pitch within an indoor facility, two full-size floodlit 4G pitches, three or four further full-size pitches as well as dressing rooms, gym facilities and video analysis rooms.
Unsurprisingly, Black is enthused by the co-operative effort, as well as by the obvious improvement it will bring to the preparation of county teams.
“It’s something that’s so much needed. So many teams would benefit from a place like this, from underage up. It’s a united effort and there is great support for it. Hopefully it comes in time and I get good use out of it because it won’t be too far from home, which I was delighted to hear."
At this time of year, Murray has wisely not closed off his panel. The squad has been undergoing a gradual transitional phase in the last couple of years since winning the All-Ireland in 2021. It now seems well placed with not just the likes of Black, Dolan and McGrath etched into its fabric, but a younger generation including Áine Keane and Sabina Rabbitte having also been indoctrinated.
“We’ve a lot of youth in our panel this year, a lot of girls that have been here a few years now and are stepping up. We also have a lot of girls coming off winning the Purcell Cup and the Ashbourne Cup with UL. So that all helps ahead of the League campaign.
“There’s lots of girls now, including minors that have just come up, others that didn’t play last year but are making it known they want their spot in the team. They’re all as fit as fiddles and driving the standards for us. I’m really looking forward to getting going now."
