Ladies Gaelic Football

INTERVIEW "IT'S GREAT TO BE PLAYING SENIOR TEAMS. THAT REALLY HELPS YOU WHEN YOU'RE GOING INTO THE INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIP." Below: 10 July 2022; Mo Nerney of Laois shoots to score her side's second goal during the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Intermediate Championship Semi-Final match between Clare and Laois at St Brigid's GAA club in Kiltoom, Roscommon. We went four down. People were probably on the sideline saying 'God is this gone from them." "But from playing against Wexford (in the Leinster Championship),, we were in a similar position in extra- time and Wexford pipped us that day. We're not letting this happen again." Timahoe's finest would rather focus on the team but Nerney's stats from that semi-final must be highlighted. She finished with 1-14, five points from play were registered inside the opening quarter and five-in-a-row brought her team back to win. It was remarkable shooting from the 27-year-old Garda who delivered one of the best ever individual displays seen in a Laois jersey. But Nerney brings it straight back to the team. "The main thing for us, our biggest principle, is pure hard work," she added. "If you're going to work hard, everything else will follow. And that's the one thing we did (in the semi-final), especially going into extra-time. The conditions that there were, it was such intense heat out there. "One thing Donie (Brennan) and the management have instilled in us since he took over is hard work. You have to die on the line if you're going to get a performance or get a win especially with the standard at intermediate. "We went down in 2017 from senior and it's five years later now where we're reaching an All-Ireland Final. So, the standard is coming up the whole time in ladies football and it's brilliant to see." They've been on a journey since losing last year's All- Ireland semi-final to Wexford. Indeed, this was their first win in three games at the same stage this year. Armagh were comfortable winners in the league's penultimate round before, again, Wexford denied them in Leinster. "Playing at Division 2 this year really stood to us as well," continues Nerney. "To play the likes of Armagh and Kerry. "It's great to be playing senior teams. That really helps you when you're going into the intermediate championship. "I know we came up well short against the likes of Kerry and Armagh but those games really do stand to you. You see the difference as well. "And it definitely does stand to you going into the intermediate championship." Laois began the 2022 championship comfortably dispatching Sligo (6-23 to 0-8) but it was their 3-14 to 3-6 success over Tyrone that served notice to other title contenders. Their ruthless edge was demonstrated again against Wicklow in the quarter-final (6-16 to 0-8). And their resilience was shown in getting over Clare. But Wexford have been their Achilles heel and last year's beaten All-Ireland finalists have also been in flying form topping a group including Offaly, Wicklow and Leitrim before hitting a combined 9-25 against Tyrone and Roscommon. Nothing easy will be handed out in the final. "That's the day you want to bring your A game," states Nerney. "If you're not going to bring it to an All-Ireland Final, when are you going to bring it? Look, Wexford are going to be so tough. "They've great experience throughout the team. But we will focus mainly on ourselves and that's what we've been mainly doing all year. You have to focus on yourself first and give your own performances collectively within the team." And that's what Laois will be doing as excitement builds throughout the county. Heroes of 2001 have followed this team through good and bad days and will rally behind them again in the All-Ireland Final but this year's class know they still have a job to do. "There is going to be so much hype about it over the next couple of weeks," concludes Nerney. "We'll put the heads down. "We won't get too hyped up about it because we can't because there's nothing won. After playing Wexford in the All-Ireland semi-final last year and playing them in the Leinster semi-final this year and coming up short, we know it's going to be an absolute titanic battle. "It was even great to see the likes of Sue Ramsbottom and Angela Casey were there from our club (and) Mary Casey (at the semi-final). They were all girls from the 2001 team. There'll be great excitement at home and in the club, like every club in the county. "One thing with Laois, it's not just clubs. It's one collective team. There's such a great bond between everyone in on the panel. You see other clubs coming and mingling together." And if Laois win? "It would mean the world. It's been 21 years since Laois ladies have been in Croke Park for an All-Ireland." 34 | SUMMER 2022 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie

• Cover