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36 | WINTER 2019 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie MICHELLE RYANS TOP 5 MOMENTS OF 2019 far we have been gripped by the bravery of Mary McAleese, the positivity of Niamh McElwain, the charisma of Pedro Angulo, the resilience of Gillian Harford, the wit of Alan Lyons and the savvy of Karina Feirtéar. This programme has also provided me with incredible learning opportunities and practical experience in the area of PR and media from some of the best in the business. Experiencing matchdays from a whole other perspective has been a thrill, none more so than working on the side-line and in the production truck in Croke Park on All-Ireland final and semi-final days – definitely pinch myself moments! B eing at the TG4 championship launch in Croke Park in early July to hear the announcement that the All-Ireland senior semi-finals would be held as a double-header in Croke Park for the first time ever was certainly a stand-out moment. With the possibility of a Ladies semi-final being played in Croke Park having been ruled out as recently as 2015, this announcement came as an unexpected but welcome surprise to all. It was undoubtedly a huge step forward in the advancement and promotion of our game. There's no denying that Croke Park is the ultimate venue for all players, male and female, across all grades. We have all been inspired when attending big games in big venues and playing in Croke Park becomes a dream from a very young age. This announcement made that dream more achievable to many current players as well as providing much inspiration and motivation to many aspiring young players around the country. I n late August, when this announcement became a reality, the spotlight was largely on these games due to the historic nature of the occasion and thankfully these tense and exciting semi-final contests didn't disappoint. While many had anticipated the Cork/Dublin encounter to be the peak fixture of the season, it was the free-flowing battle between provincial rivals Galway & Mayo that, to me, provided an abundance of excitement and nail-biting moments for all to savour. My first day working with the fantastic crew in Nemeton & Spórt TG4 was personally one of the highlights of the year as it allowed me to experience matchday from a whole new perspective. The nerves walking up the production truck and just before going live were like no other. It was safe to say that I was very much in the 'stretch zone' and at times I found myself saying that playing in big matches is actually so much easier! I was walking that line between excitement and terror but looking back at it now it really was a great place to be. Like I said, the production crew, along with my fantastic mentor Gráinne McElwain and fellow analyst Máire Ní Bhraonáin, guided me through it from start to finish, making it a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The fact that there was so much on the line for all teams in these games added to the excitement of the day and it turned out to be a remarkable double-header, making our job all the more frantic but enjoyable. With Donegal needing more than a three-point victory over Mayo to be sure of a quarter final spot and Armagh also requiring a victory over Cork to ensure their progression in the championship, the scene was set for the two attack-driven, goal-scoring spectacles that ensued. The Donegal/Mayo encounter had incredible pace and intensity from start to finish. However, despite their best efforts right up until the very end, Donegal lost out to a very impressive Mayo team and with that the Ulster champions exited the championship. While the Cork/Armagh game didn't have the same pace or intensity as the previous game, there was much tension and excitement in the final few minutes mainly due to an incredibly brave and determined second half performance by Armagh that saw Cork failing to regain control. Cork lost by a single point meaning that Armagh had achieved that quarter final spot – job done! W hile this isn't exactly a specific moment in 2019, in years to come hopefully we'll look back at this as a significant moment in time. There's no denying the impact of the 20x20 campaign on all female athletes and their sports this year. In 2019, the LGFA, in conjunction with promotional and advertising campaigns run by official sponsors TG4 and LIDL, actively embraced the #CantSeeCantBe slogan which has resulted not only in an increase in the presence of Ladies Football content across all media platforms but there have also been more ladies football games broadcast live on television and streamed live on Facebook than ever before. As a result, Ladies Football is more visible and accessible to all which can only be a positive. Female sources of inspiration are being identified in local communities as well as on a national stage. The faces of Ladies Footballers are now recognisable, their commitment and contribution, both on and off the field, being admired and their achievements being universally acknowledged and celebrated. Underage footballers have been provided with numerous opportunities to get to know, follow and interact with top female athletes across all sports while young girls are being inspired and encouraged to take up Ladies Football all around the country all because they can now see, and therefore they know that they can be! 4 Lights, camera, action! - The Group 1 & Group 4 double-header 5 #CantSeeCantBe 3 2019 All-Ireland semi-finals being played in Croke Park