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28 | SPRING 2021 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie thankfully. The main thing was that we went out and won the match." The next step for Fermanagh is to build on this All-Ireland win, and consolidate in the Intermediate grade. The Erne County also won the Junior title in 2017 but weren't strong enough to survive in a higher tier. Maguire remembers: "Back in 2017, there were probably a lot of girls that stepped away from the panel after that whereas this year, the majority, if not all, of the girls are staying around, which is really important. "Especially going up to a higher championship, you can't have a high turnover of players. "Once the core group stays the same and you're not constantly building, it's not starting from scratch again. "That will be a huge benefit in 2021 and Jonny (Garrity – team manager) is brilliant. "He's raised the level of football and brought almost a professional aspect to it. A lot of our success would be down to him – and I've no doubt going forward that there will be more success." Maguire plans on sticking around for a few years yet. As a young kid, she was into everything – Irish dancing, music, swimming, then football. Mum Maura would have noticed that football was the pursuit that Aisling took a real interest in – and it became a lifelong interest, while not always a burning passion. Aisling enjoyed football at St Martin's primary school and on to Mount Lourdes Grammar School, Enniskillen, where the quest for Ulster glory fell agonisingly short against old foes Loreto Grammar School, Omagh. Curiously, Aisling didn't play football at Queen's University but if she had her time back, she'd have pushed harder there. The books came first and after excelling at maths, business studies and economics for her A Levels, it was always going to be a financial course for Maguire at third level. It was a choice between accountancy at Queen's or accountancy and economics at Jordanstown, with Maguire plumping for the former. "I probably got more into it in recent years," Maguire admits of football. "The last five or six years…I would have been a wing back but to me, personally, I don't think there's a huge pile of difference between being a wing back and a wing forward." Wherever Maguire plies her trade, she does a job. And she's a key cog in the Fermanagh wheel as they chase down more goals. "I definitely think we can contest at Intermediate level," she says. "You want to be there or thereabouts when it comes to the Final stages. With the League as well, we'll be looking to get promoted. I don't think any of that is unachievable, if we keep progressing." And you'd never know…the next time Aisling Maguire and Fermanagh win something, maybe Maura and Patrick will be there. If not, Aisling might have to wait until her parents have finished chatting to the well- wishers again… Above Left: Aisling Maguire of Fermanagh in action against Megan Devine of Derry, 2017 Above Right: Aisling in action against London, 2017 Below: Fermanagh manager Jonny Garrity "BACK IN 2017, THERE WERE PROBABLY A LOT OF GIRLS THAT STEPPED AWAY FROM THE PANEL AFTER THAT WHEREAS THIS YEAR, THE MAJORITY, IF NOT ALL, OF THE GIRLS ARE STAYING AROUND, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT. INTERVIEW