Greatest of all time.
What more can you say about Cora Staunton at this point? She has done it all and anytime she graces the pitch is just umpteen times better than her marker.
Do you mention her four All-Ireland titles or her ten All-Star awards, one more this year will have her tied with Henry Shefflin and she’ll undoubtedly go down as one of the finest Irish athletes in history.
And then you watch her post match interview after beating the unbeatable machine that is Cork, you hear her say how she did it for the younger girls and you can’t help believe her.
Comhghairdeas le Cora Staunton @duckie15 Laoch na hImeartha sinsir @LadiesFootball inniu #Properfan #TG4 pic.twitter.com/eAIuQF1i2V
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) September 2, 2017
“I know that about Cora,” Sarah Rowe says about her teammate.
“Herself and Yvonne Byrne and Martha (Carter) always say that they want to leave Mayo football in a good state so they want to leave it when the team is strong and the team will continue to have success so when they go.”
Rowe is speaking to SportsJOE at the launch of Lottoland’s ClubPlay fundraising initiative, her face lights up when you mention Staunton’s name.
“Cora was thrilled, she had a brilliant performance herself and she’s always just helping us young players coming along. As she said, she was happy for the young players but we were also happy to help her and maybe finish her career out on a high, maybe not, she might play another year who knows?”
It’s clearly genuine what Rowe is saying, the admiration is clear when speaking about the Mayo legend.
“We’re very close, I’m 22 and she’s 35, there are 13 years in the difference between me and Cora yet you wouldn’t think there’s one year because we’re really close and as a team comes and goes there’s no real age gap like everyone’s kind of the same.”
Even before her interview, Staunton always came across as a leader figure for the younger generation and Rowe opened up on just how helpful she is on the training ground:
“She’s an incredible athlete and even to just have a person like her around with that kind of experience and playing in the same position as her, there are things I’m not sure if I should go here or there or turn left or right and she helps with the small things and it makes all the difference.
“If you weren’t sure with something you’d obviously ask management but you’d go to Cora as well especially in the forwards girls would ask for advice and ask for help and she’s always very accommodating if you ask for her help.”
The pair now looks ahead to Sunday where they play Dublin in the All-Ireland Final, again Mayo go in as underdogs but, much like the men, they won’t be listening to their critics and naysayers.
Sarah Rowe was speaking at the launch of Lottoland’s ClubPlay Fundraising initiative for sports clubs where clubs will receive 7% of lottery ticket sales as well as be entered into quarterly giveaways with thousands of euro to be won.
