*Clare’s Louise Griffin with Wexford’s Beibheann McDonald. Photograph: Burren Eye Photography
WING-BACK roles are likely to be occupied by Lousie Griffin and Orla Devitt when Clare take to the field in Sunday’s All-Ireland intermediate ladies football final.
Better balance across the team has led them to the a first All-Ireland decider in seven years is the view of Louise. “This year we are a very balanced side, we lost an awful lot of girls last year from the starting team, this year we had no pressure on us and it came naturally to us, the lads have been excellent coming from Kildare and have brought fresh ideas which have really worked for us. We have no fear of Kildare, we have met them twice and there has been nothing in it, we’re really looking forward to it and hopefully we can get over the line this time”.
Orla who joined the panel in 2016 will relish the chance to line out in Croke Park, “only the Harveys and Laurie have played in the All-Ireland final in Croke Park so for the rest of us it is a new experience, I can’t wait to get up and have a run about in Croke Park”.
All-Ireland final days are to be treasured, Ballyea’s Griffin observed. “With the camogie getting up there too it is the turn of the girls this year, the lads have had great success over the years so it is a great to have a feel for what it is like, it’s not often we get these days so we’ll cherish them while they are here”.
While Devitt may have soldiered on the panel during unsuccessful campaigns, it appears that Louise’s timing has been ideal, she rejoined the squad last year and hasn’t looked back since by nailing down a starting position, “later on in my career I decided I’d give it a go and one last bash”.
She continued, “I tore my achilles in 2020 and that put a bit of perspective on it, I thought I wouldn’t get to play again but I did a lot of rehab and got back in shape so I got the call-up then and I took it, here we are now”.
A PE and Irish teacher at St Joseph’s in Tulla, Louise admitted that the school days can make things easier when preparing for matches as opposed to the holidays. “Personally I prefer a bit of structure in the days leading into games by having Monday to Friday working and then knowing you have a game whereas during the week you can spend too much time thinking about it and not knowing really, it is nice to have a break too because you’re fresher going into games not being overworked in school”.
Orla who recently completed a PME in Belfast is on the lookout for a post as a home economics teacher. Her studies at Ulster University have ensured that she has clocked up more miles than most panellists in her pursuit for glory in the county colours. “I was doing the PME in Belfast so I’ve been coming up and down every couple of weekends, it’s been a long journey but Wayne and the management have been very accommodating”.
Last year, the Éire Óg clubwoman was captain of the side, a role that “was a change” but didn’t see her become more vocal on the pitch, “She does her talking on the field”, Louise then remarked of her teammate.
Speaking to The Clare Echo at the open training session in Cusack Park in advance of the final where young supporters posed for photographs and got autographs from the Clare players, Louise did get a lift from the buzz zipping across the county grounds. “We’re not used to this and having all these young girls following us, they’ve been very good all year coming to our matches and stuff, seeing them in-person today is excellent and gives us a lift going towards the final”.
She was in no doubt as to who the most popular player for autographs was, “Fidelma Marrinan, she is unreal, they’ll be calling back to Central Sports to get her autograph but there’s plenty of demand for here and she’s been excellent for us all year, she is a star for a lot of those young girls here today”.
Having turned 29 last week, Louise hopes to stay on a high with success this weekend. She admitted that it is a boost to play alongside Orla and Caoimhe Harvey in the half-back line. “Duck has years of experience or should I say Orla, she’s years of experience, we’ve played together at underage in camogie too years ago back in our heyday so it’s lovely to be having these occasions with girls you grew up playing with”. They won a Munster minor camogie final together with Clare in 2012 and plan to add to the collection.
Explaining the background to the nickname, Orla said it was because she is “no quack” that the tag has stuck.
School holidays have been a damp squib this summer with Clare recording its wettest July in 77 years. The duo are hoping to lift the spirits of the county this weekend but are also praying for a sunnier August before they return to the classroom. “July has been really wet, if August doesn’t improve we’ll have to go on a team holiday somewhere, Seán Lenihan might find a few pound somewhere,” Louise quipped.
