A golden doublin’ up for girls in blue
“And don’t forget lads that we got in for free.”
Yours truly has uttered these words leaving TEG Cusack Park on innumerable occasions in recent years after watching handpass-laden bore-fests in men’s Gaelic football matches. And, at the outset, let me stress that matches in Westmeath are no different from other counties, with well-paid bainisteoirs obsessed with ‘keep-possession-at-all-costs’ tactics which are a huge turn-off for spectators who – unlike those of us referred to in my opening line – have to fork out hard-earned cash (well tickets on their phones, but you catch my drift) to pay in to see games.
It is refreshing, therefore, to watch the female equivalent. It is not meant to be patronising when I say that I have never watched an unwatchable (again, you catch my drift) ladies’ football match. Indeed, an ideal return to reporting after a month’s hiatus ‘Down Under’ was a splendid match in The Downs last Thursday where Mullingar Shamrocks took on the home club. Three days later, it was off to Croke Park when the crème de la crème of the game played out the 50th Brendan Martin Cup final in front of 45,326 fans – almost 45,000 more than records suggest attended the decider in the competition’s formative years.
Indeed, an admirable initiative from the LGFA was the introduction of the previous 49 captains (or representatives thereof) during half-time in the senior game. This gave the ladies centre stage at an appropriate juncture, unlike the recent shabby treatment afforded to the Galway footballers and Offaly hurlers from 1998 in front of a tiny crowd prior to the standalone Sam Maguire Cup and Liam MacCarthy Cup deciders respectively. It would have been interesting to read the minds of the first winning skipper from 1974, Kitty Ryan Savage from Tipperary, and those who succeeded her for over a decade, who hadn’t even the thrill of leading their sides out on Jones’ Road, never mind playing in front of a large and vociferous crowd.
How times have changed for mná na hÉireann in all sports. And about time, at that! Ironically, two of the former winning captains had dual roles on the day. Diane O’Hora, Mayo skipper back in 1999, had managed Kildare to a thrilling win in the second game of the three-match programme and proudly wore her Lilywhite bainisteoir top for the captains’ presentation. Westmeath, of course, won this intermediate title, and with it the Mary Quinn Cup, in 2011 and 2021. Four-time Dublin skipper (2017 to 2020), Sinéad Aherne, later came on as a sub when the Metropolitans won their sixth title (they also won in 2010). It was a heart-warming occasion to see the former captains suitably honoured.
There was a symmetry to the Dubs’ triumph, Mick Bohan’s charges emulating Dessie Farrell’s boys in blue by regaining top spot in their code after a two-year ‘famine’. Inspired by Hannah Tyrrell – it came as a shock to me to realise it was her first All-Ireland medal – the new champions always looked the likely winners after a blistering start (painfully reminding me of what Jim Gavin’s men did to Westmeath sides in the ‘tennies’ on more than one occasion). Tyrrell, of course, has also excelled in both Rugby Union and soccer, and this versatility caused her to miss out on the Dubs’ glory years of the previous decade. Her first half display ranks with anything a man has done on the big stage. Her eight points therein (four each from play and frees) were all taken with aplomb.
Further back the field, Leah Caffrey did to Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh what Mick Fitzsimons did to David Clifford when Gaelic football’s ‘big two’ clashed in the men’s final a fortnight earlier. By generally snuffing out the Kingdom’s marquee player, the Na Fianna lady contributed enormously to her side’s success. The Kerry captain pointed when a goal was on at one crucial stage, and she also pounced superbly for what amounted to a consolation three-pointer late on, but she was never given the chance to put her stamp on the match. At 33, her chances of winning an elusive All-Ireland medal are getting slim. No Gael would begrudge her a victory, but sentiment plays no part in competitive sport. When Kerry won an astonishing nine in-a-row between 1982 and 1990, nobody could have envisaged just one more win for the girls in the famous green and gold jerseys (1993) over the ensuing 34 years.
TG4, whose coverage of Gaelic games has been very undervalued over the years, do a splendid job in covering and sponsoring the ladies’ game. Their handing out of free flags to fans from the six participating counties added to the carnival atmosphere. I declined their offer, as a rare neutral in the crowd. I had been delighted to take one of their free baseball caps the previous night in my native Mullingar’s second consecutive outstanding staging of the Fleadh Cheoil. A contemporary of mine reminded me that we would almost certainly never see another one in the town. Thanks for the reminder, Tom! Whatever slim chance there is of that, there is none that I will see the first 100 Brendan Martin Cup captains being paraded.
However, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing half of them, in conjunction with a terrific ‘proper’ game of football.