Louth ace Nolan shines at Croke Park

Louth Ladies secured a fourth All-Ireland JFC title with victory over Antrim at Croke Park. In a thrilling contest led by an outstanding performance from Player of the Match Céire Nolan.

Speaking after the game, she said: “This is what dreams are made of, you know. We come to Croke Park, and every day in Croke Park is an unbelievable day.]

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“But this tops it off. After the work we've put in all year, this group of girls, we've worked so hard, and we are so happy that we've got to showcase what we have been working on all year.”

“We know things can go wrong, that's Gaelic, you know. But we talked all year about being resilient and kind of not letting things get to us,” Nolan explained.

“So, we just stick to the plan, work hard and credit where credit is due. Our defenders, our midfield, and our forward, everyone got back to help.

“We are a team, and we work for each other. We're not dependent on anyone, we're not saying you have to do this. Everyone works together and for each other, and I think it showed out there just at the end of the match that we really did.”

Utility player

Nolan’s versatility was evident throughout the final. Whether bombing forward or tracking back into defence, her presence was felt across every blade of grass.

“I like to run. There's a woman beside me (Áine Breen) shouting at me to run up the pitch on occasion. But look, it's different.

“Last year, obviously, I was defending. So, this is a different type of role, but I'm really enjoying it. Just being able to contribute more to the forward play and attack, and play experiment with what I can do.”

Eyes on the prize

Despite that healthy advantage, Nolan admitted there was never a moment to relax.

“I don't think at any point it was over. We kind of had a period there where we couldn't; near the end, we were struggling to get the kick-outs out.

“You try not to look up at the clock because the time nearly goes slower as you look up at it. But look, we're confident in our system. We know how to play our system. Once we stuck with that, we knew we could get over the line.”

Injuries

For Nolan, Sunday’s triumph held even deeper personal meaning. Her return to the pitch has been nothing short of remarkable after suffering two ACL injuries, one in each leg.

“One ACL is bad enough; both legs are worse. It's hard, it is, but I always knew I wanted to get back to playing with Louth. That was kind of the end goal. Just work through it.

“I was lucky enough that the management always let me stick around with the girls. The support from all the girls was always great.

“We have Mia Duffy came back; Eilís (Hand) came back from an ACL as well. It's a terrible injury, but when you have a group of girls like our girls surrounding you, it's made that a bit easier.”

Remarkable season

Louth’s win capped off what has been a standout season for the county’s footballers.

“Days like this are the best days. You never forget them. This feeds into what has been a great year for Louth football. That's the overall picture. I suppose the girls wanted to be part of that as well.

“We've had a great year. We've only lost two matches all year. The last match we lost was against Down. We feel that we should be competing at an intermediate level.

“I think we've shown that all year. We have a system. We know how to play our system. We work as a team, not just a unit.”