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18 | SUMMER 2020 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie MY LGFA LIFE By Jackie Cahill MEATH legend Christine O'Brien has described sport as "her saviour" following the untimely death of her husband Keith in 2009. Keith was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in April 2009 – and died in September of the same year. Christine, a three-time All Star and 1994 All-Ireland Junior medallist with Meath, was left with three young children; Molly, who was seven at the time, three-year-old Bríd, and Daniel, who was just three months old. Christine, speaking to the LGFA's Jackie Cahill, recalled: "It was extremely tough – it was hard to put into context because Keith was so young. He was the same age as myself – 36. "We had a young family, my eldest was seven, Bríd was three and Daniel was only three months old. "Just before Christmas, he had a cough. On April Fool's Day in 2009, he got the diagnosis and he passed away in September. "It was an extremely tough time," said Christine, the winner of four consecutive Leinster Senior medals from 1997-2000. "It was extremely tough" Mairead Dullea is an up and coming leader in the world of LGFA referees. Having completed the Learn to Lead programme she is itching to get back to the pitch. Q. You participated in the Learn to Lead Programme. What was the most important thing you learned during that process? The programme was a fantastic opportunity and I really enjoyed participating in it. I learned a lot, but I have picked out two things to share. Firstly, as a leader is it better to focus on your natural talent/strengths and manage your weaknesses, rather than try fix them completely. Secondly, with respect to refereeing, the strategy of "See the foul, link it to a rule, apply the sanction" is one well worth remembering when in the heat of battle! Q. What did you get to put into practice before Covid struck? Before Covid struck I had the opportunity to meet with Munster's newest recruits in the Referee Academy who had just started out on their refereeing journey. I am a mentor to one of the participants and luckily, I "See the Foul, Link to Rule, Apply the Sanction" "It was hard to accept, it's still hard to accept, but you have to get on with things. "I had a very good family around me, I had very good friends around me. Ann Marie Dennehy, who I played with for so many years, was my shoulder for many a year, to get me back on my feet. The community here in Boardsmill were phenomenal – and still are. "They look after me really well and help out with the kids – and keep an eye on us. "I'm very appreciative to the community here and what they've done for me but I have to say that sport was my saviour in the early years." got to meet up with her at a National league game where she was involved as linesperson. Now that matches have resumed, I plan to catch up with her again to see how she has been getting on. Q. Have you missed the football pitch for the last few months? Absolutely! Like everyone else I have really missed the pitch – I had to completely rethink my Sundays! I still play with my club, so having to train and maintain some level of fitness on my own was challenging. The social aspect of training and officiating is very enjoyable and hopefully now that action has resumed, we can all get back to doing what we enjoy most. Q. What are you most looking forward to when you get back in action refereeing games? I'm just looking forward to having matches really – I hadn't reffed any game before Covid struck so it's like the start of the season all over again. That will bring its own challenges however as Championship is only around the corner! Teams will be as eager as ever to do well and will expect referees to be on top of their game too. Q. What do you find is the biggest challenge when refereeing? One of the biggest challenges I face is getting umpires. Mangers expect a team of officials to arrive to the big matches and rightly so. However, I'm not sure they appreciate how difficult it is to get people to help out and give of their own free time. In the current climate I feel this is going to be even more challenging for Championship 2020. Q. There are young women in Ireland considering becoming a referee - what would you say to them? Give it a go and see where it takes you. The structures that are in place are fantastic to help ensure young referees are well trained and supported along each step of the pathway. It will take time to excel but be confident in your own ability and progress at your own pace. There are plenty of opportunities within the LGFA to officiate at the highest level if you are interested. You'll know soon enough if refereeing is for you or not, but the first step is to give it a go!