Pictured here is Ailish Considine at the 2025 Darkness Into Light Launch as this year marks the thirteenth year that Electric Ireland has supported the campaign. The 2025 Darkness Into Light campaign emphasises that the first and most impactful step to supporting Pieta, is signing up to take part in the event. Taking place on Saturday, May 10th, the walk provides an opportunity for people to connect with their local community and to bring hope to people who have been impacted by suicide.
By Cian O’Connell
A life spent in sport, involved with teams in various codes, has taught Ailish Considine many lessons.
Undoubtedly, Clare’s relegation to Division Three hurt, but mitigating factors existed. Being ready for the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship in June is the objective.
That hasn’t changed even if Considine acknowledges it was a challenging stint. “It is a tricky one, particularly this year, Division Two was tricky, having Cork and Galway there,” Considine says.
“They're probably Division One teams, let's be honest. So, it was a difficult league campaign for us, coming off the back of winning Division Three last year. Probably, it was a bitter pill to swallow, when you get promoted, and you're straight back down.
"We played some really quality teams, so I think while we didn't get the results we wanted, we still got some good competitive games. All of that will benefit us for the Championship and the lead up to the Munster Championship and also for the big one, the All-Ireland series, which starts on June 1.”
Considine highlights the dynamism of Galway and Cork, who contested the Division Two Final last weekend. “You're looking at Galway, who ended up in the All-Ireland final last year and were absolutely outstanding this year in the league,” she says.
“We played them in our last game and they were brilliant. They were just at a different level, which they should be. They're a senior team and are quite competitive at senior. We're still intermediate, so there is going to be a noticeable difference between senior and intermediate teams.
“Obviously, Cork are just a traditionally very strong team, especially in Championship. When you play them at the end of the league, you're getting to them when they're coming towards their Championship team. So, it is a tricky time to play the better teams.
“Obviously, you've other teams in Division Two, who are quite good. It was very, very competitive, but it was a tricky one to navigate this year for us.”
Sport has always occupied a central role in Considine’s life. In Kilmihill, matches were always on the agenda, regardless of the code. That brought challenges and joy, but since returning from the AFLW has Considine’s perspective or approach altered? “When I started playing for Clare, like everyone that starts playing county, they take it as their life,” Considine replies.
Clare's Ailish Considine in action during the 2016 All-Ireland Ladies Football Intermediate Final against Kildare at Croke Park. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
“It is everything. It means the world to them, and you revolve your life around sport. I did that for so long. Then, I did it in Australia, but there was a very more relaxed mentality about playing.”
Considine was ready, willing, and able to learn. “It was funny because that was a professional set-up, they were really all about the work life balance with sport and stuff, how you can achieve greater things when you've more of a balance outside of sport,” she adds.
“I brought that perspective back this time around. I'm a little bit older, I'm at a different stage of my career at this point. Probably coming back, while I still keep high standards and still train hard, doing everything I need to tick off, I've maybe a bit more balance outside of sport to look beyond that too.
“That is probably the different perspective I've brought, coming back from years of playing. I won't say how many years I've played at this stage, it will only make me sound very old, but it has given me more of a balance with sport. While it is super important in my life, I've obviously got other things going on, too, which is a nice balance.”
Far from home, Considine watched the approach. Being busy away from the pitch counts for plenty too. “Hugely, with the GAA it is everything,” she says.
“It is your community. It is where you live, it is your county. You get surrounded by it and it consumes you when you're a young player. It is the be all and end all, at that time of your life.
“In a professional set up, it was funny that it was what gave me the outlook of having a bit of balance in your life, not all being about the football, not all about being sport.
“It was an interesting transition for me. I suppose Australians have a bit of a different outlook on things, so you learn, you pick up from different cultures that you've played along with. It was a really interesting learning curve, but certainly a valuable one.”
Unsurprisingly, when Considine returned home, she was back in action for Clare. Potential exists in the Banner, but it can be demanding too. Similar to Considine’s own story a few years previously, talented players are wanted by other codes.
Still, a feeling persists that if Clare had everyone available they could climb the ranks in league and championship fare. “Of course, we're a small county, we don't have a particularly high number of senior teams within Clare or even intermediate teams,” Considine says.
Clare supporters watching the 2016 All-Ireland Ladies Football Intermediate Final against Kildare at Croke Park. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
“We do have a small cohort of clubs, it is very divided west and east Clare between hurling and football. So, there is a small talent pool there, but the talent pool is good. The quality of players within Clare is very high.
“They're being pulled and dragged in every direction between different sports because the talent, obviously, is there between rugby, soccer, and different things, the AFL now with the two girls heading over. So, our talent pool is being utilised in other sports. That is part and parcel of GAA and growing up in west Clare, then experiencing different things as you get older.”
Maintaining standards and attaining consistency is the key according to Considine. “There is always optimism in Clare because we do have such talented players,” she adds.
“It is always trying to get those key pieces together to work out in a season. It chops and changes. Teams change from year to year. Management changes.
“So, it is trying to get that balance, that right combination each time. It is tricky. It isn't easy, but you do your best with what you have. That is all you can do in any given year.”
On Saturday, May 10, Darkness Into Light walks will take place nationwide. Helping others in life is crucial. “It is, and it is such a community driven event,” Considine says.
“I'm very lucky that there is an event on here in my local community in Kilmihill in Clare. You see the people involved in it; they're all people involved in the GAA.
“They're all people involved in sport; they're involved in everything that is on in the community. It is always a nice support network. “I've found that with the GAA all over the world, wherever I've played it.
"I've seen a couple of clubs in Australia or being in New York, playing over there, it is the GAA community that brings you together. They're always the ones that are there to support you in different times.
“It is an amazing thing to have in a community. The Darkness Into Light is something that adds to that, it can benefit from the community feel of sport and the GAA.” Considine's sporting adventure continues.
