As Orla Boyle aims to bring Down back to intermediate football, she waxes about two ex-Down inter-county men’s impact.
Three weeks ago in Croke Park, Conor Laverty fell just short attempting to guide the Down men toward a maiden Tailteann Cup title.
Goals from Ronan Jones and Jack O’Connor helped Meath to claim the spoils on a 2-13 to 0-14 final score-line.
In eight days, Laverty’s former team-mates Mark Poland and Kevin McKernan aim to land the TG4 All-Ireland junior showpiece against Limerick.
Both Poland and McKernan started on the last Down team to reach the Sam Maguire Cup final, back in September 2010.
Despite chipping in with a point apiece. Poland (replaced by Laverty in the closing stages) and McKernan were on the losing side. Cork emerged with the spoils by the slenderest of margins.
Yet this passionate duo still have a strong feel for inter-county football. They’ve been working alongside Down LGFA joint-managers Peter Lynch and Caoibhe Sloan as coaches throughout the current campaign.
“Peter and Caoibhe are brilliant, don't get me wrong, but having Mark and Kevin there!” declared Boyle. “Two senior men that have played football in Down for a long time and their names are out there, they’ve definitely got Down ladies on the map in a way”.
“There’s people now actually talking about us. Before we were a sleeping giant as Mark Poland would always say, but they’ve definitely got us out there” added Boyle. “Male footballers now want to actually come and watch Down ladies, which is credit to them boys.”
Life in the junior grade
Following their relegation to the junior grade at the end of 2022. Down have had their sights set on an automatic return to the TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Football Championship.
It is in this second-tier competition that Boyle previously featured for Down at GAA HQ on September 28, 2014.
Lining out at right corner-back, Boyle played her part as the Mourne women convincingly secured the All-Ireland IFC crown. Scoring a 6-16 to 1-10 victory over Fermanagh.
While Boyle admitted she is embracing the build-up to next weekend’s final a lot more than she did nine-years-ago, there is an element of that memorable triumph that continues to stick out in her mind.
“The moment that I’ll never forget is the parade around Croke Park” explained Boyle.
“It was like an echo and the goosebumps that were just in your body, it was just unbelievable”.
“Croke Park is like a dream come true, stepping onto the pitch” declared Boyle. ”I do think the parade was a special moment for me, walking around with the team”.
“I was fortunate to start at corner-back that year at the age of 20” Boyle explained. On that day, “I was very young, but if I’m being totally honest, I don’t think I appreciated the build-up as much as I do this year”.
“Maybe it’s an age thing, I don’t know! I just know now that they don’t come around often. We have to grab our chance while we can”.
“We’re delighted to be in the final! It’s always a good day to be running out in Croke Park. It is not something everyone gets to do and in our squad it’s probably the first time for many, to be fair. It’s everyone’s dream when you're a young age.”
While, the scores were spread across the Down team in the 2014 final, Kyla Trainor contribution stood out.
Influenced by experience
Introduced off the bench with 20 minutes gone, Trainor proceeded to amass an impressive 2-4.
Having idolised Trainor when growing-up, Boyle was pleased to share in county success with her RGU Downpatrick club-mate. “I was lucky to play alongside her for club and county” explained Boyle. “When I got yellow carded in the final against Fermanagh in Croke Park, she was the first person over to me”.
“When we went out for the second-half, she was tapping me on the shoulder and she was like ‘Orla, forget about it, we have to go again.’
“Kyla is probably one of the smartest and most talented footballers I’ve ever seen. She has an ability to win games herself, but equally has the ability to bring other players on. She was a big help that year and has been a big help throughout my football career.”
Football part of the daily life
With the exception of a brief dalliance with Irish dancing (“I was told I was heavy on my feet!”). Gaelic football has dominated Boyle’s life since her childhood. Indeed, she illustrates, her passion for the sport has even extended into her professional career.
“The children are absolutely mad for football” Boyle, a teaching assistant in Our Lady and St Patrick Primary School.
“I coach some of the underage teams in my club at the minute and on our summer holidays when the schools are closed, I would do wee summer camps around the Gaelic clubs in Downpatrick.”
Given it was just last month, Down overcame Limerick in Group A of the TG4 All-Ireland JFC at Newcastle West. Down will believe another win over Graham Shine’s Munster outfit is well within their grasp.
However, speaking as one of the more experienced members of the squad, Boyle recognises nothing can be taken for granted.
“Limerick are a first class team and have serious strength” declares Boyle. ”They’re probably one of the hardest teams we played with their physicality coming through the middle”.
“We’ll have to be at our best to get over the line, but that is what you want to be doing. You want to be coming up against the best!”
