Muireann Atkinson is hopeful that brighter days are on the horizon for Monaghan.
10-years on from Atkinson’s whirlwind debut campaign; the Farney County will ply their trade in the intermediate championship in 2023.
Promoted to the panel at the tender age of 16 by then manager Gregory McGonigle (having been impressed by a display at club level with O’Neill Shamrocks). Atkinson sat on the substitute bench for their agonising 2013 TG4 All-Ireland final defeat to Cork at Croke Park.
Having watched stalwarts like Therese McNally, Sharon Courtney and Ciara McAnespie bring the Leesiders down to the wire in 2011. Although losing out 2-7 to 0-11 at the same venue, Atkinson was now rubbing shoulders just two-years later.
“It was a great experience” declares Atkinson. “It was a great environment to go into. The team was obviously at their peak at that point”.
“It was great to get into it. I came into an All-Ireland final thinking that would happen every year! But that wasn’t the case.”
“Definitely going into a high performing environment like that and competing at such a level probably whetted my appetite for competing and for playing for Monaghan Ladies”.
“Maybe that’s why I’m still here today” smiled Atkinson. “I’m still longing to get back to that level of performance and that level of competition, which some day, I think Monaghan will”.
Loss of senior status
Their three decade long senior championship stint came to an end with a relegation play-off loss to Waterford last July. Although Atkinson believes Monaghan are capable of re-emerging as a leading powerhouse in the future.
“The underage coming up is in a good place” declared Atkinson “and they're competing well. Some day they will get back to that point. Just at the minute there’s a lot of changes taking place and it’s going to take time.”
Having preserved their Division 2 Lidl National Football League status. Monaghan suffered reversals to Tyrone and Antrim in the TG4 Ulster Intermediate Championship.
Meaning the Farney women, find themselves in Group C of the All-Ireland series. Alongside Connacht champions Roscommon and the runners-up of tomorrow’s Leinster final between Kildare and Wexford at Laois Hire O’Moore Park.
While their provincial campaign didn’t end in the way they would have hoped, Atkinson insisted Monaghan have already switched focus.
“We ended our Ulster championship in a disappointing way against Antrim. But all the girls are just eager to redeem ourselves with a better performance in the next round” declared Atkinson.
“There’s no better way to get over a loss than to get a good performance and try to get points on the board straight away in the All-Ireland championship.
“I suppose that is the main priority for all teams” explains Atkinson. “I know provincials are important, but at the end of the day, the All-Ireland series is probably the most pivotal competition”.
“It’s definitely one we’ll be targeting for that first day out, whoever it is against.”
School days continue
Having graduated DCU, where she formed a strong midfield partnership with Dublin ace Lauren Magee on the college’s star-studded O’Connor Cup winning team of 2018; Atkinson is currently working as a teacher at her alma mater of Our Lady’s Secondary School Castleblayney.
In the midst of a master’s degree in strength and conditioning at Ulster University, Jordanstown and having already gained some invaluable experience working with teams in her native county. “I got that opportunity (to do a masters) through the GPA, which I’m very grateful for”.
“I would have been working with Monaghan development squads and now I’m actually working with the Monaghan Harps club” Atkinson reveals. “Looking after all their juveniles, U13s all the way to U17s”.
“I’m really enjoying that. They’re a good group of lads” smiles Atkinson.
“With teaching, you get a lovely stint off during the summer and dispersed throughout the year. I don’t really like lying idle to be honest, so it would be something I’d be looking into, working with teams". “I enjoy working with teams” Atkinson smiles, “I enjoy coaching, and coaching and teaching are very interlinked. Maybe that’s where it came from”.
“It would be something I’d look into in the future. I’m enjoying my role with Monaghan Harps and hopefully I continue working with them for the next week while.”
Bright Future
Atkinson remains a pivotal figure on the field for Monaghan a decade on from her introduction to the adult inter-county scene. After a disrupted 2022, she has managed to remain injury-free in her second season as Farney team captain and feels she is in a good place to help her side reach their targets for the year.
“Last year I was unlucky with a few injuries” explains Atkinson. ”We went back to our clubs and I got a whiplash injury, which put me out for about six or seven weeks”.
“Then I came back for one match and broke my finger and dislocated my fingers. I ended up having to get surgery on that. That was me out for another six weeks or so”. “I was unfortunate enough last year and thankfully this year I’ve been fit to stay on the pitch and fit to help the girls”.
“You obviously want to lead on the pitch as a player” declares Atkinson. “It’s very important to stay there and you can’t help injuries and so on, but definitely it’s working out alright this year.”
