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By Aisling Moloney<\/p>\n
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UL students Aileen Wall, fourth year English and Irish Arts, and Caoimhe McGrath, first year Physiotherapy, recently took home the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup with the Waterford Intermediate Ladies Football team in the All-Ireland Final.<\/p>\n
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The Waterford Ladies came home with the title after beating Kildare 3-14 to 10 points. To get to the final alone is a huge achievement for both teams and UL can also accredit itself with members from the runners up team.<\/p>\n
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On September 27th, the Ladies Football All-Ireland final broke the attendance record for a female sporting event in Europe. With 31,083 people watching the games intensely that day one can imagine the pressure and nerves both Caoimhe and Aileen felt along with their teammates.<\/p>\n
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It was a big day for many of the team members playing in Croke Park for the first time, including Caoimhe.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt was quite overwhelming.\u201d She said that the pre-match dressing room was very relaxed and calm despite the fact that she herself was \u201cshaking all-over\u201d.<\/p>\n
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However Aileen, having played All-Irelands in Croker twice before said: \u201cI felt this time it was not as big a deal for me, I was more focused on the match, Croke Park didn\u2019t really come into my head.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Both Aileen and Caoimhe had the large responsibility of starting corner and wing forward respectively in the All-Ireland Final. Caoimhe simply said: \u201cwe performed on the day\u201d and commenting on the opposition: \u201cI\u2019d say Kildare had a bad day. We didn\u2019t leave them play.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Aileen said: \u201cto be honest, I don\u2019t think Kildare came out to play Waterford, I think they came out to play the All-Ireland Final.\u201d<\/p>\n
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She also noted the background research they had done on their opposition. \u201cWe had a lot of work done on who we were going to mark, and who were their key forwards, I don\u2019t think they thought about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Aileen also mentioned how prepared she was to play on that epic pitch. \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult to look down to the other end of the pitch, and you don\u2019t really know what\u2019s going on. It seems really far away and with the crowd, you can\u2019t hear a thing. I felt I was more prepared for that detachment this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Many things contributed to these Waterford ladies\u2019 success this year. Aileen noted the influence training here in UL with the college team had on her fitness.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI thought last year the training really did benefit me, because we trained up until May.\u00a0 That really helped me in county; I was a little bit ahead of everyone else. I was doing an extra training session a week on top of the county training.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Caoimhe noted a training weekend the team had in Kilkenny. \u201cIt was very tough, mentally and physically, but it brought us closer.\u201d<\/p>\n
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From the way Caoimhe and Aileen speak so fondly about their teammates it\u2019s clear the team chemistry has had a huge impact on their success. \u201cWe all knew each other very well, we were very close,\u201d said Caoimhe. \u201cIt\u2019s nearly a family with the county team,\u201d said Aileen.<\/p>\n
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Aileen Wall who has played with the UL team for the last two years said when asked if there is a difference between playing with college and county: \u201ctotal difference. I find with the college, it\u2019s great fun. More or less everyone is the same age group; you\u2019re all going through the same things.<\/p>\n
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\u201cObviously you want to go out on nights out, which are a big thing for us. When we\u2019re allowed to go, because we\u2019re not often allowed to go, that\u2019s great fun and we have wicked stories from those nights out.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Also she notes the difference in training atmosphere with the college team. \u201cUp here, when you go to training, it\u2019s kind of having a bit of craic.\u201d However she also said: \u201cIt is a wicked big commitment here, they take it so seriously which is the right way to be. They have won three O\u2019Connor Cups, two in a row this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The difference between these sporting students and many others who are equally as skilled and dedicated across campus is that Aileen and Caoimhe will forever be technically seen as amateurs while being treated and trained as professionals.<\/p>\n
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It is clear from their rigorous training on the lead up to the final these ladies are dedicated to their team and driven for the championship. Of course there are many others who dedicate themselves and their lives to the GAA for only the glory and honour of winning as payment.<\/p>\n
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Both Aileen and Caomihe said that if they were to be paid for what they do it would \u201ctake the fun out of it\u201d. \u201cWhen you think about the work that people put into it, our managers in particular, they put in so much work and they\u2019re not even playing.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThey put in probably more hours than we do, they turn up to training and they\u2019re not even being paid for doing a job,\u201d Aileen said.<\/p>\n
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Although they acknowledged the fact that the training and dedication they put in is a far cry from \u201camateur\u201d, Caoimhe says being treated like professionals in training is necessary – \u201cthat\u2019s the way it needs to be to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Aileen said: \u201cTo be honest I love training and I love being fit. I like a bit of a challenge, at training you would be at the brink of nearly collapsing but I get a bit of a buzz off that. I love reaching my peak.\u201d<\/p>\n
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As full-time students both Caoimhe and Aileen felt the common struggle between sport and study. It was particularly strenuous for Caoimhe as she sat her Leaving Cert when training and matches began.<\/p>\n
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When asking Caoimhe about her commitments to the Leaving Certificate and her commitments to the squad she said: \u201cI think I juggled them well.\u201d She added: \u201cPat Sullivan [the manager] was very understanding about giving me the time, so I wasn\u2019t under any pressure to be coming back until the leaving was over, and I knew then I had to work my way back up the ranks.\u201d<\/p>\n
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She confirms being on this victorious team is not an easy feat. \u201cYou have to work for your place.\u201d When I asked Aileen if she would prioritize training over study she was clear, saying \u201c100%\u201d.<\/p>\n
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She added: \u201cEven if essays were due, I would rather stay up all night than miss training.\u201d However she also explained: \u201cIt\u2019s worth it when you win an O\u2019Connor Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Aileen also had to juggle college football at the time of the county season, \u201cClub, county and college did clash a bit. I found that last year.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Aileen praised the understanding nature UL have towards students with huge sporting commitments. \u201cAll my lecturers, they know me by name now. If I went to them they would grant me an extension, they are pretty understanding about things like that.<\/p>\n
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\u201cAs well, D.J Collins, who is over the Ladies Football here in UL, is so helpful, he would do anything for you, you can approach him about anything, he\u2019d go to lecturers and ask for extensions.\u201d<\/p>\n
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She also mentioned the perks of being part of the college team on such a sporty campus. \u201cWe get to use the labs in the PESS building. They even put on yoga for our recovery. It\u2019s lovely.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Overall the friendships made on the college football team has a great impact on Aileen and her experience here as a student. She added: \u201cI think it has definitely helped, and I go to matches now and we\u2019re playing the girls, and you know them. I love going over and having a chat with someone you know.\u201d<\/p>\n