Issue link: http://digitaleditions.uberflip.com/i/1273037
22 | SUMMER 2020 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie 2001 ALL-IRELAND SENIOR FINAL Laois 2-14 - Mayo 1-16 Croke Park Att: 21,000 Laois: - Mary Kirwan (1-7, 0-6 frees, 1-0 pen), Kathleen O'Reilly (1-1), Sue Ramsbottom (0-4), Mary Kehoe, Linda Brennan (0-1 each). Mayo: Cora Staunton (0-11, 0-8 frees), Claire Egan (1-0), Dianne O'Hora (0-3), Christina Heffernan (0-2). Laois: Theresa Swayne; Patricia Fogarty, Anna Connolly, Margaret Phelan-Mulhall; Angela Casey (capt.), Claire Casey, Grainne Dunne; Linda Brennan, Kathleen O'Reilly; Sue Ramsbottom, Tracey Lawlor, Aileen O'Loughlin; Mary Kehoe. Lulu Carroll, Mary Kirwan. Subs: Grace Weston for Claire Casey (36 mins), Ciara O'Loughlin for Lulu Carroll (46 mins), Gemma O'Connor for Grace Weston (50 mins). Mayo: Denise Horan (capt.); Assumpta Bohan, Helena Lohan, Edel Biggins; Orla Casby, Nuala Ní Shé, Maria Staunton; Claire Egan, Christina Heffernan; Jackie Moran, Emma Mullin, Denise McDonagh; Diane O'Hora, Marcella Heffernan, Cora Staunton. Subs: Ciara McDermott for Marcella Heffernan (36 mins), Mary T. Garvey for Orla Casby (42 mins), Marcella Heffernan for Denise McDonagh (45 mins), Imelda Mullarkey for Assumpta Bohan (60mins). Referee: Martin Duffy (Sligo). way I was taken by surprise by the way she hit it. It was high and hard and I felt I didn't move and could have gotten to it. THE LATE FREE WILL BE ALWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT GAME. WHAT'S YOUR MEMORIES OF THE INCIDENT? DH: I just felt I should have known better. There was very little time left. I had been there long enough, I should have kicked it out long. I know why I did it because Cora came looking for it and you feel if anybody was reliable to hold on to it for ten seconds it was Cora. I did know the rule, but I didn't know that Cora didn't know it. It's not a rule that was ever discussed and I don't ever remember it being called either. Absolutely it was the right decision; he had no choice, it was blatant and in front, dead centre. MK: When you are there you really don't know what's going on. I didn't even realise there was that little time on the clock. I just remember getting the ball, doing my usual thing when I went to kick a free and thankfully it went over. It was just a phenomenal moment. DH: I was just in bits. I knew it was over. I knew she wasn't going to miss. And the cruelty of the clock was that you knew there was no coming back. Four seconds...you just know that's it. It's gone, like. All you can do is stand on the line with your arms up and just watch it sail over the bar. That was it. I still accept that it was my fault. MK: I know it hurt Denise a lot. She felt the guilt and thought it was her fault. Even for Cora too, of all players to come short. They were such experienced girls at the time. It was a dreadful way to lose a game, but a brilliant way for us to win it. DH: There was no guarantee we would have won a replay. I wasn't going to be getting the cup in Croke Park that day anyway. And it wasn't even about me. I really don't ever remember having a sense of sorrow for myself that I didn't get to pick up the cup. My thing always is I just really hate letting other down. I can cope with letting myself down, but in a team sport when you are the last line unfortunately mistakes tend to do damage to everyone. LAOIS AND MAYO HAD VARYING FORTUNES AFTER 2001. WHAT EFFECT DID THE GAME HAVE ON YOU? DH: I'm not sure we would have won the All-Irelands in 2002 and 2003 had what happened in 2001 not happened. We'd have had three in a row though, so that would have been fine too. What doesn't break you makes you stronger, but 2001 did nearly break me. I found it very, very difficult for a long time after that. I took every mistake very badly, I was quite irrational about mistakes. I cried every day going to work in the car for a long, long time. It was only after the semi-final in 2002 my goalkeeping coach Eugene Lavin said: 'Denise you need to put last year out of your mind, you have to let it go. You can't go into the final holding on to that. It's time to put it behind you'. It was only then I realised I couldn't continue being afraid of doing something stupid again. And thankfully I didn't. IT WAS A TOUGH DAY FOR MAYO, BUT WHAT AN OCCASION IT WAS FOR LAOIS. DH: Cruel though it was for us – and that's what I most remember from that day – that was a very good Laois team who had been trying for a long time. My first All-Ireland semi-final was in 1993 against Laois and people like Sue Ramsbottom, she was playing then. It was lovely to see players like that win an All-Ireland medal at last. You're just sorry it's at your expense. I wouldn't have begrudged them an All-Ireland any other year after 2003. MK: It all started in the City West Hotel. The crowds of people were incredible. A very special memory for me there was when my brother JP, Lord have mercy on him, lifted me up on his shoulders. It was such a proud moment for us. On the way back we stopped in Ballybrittas and that's where we realised we have really achieved something here. The crowds...it was just phenomenal, it is something I'll never forget. We all thought we'd be back again the following year, but that was it. We haven't been there since. We were always the bridesmaid, but finally we got married on that day. THE TG4 2001 LGFA SENIOR FINAL