Age is no barrier for Captain Fantastic Claire
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC: Twenty-one years after being named Player of the Match when St. Brigid's claimed All-Ireland intermediate honours, Claire Grehan is hunting more glory on Saturday next. Picture: Gerard O'Loughlin
For Claire Grehan, the build-up to a county final and the game itself are to be savoured.
The ageless warrior is still going strong for St. Brigid’s as she aims to help the Kiltoom-based side to their first county senior title in 11 years.
The 43-year-old is no stranger to the big occasion. Part of the St. Brigid’s squad that claimed top honours 11 years ago against Saturday’s opponents Clann na nGael, she was also named Player of the Match when St. Brigid’s secured one of their greatest days in claiming the All-Ireland intermediate title in 2004.
She admitted that it was a shock to the system when discovering that certain members of the current panel weren’t born during that run to All-Ireland glory. Despite the youthful nature of the squad, however, Grehan is full of praise for the way the team have responded to last year’s county final defeat.
“Most of them weren’t born in 2004, which was hilarious. I just think that this group of girls is absolutely amazing. We won the county intermediate title five years ago and we have been working towards getting back up there and winning a senior county championship since.
“They are so talented, but you can be really talented and go without winning a county medal. Hopefully, these girls can do the business on Saturday,” she noted.
St. Brigid’s reward for winning all three of their group games was top spot and direct passage to the semi-final stages of the championship.
However, that meant a five-week wait between their final group game against Éire Óg and the county semi-final against Boyle. But the Kiltoom-based side managed the gap well, as evidenced by their 2-11 to 1-5 victory on Sunday week, racing out of the blocks to lead by 1-10 to 0-2 at the interval.
Grehan felt that the depth within the squad helped to ensure the in-house games were at the intensity required to face 2023 champions Boyle, who had claimed the Division One League title back in July.
“After every game, we felt like we had more work to do until we got over the line and got to the final. Now we’ll go and prepare for that,” Grehan stated.
After her years of service, Grehan is grateful to be able to still compete at the top level. She feels that being in a position to help her club atone for last year’s final defeat to Clann na nGael is a privilege rather than any extra pressure on her shoulders.
“I was so young when I started out. We were winning county titles, so any time we get to a county final, I appreciate it so much. Being able to still be able to play is still amazing. It is great,” she concluded.
