'We just happen to be the lucky ones’
Roscommon midfielder, Ellen Irwin, at training in Roscommon Community College ahead of Sunday's All-Ireland intermediate final against Fermanagh in Croke Park. Picture: Gerard O'Loughlin
Ellen Irwin expected the good times to roll.
A courageous showing against Westmeath in the 2021 All-Ireland semi-final when the remnants of Covid were still very visible was meant to be the platform for regular sojourns at the business end of the intermediate championship.
But it hasn’t worked out like that.
Apart from a semi-final appearance against Wexford a year later when Roscommon were soundly beaten in the Crettyard heat, Irwin and her team-mates have been waiting for their day in the sun. On Sunday next, that day will finally arrive.
“I remember my first year when we got to an All-Ireland semi-final against Westmeath in Pearse Park under Mike Finneran. After that, I remember thinking ‘sure we’ll just get there again next year’. But we’ve only been in one other semi-final since.
“The likes of Helena (Cummins) and Laura (Fleming) will tell you a hundred time over that these days are so hard to get to. So many things have to go right, just to reach a semi-final, never mind a final.
“You’ll find that ladies’ teams are a bit more up and down. Girls come in and out for one reason or another, so every year brings different challenges.
“Of all years, with everything that was going on, it was the year when it was least expected. But we’ve put the head down and stuck together as a group,” explained the popular St. Faithleach’s midfielder.
With three county teams involved in national deciders, needless to say Irwin is hopeful that the feel-good factor from recent weeks can be maintained until next weekend when she and her team-mates — the exception being Rachel Fitzmaurice who was involved in the 2015 All-Ireland Premier Junior camogie final at GAA headquarters — run out on to Croke Park for the first time in their careers.
“Roscommon LGFA is in such a great place at the minute. Three All-Ireland finals, has that ever happened? You’d have to go through a lot of counties in Ireland to find three ladies’ teams in an All-Ireland final in the one year.
“For sure, we’re enjoying the build-up. We love being together and playing football. It’s great to be playing into August. There are a lot of teams that would love to be in the position we’re in right now,” she highlighted.
The hard-working midfielder went on to reflect on a season where fine margins meant that Roscommon remained outside the promotion picture in the league. The team and management weren’t unduly worried, but all that changed when they rocked up to play Leitrim in the Connacht final.
“I think Aisling Feely described it as a “soul-destroying defeat”. Nobody ever wants to go out and lose by 22 points. That wasn’t our intention but maybe you need low days like that to earn big days like this.
“It probably gave us the kick that we needed. We didn’t think we needed one, we felt that were in an alright place. Sometimes things go bad, but they just went terribly wrong for us that day. We couldn’t score and they couldn’t miss. But I’d take losing by 40 points if it meant that we were going to end up playing in Croke Park.
“There are a lot of management teams, players and volunteers that have gone through the ranks in the last 25 years, giving and dedicating so much of their lives, to be in the position that we’re in now.
“We just happen to be the lucky ones. I can think of so many people that gave up so much time, so you have to be grateful that this group has made it to an All-Ireland final. Hopefully, we can make the most of it,” she concluded.
