Ladies Gaelic Football

28 | AUTUMN 2019 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie By DARAGH SMALL Lauren Boyle survived being run over by a forklift to claim TG4 All- Ireland junior glory at Croke Park this year. One year on from the devastation of losing the decider to Limerick, the 18-year-old had her sights set on returning to headquarters. But towards the end of July Boyle's season looked over, when a work-place accident almost put paid to her chances of featuring in Louth red again in 2019. A remarkable recovery followed and Boyle even managed to play a starring role and score 1-2 in the 2019 Final. "I hurt my foot very badly at work. All my physios and doctors were saying I think that is the end of the line for you for the year," said Boyle. "I couldn't walk for nearly three weeks but as soon as I got back on my feet I knew I am back on my feet I will get a football back into me in no time. I trained and worked so hard. "Down to the beach at 11 o'clock at night and gradually getting back into training. My physio, Laura, I couldn't have done it without her. She was the best of the best. "All the hard work you put into it, you get back and it always pays off. "I was on crutches for about three weeks and then a boot for another two, but I got back in time." The 2018 Final was Boyle's first and she finished as Louth's top scorer. Despite the fact that Limerick were convincing winners on the day (5-06 to 0-08) that experience was crucial when it came to this year's renewal. "It is unreal. There are no words to describe it," said Boyle. "I am speechless because it is just something you dream of from when you are just three years' old kicking a ball around the pitch in your back garden never knowing that 15 years later you would be lifting a cup in Croke Park. "With the hard work we put in since November last year we just couldn't leave here without a win especially after last year." "I thought that was never going to happen but eventually I got my scoring boots on. The goal, I wasn't expecting to score. But the feeling of scoring a goal in Croke Park. There is no better feeling. It's unreal." Boyle claimed a county title last year with her life-long friend Niamh Rice also heavily involved. St Patrick's full-forward Kate Flood was the main threat for Louth in this year's All-Ireland final and she finished with 1-8. But either side of her the Cooley Kickhams corner-forwards were brilliant too. Both finished with 1-2 on the day as the inside line ran riot. "Me and Niamh, that is what we said to each other. She told me 'I want a goal out of you', and I said 'I want a goal out of you as well'. We did ourselves justice there," said Boyle. "The three of us have always worked well together. We are very close in the team. We just know each other inside out. "We know what we need to do together and how we do it." Once Flood blasted the first Louth goal to the net in the 27 th minute her side never looked like losing. Rice and Boyle followed suit in the 52 nd and 61 st minutes respectively. It was a powerful display from a Louth outfit on the rise. They have put to bed their bad experience in Croke Park last year and now they can focus on 2019. "A county championship last year was great. I thought winning that was unreal but this is just something else," said Boyle. "We worked so hard. We'll work hard again next year in intermediate." COMMITMENT TO THE CAUSE FEATURE INTERVIEW

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