Irish Times/Mitsubishi Electric Sports Woman award for September/Briege Corkery (Camogie): That's the trouble with dual stars who help themselves to two All-Ireland medals in the one year - or, to be more precise, two in the space of a handful of weeks.

Do you give them your monthly award for their first or second feat, the first in September, the second in October, or do you give them two awards and let them worry about the ever-decreasing amount of available space on their mantelpiece?

When St Mary's secondary school in Macroom honoured Coachford's Briege Corkery in May of last year, they were taking into account her nine Munster and six All-Ireland winning medals, at sundry age levels.

And that was almost 18 months before she was part of the Cork senior camogie and football All-Ireland winning teams, along with fellow dual players Mary O'Connor, Rena Buckley and Angela Walsh.

The very same Briege Corkery is the winner of The Irish Times/Mitsubishi Electric Sports Woman award for September, for camogie, but you have been warned: she could very well turn up again next month, in the Gaelic football category. Spare a thought for that mantelpiece, already warping under the pressure.

"It hasn't hit me yet," said the 18-year-old, who's back in Tralee, where she's in the first year of her Health and Leisure Studies' course at the Institute of Technology.

When we caught up with her she was on her way to camogie training, a week after helping Cork win their first senior football All-Ireland title, and a fortnight after playing her part in her county's 21st senior camogie success. Back in camogie training with Tralee? But she fractured a rib in the first 10 minutes of the All-Ireland football final.

"I was caught for breath, when I was running it was piercing into me, but it wasn't too bad, like," she says.

No question of you coming off?

"No. No," she says, like it was quite the daftest question she'd ever been asked. Why would you come off?

Flick through the archives and you'll find ample evidence to suggest the girl's a bit special.

"A tremendous display from Briege Corkery helped Cloughduv take the Cork Senior County camogie Championship title for the third time in five years, on the scoreline 3-10 to 0-6.

"Corkery once again worked tirelessly for Cloughduv, roaming up and down the pitch, turning defence into attack, time out of number steering her side out of danger, sweeping in behind her defence with darting runs and long intelligent play. She was named by the judging panel as player of the match".

She had a similar impact in September's camogie All-Ireland final. Having played at right-half back against Limerick in the semi-final, having played no part in the campaign until then, Corkery impressed sufficiently to be named in the team for the final.

"I was kind of surprised to be even playing," she said, "and against Tipp nobody really gave us a chance, but there was just a spirit about the team, I had a feeling we would do it."

Tipperary, going for a three-in-a-row, having beaten Cork in the previous two finals, lost their grip in midfield in the second half when Gemma O'Connor and Corkery were switched there by manager John Cronin, a switch that proved decisive, ultimately winning the game for Cork.

Corkery was simply outstanding, her display tigerish and inspirational, adding a wondrous late point to her afternoon's work, one that helped Cork to a 1-17 to 1-13 win.

Was the year's work worth it?

"Of course," she says. "Six nights a week with, more than likely, a match at the weekends, and then you've to make club training and matches, but yerra, it's good old craic, and that's all you want, the craic. Worth every minute.

"It's hard to say which of the two was more special but I suppose the football would mean that much more, I was playing football all along whereas in the camogie I was only brought in for that match against Limerick and the final. For the football it was our first time winning the All-Ireland and what we did in two years was just amazing, bringing the team on in that time was just savage, like.

"I played camogie and football growing up, played football with the boys, tried to get on the under-14 boys' team, I'd great ambitions for myself," she laughs.

So, camogie training tonight, with a fractured rib? "Yeah, but I'll be standing on the sidelines, just watching," she says.

Funny, you just don't believe her.