Ryan Relishing Second All Ireland Final With Clare

Laurie Ryan will look to savour the moment of playing in her second All Ireland Final, excited to be part of such a strong tight knit panel this year, as Clare contest their first All Ireland decider in seven years this weekend.

Now in her tenth year playing Inter-County for Clare, the 29-year-old is no stranger to playing an All Ireland, being captain for their last outing, she also applies her trade for Athlone Town in the the Women’s Premier Division, captaining them to an FAI Cup Final last year and the Presidents Cup this year, winning the latter. All while working as a lecturer in Science, working in the Sports and Health department at TUS (Technological University of the Shannon).

It’s a testament to the remarkable athlete that is Laurie Ryan, that she had had to overcome amongst other things, a severe concussion, grief and trying to balance work alongside committing to two sports, but through all of it, she still slogs away for the love of it.

That was not the case earlier in the year however, explaining her reasoning as to why she took a step back from the Clare setup, she mentions the toll it took on her body trying to do both on a weekend, while also losing a dear close family member in her grandmother Rita.

“Like there was some weekends where you would play a seven o’clock kick off in Athlone and you’d be getting home into Athlone at half nine and you might have a match in Tipperary the next day at two. The recovery was from the moment the final whistle went with the soccer, you’d be getting as much food into you as possible, without eating so much that you wouldn’t sleep because that would be the next thing you have to try do.

I was really lucky at the time everyone was really helpful towards me and my boyfriend would often drive me, so that saved me having to do a bulk of the work. I could relax in the car it really helped at the time. There was one weekend last year and I can actually never forget it. We’d Wexford away so like getting to Wexford is a long long journey and from there I actually went and stayed at my Uncle’s house in Dublin, then travelled to Down the next day for Championship with Clare the first round.

I went home and I must have slept 12 hours, cause I was like this is the worst I have ever felt in my life, the lucky thing for me at the time was it was summer so I actually didn’t have work on the Monday cause I don’t think I would have functioned. She exclaimed.

It was just things like that I don’t think I could have managed both, especially with the league this year going back to the seven games, that was probably in my favour last year when it was only four. It was tough and as well this year, a big decision for me my Nana past away last summer so when I was travelling home I was always staying with her. I would have came home for her anyway, whereas when I wasn’t coming home to someone in the house, it was going to be kinda harder travelling up and down to Clare, so that probably put me off for the league as well.

I didn’t want to be coming home to no one, especially when it’s still very upsetting, in fairness to Wayne he really understood when I explained the circumstances too him and he always left the door open for me which was great, by the time they had played the league, I don’t know what happened because I was planning on going away, one day I woke up and said I’d go back to football, so I do think my Nana was looking down on me there, because I had convinced my boyfriend for two weeks to go to Vietnam and then he committed to it. she recalls.

I was like actually I think I’m going to go back playing for Clare, so he was like oh I was waiting for you to say that, so he kinda knew anyway, it was like really tough doing the both. Chloe Moloney does it as well so it’s nice to have someone that’s going through the struggle with you, doing the long trips with the League of Ireland you could end up anywhere, have to either come back and train on the Sunday morning or travel for a match was tough going. I was just lucky last year Evan was very helpful was year with the football side of things and Wayne this year is the same so it’s really helped me to allow me to do both”.

Although she may hate being called the word, she is one of the veteran players within the panel, someone who has been there and done it. Has experienced the big day in Croke Park and had good and bad days in the colours of the Banner.

She recounts when she first got called up to the Clare setup in 2010, the year after Clare’s last All Ireland win, clubmate Louise Henchy really put her arm around her and helped guide her on now 13 year long journey with Clare. Now she is seen as one of the role models for the younger girls in the squad, she explains how they have leaders within their ranks, not just her and the other three survivors from 2016.

‘Louise Henchy is still someone I’d always text if I have a football thing going on, I was so lucky when I came in in 2010 that she used to collect me and bring me to training, let me do everything with her basically. I’m still lucky that I get to play club football with her, it was great to have her and just have her as a role model to look up to, kinda see how she handled herself in every situation, whether it was a club league game or an All Ireland Final with Clare, like she would always be the one person that would have her head screwed on. I think you do as you get older in the team and that you’ve been there a number of years, you have that kinda role and that girls will nearly be asking you questions, what was it like or how was it and stuff like that, so it is great to have the opportunity to help them.

We’ve girls that have really stepped up as leaders this year, Fidelma, Chloe, Siofra Ní Chonail, Aisling Reidy, alongside the three Harvey’s as well who are brilliant. I think that’s what’s making it so special within the group is that everyone in the group is trying to do their best for the team, like help each other and you kinda recognise if a girl looks a bit nervous maybe on a given day that everyone kinda rallies around and help’s each other out.

Henchy now retired from Clare, might have a full time role as Ryan’s life coach or spiritual advisor, providing advice to the Clare and Athlone player for two different codes, Ryan was 21 captaining Clare to fall just shy in their 2016 quest, but always spoke to her role model to get some words of wisdom.

Ryan watched on from the stands as Henchy lifted the cup in 2009 and helped bring a wealth of knowledge to the team, something she recalls with pride in speaking about her club mate, someone she admires greatly, but the support of her club Banner Ladies has also helped give her the drive to push herself in the past.

No matter what it is, whether it’s soccer or football if I have anything going on I kinda text Louise and say, hey you around for a coffee, like she’s been a brilliant role model and like I’ve been really lucky I’ve got to play club soccer with her, club football with her, with Clare. Like we’ve done a lot over the years, she was just very good to me when I was younger, she would always make sure that I had my lift to training, we’d lots of chat’s on the way to training, she kinda really mentored me through it all. 

When I was captain she was still involved in the team as well, it was great to have her guidance and I could always kinda rely on her to go to and be like oh look what do you think of this or how do you think I should handle this situation. Even with Athlone I’ve often gotten onto her and been like oh what would you do in these situations, she’s a brilliant person and we’re really blessed to have her in the club still playing and she’s such an idol for those of us who have grown up within the club. 

Two years ago she did her cruciate in a club final and she came back fitter than ever, you’re just looking at her and your like how are you still doing it, she kinda drives everyone on to want to buy into things and be the best you can be and she’s such a brilliant leader and she was captain in 2009, she’s been there and done it as well so, that’s what makes her such a good person to talk to. 

She was one of the first people to text me after we qualified for the All Ireland as well, she’d be the happiest person for all of us which is great and I think that’s such a theme within our club back home the Banner, that they’d all just want us to do really well, so proud as club mates and that kinda just pushes you on to want to perform for them within the county setup, it’s great to have people like that around you.’

Will we hear the phrase, “There won’t be a cow milked in Clare for at least a week” uttered this Sunday, last weekend saw the Clare Junior Camogie team record All Ireland success, days after this interview was conducted with Laurie, but the buzz is alive in Clare as they look to cheer their girls to glory this weekend.

‘I think that everyone is just enjoying the fact we qualified for the All Ireland, the Clare Junior Camogie are up there this weekend as well. So it’s great for the two Women’s teams to be heading there at this time of year. They’ll be a lot of girls that we played football with going up this weekend, just between the two of us I think there’s a big buzz around the place, even just within the football circles, everyone is delighted and really looking forward to a day out in Croke Park, which we haven’t had in a long time.’

Taking on a strong Kildare side in the decider will not prove easy, the side that bested them twice this season, including the league decider, also beat them seven years ago, for all by four, Ryan and the three Harvey’s, Grainne, Caoimhe and Shauna, most have never graced the hallowed turf of Croke Park.

Ryan remembers her first and only time playing for Clare at Croke Park on All Ireland Final day and how daunting it can be, the noise, the venue, what’s at stake, all this can weigh heavily on the minds of the players.

‘It’s really new to the majority of our squad, I think for them it’s just about understanding that it is just another match at the end of the day, a lot of them have been in Croke Park for other matches, so they know how big it is. It can be a bit aweing on the day nearly, you’re kinda coming out going oh my god, it’s the Ladies Finals as well, one of the biggest things is that the noise level on the day is massive on the day in comparison to maybe what we were used to in other matches.

So just trying to tell the girls like how that is and kinda take each training as it comes and not look too far ahead for ourselves and enjoy the build up as well, it’s not every year you qualify for an All Ireland. You do have to enjoy these moments as well, they don’t come around as often as you might think they do, that’s something you learn as you push on a little bit, that you do have to enjoy and embrace these moments, because they mightn’t come around again for a while.

Myself and the three Harvey’s would have been the ones involved back in 2016, they all would have played on the day as well, so they’ve all had that experience of playing there. Caoimhe is captain this year looking back for her she was only 16 or 17 at the time when we were playing in Croke Park. So she understands that situation and I suppose she’s always there to help the girl’s along in the squad that might be younger and mightn’t have had any experience of playing in bigger matches, it is something that you have to be aware of and I suppose the thing is, Kildare are probably in a similar boat, they’ve had a lot of turnover since 2016.’

The allure of the big day is something that they are not reading too much into to be a distraction on the day, focusing on playing like you normally would is the message Laurie has said for years.

Going into the FAI Cup Final last year, Ryan would have had nervous teammates who lacked the experience on the big day, but will be putting her wisdom to use this weekend and being a person to guide those players, when they need it most.

‘I don’t think they’ve (KIldare) played there since then either, I think it’s going to be the same for both teams on the day, so not reading too much into it either because you don’t want to let it be a big kinda elephant in the room. That we’re all focused on, oh this is Croke Park it’s amazing, like you do want to focus on making sure that we play football, you come off the pitch after giving your best performance that you can.

They’re the kinda things as I say when you get a bit older you do realise it’s about focusing on the performance and I know myself last year going into the cup final with Athlone. We would have had young girls that were nervous on the day, you do just have to take it in your stride, I always say you have to realise it’s just another game at the end of the day, the surroundings might be a little bit different, there might be a few more people there, but it’s not different to any one game that we’ve played/

Like you go in with the same goal of winning the match as well, they’re the kinda things that I’ll always be saying to anyone if they were getting a bit nervous or anything like that it’s the same as the All Ireland Semi Final, you just have to go out and try to perform and win, the venue, the pitch, it’s all pretty much similar sizing and all that, it’s just the atmosphere is different and that’s kinda the big one and it can throw people on the day.’

The noise and pageantry really comes alive on All Ireland Final day, but as Ryan says, those little moments differ from most games, Takaka Rain just before you come out, trumpets on the speakers reverberating around the amphitheatre that is Croke Park, these little things can make the difference.

An introduction of a countdown clock and hooter is also something these players have faced very little of in the championship, once we hit 60 on Sunday that’s it, no added time no second chances on the day, Ryan remembers her experience of 2016 and the way the game is timed to perfection, while the day is certainly an enjoyable one, it all boils down to football at the end of it.

‘When you do come out it is a big difference, there’s probably a lot of thousands more than what would be at other games, you’re going to be taken it back like, I think anyone is, I was probably the same in 2016, when I came out I was like oh my god, your warm up is kinda shorter on the field, there’s lots of little things that you’re not used to.

Everything is timed obviously to perfection as well, so they’re all things that you kinda have to take into account and you just need to be aware of them, I think once you’re aware of them and you understand that we’re going to be a more little rushed potentially. You’ve to do a parade, there’s little things like that, that you mightn’t do every other day, you can kinda just hopefully take it in your stride, I think that’s where it will come in to me and the three Harvey’s talking to all the other girls and just making sure they’re good on the day as well. she exclaimed.

We’ve been there, we know what it’s like, we know how it can be a big day, there’s so much noise and there’s so many things happening that you can get distracted but it’s about making sure that you keep focused. Probably since 2016 for myself anyway, like for me going out there in 2016 it was do or die have to win that football match, but you gain a lot of perspective on it, it’s just another game at the end of the day.

You have to enjoy what you’re doing and all of us are really enjoying playing for Clare this year, we’ve a really good bond within the team, I think that’s what’s making it so fun, you can’t forget that on All Ireland Final day either, you do have to understand it’s just another game, it’s a massive day and it’s so good to be a part of and enjoy every minute of it as well I always say, but you do have to focus on playing football at the end of it’.