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Rena Buckley is an Irish sportswoman who played at senior level for both the Cork county ladies' football team and the Cork county camogie team. She has also represented Munster in the Gael Linn Cup and Ireland at international rules. Between 2005 and 2017 she won 18 All-Ireland winners medals - the most All-Ireland senior medals any one person has ever won - making her one of the most decorated sportspeople in Gaelic games. In 2012 she captained Cork when they won the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship and in 2017 she captained Cork when they won the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship. She was the first player to captain Cork to both All-Ireland senior championships. She was also named as an All Star on eleven occasions. In 2015 Buckley and her team mate and fellow dual player, Briege Corkery, were named joint winners of the 2015 The Irish Times/ Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year Award.

Early years, family and education

Rena Buckley is the daughter of Tim and Ellen Buckley. Her hometown is Berrings, Inniscarra. Between 1999 and 2005 she attended St. Aloysius School in Cork. Between 2005 and 2009 she attended University College Dublin where she gained a BSc in Physiotherapy and Performance Science. In 2017–18 she returned to UCD and completed a MSc in Sports Physiotherapy. In 2019 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by University College Cork. In 2015, she was awarded the UCD Alumni Award for Physiotherapy.

Playing career

Clubs

At club level Buckley plays ladies' Gaelic football for Donoughmore and camogie for Inniscarra. Between 2005 and 2009, while attending University College Dublin, she also played camogie and ladies football for UCD GAA and featured in four successive Ashbourne Cup finals, finishing on winning teams in 2007 and 2008. She was part of an O'Connor Cup winning team in 2006.

Inter-county

Ladies' Gaelic football

Between 2003 and 2017 Buckley played for the Cork county ladies' football team. Together with Valerie Mulcahy, Juliet Murphy and Briege Corkery she was a member of the Cork team that won eleven All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championships between 2005 and 2016. In 2010 Buckley captained Cork when they won the Ladies' National Football League title and in 2012 she was captain when they won the All-Ireland title. In the 2016 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship final she was named Player of the Match. In 2017 she retired from the Cork senior ladies' football team.

Camogie

Between 2004 and 2018 Buckley played for the Cork county camogie team. Together with Gemma O'Connor, Anna Geary, Ashling Thompson and Briege Corkery she was a member of the Cork team that won seven All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championships between 2005 and 2017. She captained Cork when they won the 2017 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Final. In 2018 Buckley announced she was retiring from the Cork senior camogie team.

All-Ireland Finals

Between 2005 and 2017, while playing for the Cork county ladies' football team and the Cork county camogie team, Buckley won 18 All-Ireland winners medals, making her one of the most decorated sportspeople in Gaelic games. In 2012 she captained Cork when they won the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship and in 2017 she captained Cork when they won the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship. She was the first player to captain Cork to both All-Ireland championships and, after Mary Geaney, she became only the second player to captain a team to both All-Ireland championships. On six occasions she helped Cork win the Double, after they won both All-Ireland championships in the same year. In total she played in 22 All-Ireland finals. On four occasions she finished as a runner-up, all with the Cork senior camogie team. In 2015 Buckley and her team mate and fellow dual player, Briege Corkery, both broke the record for most individual All-Ireland medals, overtaking the 15 won by the Dublin camogie player, Kathleen Mills. In December 2015 Buckley and Corkery were named joint winners of the 2015 The Irish Times/ Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year Award in recognition of there achievement.

  Cork won the Double, winning both All-Ireland championships in the same year.

International rules football

Buckley was a member of the Ireland women's international rules football team that played against Australia in the 2006 Ladies International Rules Series.

Personal life

Buckley is a member of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists. In 2013 she became a partner in a physiotherapy centre in Muskerry, County Cork. Since September 2015 she has operated her own clinic in Macroom. Her clinic are the club physiotherapists for several local GAA clubs including Naomh Abán. In May 2021, Buckley married her longtime partner, the Freemount GAA player, Páidí Collins.

Honours

Ladies' Gaelic football

Cork

• All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship
  • Winners: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016: 11
• Ladies' National Football League
  • 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017: 11
• RTÉ Sports Team of the Year Award
  • 2014

Camogie

Cork

• All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship
  • Winners: 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2017: 7
  • Runners-up: 2004, 2007, 2012, 2016: 4
• National Camogie League
  • Winners: 2006, 2007, 2012: 3

UCD

• Ashbourne Cup
  • Winners: 2007, 2008: 2
  • Runners-up: 2006, 2009: 2

Individual

• The Irish Times/ Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year
  • 2015
• Ladies' Gaelic Football All Stars Awards
  • Winner: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2015: 6
• Camogie All Stars
  • Winner: 2006, 2007, 2014, 2015, 2017: 5

References

1. "GAA star Rena Buckley on work, love and levelling the playing pitch for women". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 10 May 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
2. "Multi-talented Mary Geaney made her own All-Ireland history". www.irishexaminer.com. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
3. ^ "Tribute Event for Rena Buckley Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 13 January 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
4. ^ "18 All-Ireland titles - UCD student is now GAA's most successful star". www.ucd.ie. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
5. ^ "'I want the chance to give more of my time to the people in my life' - 18-time All-Ireland winner Rena Buckley retires". www.independent.ie. 20 May 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
6. ^ "Rena Buckley". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
7. ^ "Rena Buckley – UCD Physiotherapy Alumni Award Winner 2015". alumni.ucd.ie. 2 October 2005. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
8. ^ "Rena Buckley Physiotherapy". renabuckleyphysio.ie. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
9. "UCC recognises outstanding leaders". www.ucc.ie. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
10. "RENA BUCKLEY". UCD Alumni Awards. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
11. ^ "Comment: Rena Buckley helped change attitudes to women's sport during a wonderful, astounding career". www.independent.ie. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
12. ^ "GAA star Rena Buckley on work, love and levelling the playing pitch for women". www.irishexaminer.com. 10 May 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
13. ^ "We Had Forgotten How To Lose". www.thesportschronicle.com. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
14. "O'Leary fires UL to third title". www.independent.ie. 27 February 2006. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
15. "UCD claim title for first time in 19 years". www.irishtimes.com. 19 February 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
16. "Ashbourne Cup champions UCD take six College All-Star awards". www.hoganstand.com. 20 February 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
17. "UCD capture historic back-to-back titles". www.hoganstand.com. 24 February 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
18. "2008 Ashbourne Cup Final Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 24 February 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
19. "WIT bridge eight-year gap". www.irishtimes.com. 23 February 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
20. ^ "Cork's Rena Buckley announces inter-county retirement". www.irishtimes.com. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
21. ^ "Rena Buckley: 'There wasn't enough time in the day'". www.irishexaminer.com. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
22. "Cork v Galway - Bord Gais Energy Ladies National Football League Division 1 Final Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 8 May 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
23. ^ "Cork v Kerry - TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Senior Championship Final Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 7 October 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
24. ^ "Drama as Cork edge out Dublin to seal six-in-a-row". www.rte.ie. 25 September 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
25. ^ "Rena Buckley makes GAA history with an incredible 18 All-Ireland medals". www.the42.ie. 10 September 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
26. ^ "Buckley award to mark 18th All-Ireland medal". www.independent.ie. 31 March 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
27. ^ "Rena Buckley and Sinead Aherne joint winners of sportswoman award". www.irishtimes.com. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
28. ^ "Murray hails Cork's cool heads after last-gasp win". www.rte.ie. 10 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
29. ^ "'I wouldn't go back on my word': Buckley's childhood pledge to make her acceptance speech in Irish". www.the42.ie. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
30. "Rena Buckley calls time on stunning Cork career". www.rte.ie. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
31. "Tributes Pour In For The Retirement Of Gaelic Games' Most Successful Player". www.balls.ie. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
32. "Ministers Ross and Griffin congratulate Cork dual player Rena Buckley on her sporting career". merrionstreet.ie. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
33. "Cork legend Rena Buckley share outrageous story of being asked to present medals... but only to girls". www.independent.ie. 15 October 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
34. "'We're sorry, but the GAA team actually don't want you to present the boys with the medals'". www.the42.ie. 15 October 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
35. "Rena Buckley and Briege Corkery the first among equals". www.irishtimes.com. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
36. ^ "'I've gotten a good bit of attention, which wouldn't really be what I'd look for'". www.the42.ie. 16 December 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
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48. "Jacob takes the biscuit as Wexford come through in the crunch". www.irishtimes.com. 17 September 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
49. "TG4 All-Ireland Ladies SFC Final – Cork 0-16 Kerry 0-7". munster.gaa.ie. 7 October 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
50. "TG4 All Ireland Ladies Football Senior Championship Final – Cork 1-10 Monaghan 1-9". munster.gaa.ie. 29 September 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
51. "Cork come good when it matters". www.irishtimes.com. 14 September 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
52. "All Ireland Ladies Football Senior Final – Cork 2-13 Dublin 2-12". munster.gaa.ie. 28 September 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
53. "As it happened: Cork v Galway, All-Ireland senior camogie final". www.the42.ie. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
54. "Simply the best! Sensational Cork ladies are All-Ireland champs for 10th time in 11 years". www.the42.ie. 27 September 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
55. "All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Final – Kilkenny 1-13 Cork 1-9". munster.gaa.ie. 11 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
56. "Brave Aussie ladies like ewes to the slaughter in Ireland". www.worldfootynews.com. 14 November 2006. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
57. "Players Launch First Ever Ladies International Rules Test Series". ladiesgaelic.ie. 26 October 2006. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
58. Wedding bells in Berrings as Cork legend Rena Buckley marries Páidí Collins

• 1987 births
• Living people
• Cork camogie players
• Cork inter-county ladies' Gaelic footballers
• UCD camogie players
• Dual camogie–football players
• Ireland women's international rules football team players
• Winners of four All-Ireland medals (ladies' football)
• Alumni of University College Dublin
• People associated with University College Cork
• Irish physiotherapists
• Health professionals from County Cork
• 21st-century Irish sportswomen