By John Harrington

Kilkenny camogie, star, Grace Walsh says it’s ‘a buzz’ to be back training after taking a break from camogie at the end of the 2021 season.

She admits now she lost her zest for the game during a championship campaign that ended with defeat to Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final, but is new feeling refreshed again in mind and body.

“Towards the end of last year during matches I probably wasn't enjoying it as much,” says Walsh.

“So I suppose I wanted to make sure I'd get that enjoyment back. I took the break completely over the winter and then came back with everybody else at the beginning of January.

“I was probably just putting a lot of pressure on myself from the very start of the year, to be honest, probably coming off the (2020) All-Ireland win. I probably should have taken a break in the middle of the season last year, even just a two-week break, just to take a step back, but I didn't.

“I didn't really know what to do this winter, but, in fairness, the lads were really, really good to me. So I just took the break, it wasn't a very long break, but I just took a step away from the winter-training and came back with everybody in January and was very excited to be back.

“I'm really looking forward to the League starting on Saturday, we're all buzzing to be back."

To be a top-level sportsperson you have to be borderline obsessive about being the best you can be, but sometimes that approach can lead to mentally draining over-analysis which is the trap that Walsh fell into last year.

“I was just completely over-analysing absolutely everything that I did in games and that was probably very evident in my performances last year,” she says.

“I did a bit of work on that and I'm coming back this year with more of a positive mind-set and really looking forward to the year ahead.

“There's hopefully a bit more freedom with Covid gone back away and behind us a bit. So just trying to focus on this year now and forgetting about last year. It's done and I've a good mindset now so that’s what I'm looking towards.”

Kilkenny begin the defence their Littlewoods Ireland Camogie Division 1 title with tricky tie against Limerick on Saturday.

With the management team of Brian Dowling, Tommy Shefflin, Ray Challenor, Philly Larkin, and Pat O’Neill staying on for another year, Walsh believes the Cats are well prepared for the season to come.

“Yeah, definitely delighted that the lads are still there,” she says. “They're an incredible bunch. The whole management team, the whole set-up there, they're absolutely brilliant. I couldn't say enough good things about them to be honest.

We have a lot of new players that came in last year and a few new ones this year so the League is good to start to see where we're doing well and where we need to improve.

“It gives players and opportunity to get their name out there and on the team-sheet. Yeah, we've a good set-up this year.”