PwC GPA Player of the Month for July in ladies’ football, Nicola Ward of Galway, with her award at Eyre Square in Galway. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
By Cian O’Connell
“It is still a bit raw, it is only 10 days or so since the final, it was very disappointing, obviously,” Galway’s Nicola Ward reflects following the All-Ireland Ladies Football decider defeat to Kerry.
“At the start of the year, after we got relegated into Division Two, if you told me we'd reach an All-Ireland final, I wouldn't have believed you,” she adds.
“We did have a great year, but when your year finishes losing an All-Ireland final, it isn't the nicest end.
“We've club championship starting, so you've to quickly park it, and get back to the field. I'm sure we will be reviewing it shortly with the county and learning from it and using it for next year.”
Knockout victories over Dublin and Cork demonstrated Galway’s potential and resilience. “Definitely, over the last few years we've been unlucky not to go further,” Ward responds.
“We faced the prominent Meath team, we lost to them by a point in a quarter-final.
“We lost to Mayo by a point in a quarter-final last year. So, to beat Dublin that day, and probably everyone thought our season was going to end that day, it was very special. We backed it up again, and we beat Cork.
Nicola Ward, Galway, and Niamh Ní Chonchúir, Kerry, in action during the All-Ireland Ladies Football Senior Championship final at Croke Park. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
“Obviously, then the final didn't go our way, we were beaten by a stronger Kerry side. Definitely, all of those matches that we've overcome mentally.
“It was probably a mental block, you're thinking what do you have to do to get over the line? I suppose each year you're learning, you have to use what you've learned, and bring it to the next.”
On Thursday evening Kilkerrin/Clonberne commenced their Galway Senior Championship campaign with a victory over Moycullen. Ward is relishing the return to action after a brief break. “It is good,” Ward says. “I haven't trained since the final, so we are going straight back in. While I was off it for the last 10 days, you're nearly itching to get back in, it is funny.
“When you're playing sometimes, you're longing for a bit of a rest, but then when you're resting you are wanting to get back. I'm lucky that we have a good club team to get back to, that will hopefully have aspirations of playing until December. So, it is a nice distraction.”
These are truly exciting times for a gifted collection of Kilkerrin/Clonberne footballers. “It has been a brilliant few years,” Ward replies. “We spent a lot of time trying to get where we are.
“We've won the last three All-Irelands, but we've been nearly 10 years trying. No more than the county, we lost All-Ireland finals and semi-finals.
“When you get over the line to win it, all you want to do is to retain it, to not give it up easy. It is good times with the club, hopefully it will transfer into the county sometime soon.”
