Ladies Gaelic Football

32 | SUMMER 2021 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie "To be honest, we've taken every game as it came. Not that we didn't care too much about the League but we just took the League as it came. We are hoping to do well in the All-Ireland series, an All-Ireland Final would be top of the list but Donie's attitude is really good. We take every game as it comes and every day is a new game." Off the field, Fitzpatrick is just as busy. An Arts student in University of Limerick, she has been diligent at home and has taken to the challenge of remote learning with ease. "I found working from home quite good in a way because I did not really have any distractions that college would give you. I was on placement as well so I have been working two jobs – An Post at night and in a primary school in the morning so I could be up at half seven in the morning and working til twenty to three, then I would be in An Post from eight until two in the morning. I found that extremely tough as well with training but thankfully my placement is over. "I find Arts a brilliant course to do. Doing it in UL is even better because the football team is just unbelievable. We have DJ Collins over us there and he lives for football. When you have a coach like that, that cares so much – he was texting us all throughout the League and even throughout Covid lockdown to see how we were all coping and how we were getting on with college work. I think when you have a manager that cares for you, you give back to a coach like that." Fitzpatrick is also full of praise for Laois manager, Donie Brennan, who was appointed in January 2020 and she credits him with bringing the passion back into Laois Ladies. "He's been absolutely brilliant and has brought the spirit back to Laois Ladies football, and it's a credit to him." Fitzpatrick is no stranger to big days having captained Scoil Chríost Rí from Portlaoise to their first ever Lidl PPS Senior A All-Ireland title in 2019. There has always been a very proud tradition of Ladies Football in Laois and that tradition does appear to be blossoming again after a recent slump of form which saw the O'Moore County relegated to Division Three in 2019. Fitzpatrick cites the hard work being done by schools in Laois and the underage structures already in place. "There has been a lot of work put into players coming from schools like Scoil Chríost Rí who are now on the Laois team. There is great work being done there. There's great work being done in the younger ages as well, like the minor and U16 Laois teams. "I think that's helping to lay the groundwork for the senior team. Donie Brennan bringing in girls that are on the minor team is brilliant because the experience they have playing senior, they are going to bring back to minor. I think it's brilliant." Laois have been drawn against Kildare and Roscommon once more in the group stages of the TG4 Intermediate Championship and Fitzpatrick admits the familiarity with both teams is certainly a challenge. "I remember two or three years ago we played Roscommon at least seven times in one year. You just know them too well, that you're nearly like 'ah God, we're playing them again'. But I do think it will be a great contest, they will be out for our blood, but we are just going to have to step up to the plate and bring the same intensity and dedication and commitment that we have brought to the League, if not more. INTERVIEW

• Cover