THERE\u2019S A REAL new chapter feel on Leeside.<\/p>\n
Shane Ronayne is in the hot-seat, having taken over from Ephie Fitzgerald in September.<\/p>\n
\n New Cork boss Shane Ronayne.<\/p>\n
Source: Lorraine O\u2019Sullivan\/INPHO<\/p>\n
Ronayne, a renowned coach and All-Ireland winner with both Tipperary and Mourneabbey, landed the job after a year with the Waterford men\u2019s footballers, while Fitzgerald went the other way after his six years at the Cork helm.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an interesting change of management, and there\u2019s no questioning the high expectations within the county.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not exactly a secret that the 11-time All-Ireland champions are eyeing a first title since 2016, Fitzgerald\u2019s debut season after the late Eamonn Ryan\u2019s reign of terror.<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s a case of so far, so good, according to Erika O\u2019Shea.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will always be thankful to Ephie for giving me my break and I could not speak highly enough of him,\u201d the 2021 All-Star begins. \u201cI will always be grateful for everything he has done.<\/p>\n
\u201cShane Roynane is the same; he is a very experienced manager and he got to the All-Ireland final again with Mourneabbey and they were unlucky [they lost to Kilkerrin-Clonberne on Saturday].<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is very intense but a very talented coach, I could not speak highly enough of him either. I am excited at the new experience. In pre-season, we undergo a lot of gym work now and a lot of running unfortunately but we are loving every minute of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Rebels open their Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 1 campaign with a mouth-watering clash against All-Ireland champions Meath on 13 February, as the counties lock horns for the first time since the Royals\u2019 sensational late comeback in last year\u2019s All-Ireland semi-final.<\/p>\n
\n Scenes at the final whistle as Cork fell to Meath in the 2021 All-Ireland semi-final.<\/p>\n
Source: Ryan Byrne\/INPHO<\/p>\n
League holders and long-time rivals Dublin are up next in Croke Park in Round Two, with several more tough tasks to come in the top-flight.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no easy game at inter-county and I don\u2019t think there ever is,\u201d O\u2019Shea nods. \u201cIt keeps us on our toes which is good. Shane Roynane is focusing on [getting back to] the All-Ireland final and that is all that is in his head at the moment and we are using the league as experience and hopefully it will be very worthwhile.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reflecting on Meath\u2019s historic All-Ireland final win over Dublin and the aftermath, the 19-year-old defender agrees it perhaps twisted the knife given the nature of their gut-wrenching last-four defeat after extra-time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it brought the Cork team a lot of hurt, but everyone was really respectful of Meath because they are a talented bunch and they worked hard to get where they are.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt definitely did affect the team, we\u2019re out for blood this year, we\u2019re ready for road and, yeah, it did affect us but happy for them too because they worked so hard from where they came from in intermediate all the way up to senior to win the All-Ireland.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the match we were all very hurt by it but we all looked at each other and said, \u2018We\u2019re going to pick each other up and come back properly next year,\u2019 and I feel like we all learn from defeats like that.<\/p>\n
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\n In attendance at a photocall to announce that Yoplait are the new sponsors of the LGFA\u2019s Third-Level Championships was UL & Cork’s Erika O\u2019Shea.<\/p>\n
Source: SPORTSFILE.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs I was talking about underage before, not making the panels, I think it makes you stronger to come back and you\u2019re ready for it and you won\u2019t let it happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did gain a bit of confidence too thinking we were so close to this Meath team but I feel like we\u2019re a team that will not take things for granted like that. We know that Meath are obviously going to improve and so will Dublin and all the other teams so we\u2019ll take it one step at a time, and we\u2019re just going to hope for the best.\u201d<\/p>\n
A fresh start, a clean slate, with big aims and goals.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really hoping for the All-Ireland anyway and it\u2019s definitely a new chapter,\u201d O\u2019Shea nods.<\/p>\n
\u201cShane Ronayne now, he\u2019s a very experienced man and I can\u2019t wait to work alongside him this year. Hopefully we\u2019ll do it at the end of the year. It\u2019s looking positive at the moment, so hopefully it will keep going that way.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n