All-Ireland Final days, the stuff dreams are made of, for Laurie Ryan a recurring vision will come to life as she leads Clare onto the turf in Croke Park for the Ladies Football Intermediate decider.
Laurie is appreciative of the honour that goes with captaining your County on All-Ireland Final day and she is embracing the fact that she will lead Clare into battle on the fourth weekend in September. āItās surreal to think that Iām going to be doing that, at the start of the year itās what you dream of doing but youāre only hoping it will come through, itās an honour and a privilege and I just canāt wait to get out there and play the matchā.
Before the throw-in Ryan will have to try win the toss to see which way Clare will play. She gives an insight into her technique in preparing for this moment. āI usually just guess or let them guess and hope they get it wrong but Iād always try whatever I think is right on the day but Iād usually let them go firstā she told The Clare Herald.
This year has seen younger players such as Ciara Hickey, Grainne Nolan and Laura Egan really step up to the mark at inter-county level. The greater responsibility taken on by the younger girls is a big plus according to Laurie. āItās brilliant to see, thereās so many new players coming into the panel and this year especially we have a big influx of young girls and itās brilliant for the County and itās just a message to younger girls that if they stick with it thereās an opportunity there for themā.
Positioned at full-back, the Banner Ladies club-woman has been rock solid all year, sheās been helped by having a reliable goalkeeper behind her whether itās Emma OāDriscoll or Ciara Harvey. Both netminders have been grateful to the captain whose voice projection has ensured they donāt have to exercise their vocal chords as much.
āSheās lucky Iād be roaring at the top of my voice, I was training a team the other day and I said if they ever saw me playing theyād hear me before they see me, ah no itās great Iām so used to playing with Emma at this stage, weāve a great understanding at this stage and it was the same with Ciara, we had built a great bond throughout the year when that happens.
āEmma was injured throughout the year and we were worried if anything happened to Ciara what would we do but it was just lucky timing on Emmaās behalf that sheās just back from a really bad injury and poor Ciara now itās such an awful time of the year to be picking up an injury and in a club game itās a killer but we are lucky that we have two top class goalies in the one panel and such a small panelā she added.
In Clareās panel of twenty one girls there are eight from the Banner club. There is no division or greater bond between clubmates according to Ryan who believes the bond this year on the panel is as strong as it has ever been. Itās great there is a good crowd of us from the Banner but at the end of the day when we come here weāre all one team and thatās something weāve worked on all year and thereās such a close bond this year between the team itās really helped us get through matches especially the last five minutes against Tipperary everyone was willing to do anything for each other.ā
Sixty minutes separate Laurie from walking up the Hogan steps to lift aloft the All-Ireland Intermediate title. While her main aim is obviously to win sheās still looking at the bigger picture and what a victory would mean for Ladies Football in Clare. āPersonally it would be brilliant but at the end of the day itās for the team and I think if it was to happen and we were to come out with a victory it would just show that hard work does pay off and the work put in this year has definitely shown and it would be a great boost for the underage to look on to because the results in the past havenāt been anything that would make you want to go and play for your Countyā.