Gormley hoping for another day to remember

By Niall Gartland

THE good news stories keep on coming for dual star Sorcha Gormley, who was recently named as TG4 Intermediate Footballer of the Year for her starring performances for the All-Ireland-winning Tyrone team back in the summer.

Now Gormley is bidding for national success on the camogie front with the Éire Ógs, who will duke it out with St Kevin’s of Louth this Saturday at Abbotstown.

2025 will live long in the memory of the livewire forward – and winning an All-Ireland with her club would mean just as much as her aforementioned success in the red and white of Tyrone.

“Winning an All-Ireland with your county is something special,” said Gormley. “Growing up you dream of getting to this stage with your club, and thankfully we’re in this position, and it’s a real honour. We’re a small enough community and that makes it all the more special.”

It’s been a busy but enjoyable few years for Gormley between her various club commitments across ladies and camogie, as well as her rise through the underage ranks of Tyrone to playing a leading role on the senior intercounty team.

Asked how she manages to juggle so many plates, she said: “There’s good managers all over the teams and they work with each other.

“The county football has started up again, and Darren (McCann) is understanding that this is a big deal for the camogs so I’ve put the football aside for now.

“The ladies work with the camogs, and the camogs work with the ladies, which is particularly important given there’s various dual players feeding into the teams. To get the best out of the players, everyone has to work with each other and thankfully they do that.”

Gormley, who is the daughter of former Tyrone footballer Brian Gormley, says that ladies football was her first love, but that at this stage, camogie is also very close to her heart.

“I was later joining the camogie. I started up playing a wee bit at u-14, took a break, then came back at minor and have been here since.

“I’ve played football for a long time, and the camogie is something a bit different. There’s various traits that benefit you in both sports, so it works well and it’s something different playing with a different group as well.”

On that note, Gormley says that the Éire Ógs are a real sisterhood where everyone is pushing in the one direction with the same goal in mind.

“We’re all so close – everyone’s friends with each other. It’s not just Carrickmore girls, there’s Errigal, Dromore, Drumragh, and it’s such a good group. When we come to training we’re one club and I think that’s the beauty of it.”