Clare Owens was deeply satisfied to finally get her hands on a TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Football Championship title last Sunday.
Especially, having just missed out on her county’s previous success in the competition all the way back in 2007 writes Daire Walsh.
Despite being just 16 years of age, Owens first broke onto the adult inter-county scene in 2006. Playing a prominent role in helping the Leitrim women reach that season’s All-Ireland junior decider against Sligo. That was back when it was the next grade below the senior championship.
Leitrim eventually bounced back from a defeat to their provincial rivals, by overcoming Wexford in an All-Ireland intermediate showpiece 12-months later. A desire to focus on her Leaving certificate meant Owens wasn’t part of the panel that year.
It was a long road back to All-Ireland finals day in Croke Park. However, Owens, who didn’t feature in that 2006 final and Leitrim finally returned to the biggest stage at GAA HQ last weekend.
“That feels like a lifetime ago really” explains Owens. “I don’t know what I had to offer as a young player back then really”. “I suppose it’s just different. Maybe I had more to offer in different ways than I do now, or more to offer now. We play football for lots of reasons,” added Owens.
Deciating yourself to the cause
“Mainly because we love it, but of course you have to have the ambition to make it to the All-Ireland final day with the other teams involved and to bring a cup back down the road”. “It definitely feels very satisfying from that point of view to dedicate a life to doing that and finally doing it”.
“It just shows you, no one knows how a season will go or end” added Owens. While Owens had been a regular fixture in the Leitrim defence down through the years, she opted out of the panel for the 2023 season.
This is due to the Longford-based school teacher having elected to take a career break and planned leaving Ireland for an extended period. There were some people who queried if this was the end of her career as an inter-county footballer, but she was back in the starting line-up for a Lidl National Football League Division Four opener away to Kilkenny on January 14 of this year and life has been good for the St Joseph's player ever since.
“People asked was I retiring” Owens explained. “Was I this, was I that. It certainly wasn’t a big decision that I was retiring. It was just a case of, I couldn’t commit”. “I’ve always been a very committed player. If I’m playing, I don’t miss training and I couldn’t commit to training last year”.
“Maybe came back with a renewed attitude. It’s not the template for winning an All-Ireland necessarily, but it was absolutely fantastic”. “I felt like I was starting all over again this year with the break away. Certainly glad I got involved again.”
Five year turn around
Leitrim’s Croke Park success six days ago is even more remarkable; having found themselves on the brink of relegation to the TG4 All-Ireland junior championship just five-years ago.
Whereas, last Sunday’s, opponents Tyrone, were taking on Cork in an All-Ireland senior quarter-final the same year. “I’m not one to dwell on the past or harp back to ‘it wasn’t always like this’, but it is amazing to think of the few girls that were involved in 2019. We probably didn’t appreciate how important it was to win that game”.
“You’re a different prospect as a junior team or an intermediate team, or a senior team” added Owens.
Aside from having the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup in their possession. Sunday’s victory presents Leitrim with the opportunity to compete in next year’s TG4 Connacht and All-Ireland senior championships.
Top tier football
Owens has previous experience from playing in the top-tier from 2009 and 2010, when her county were on the receiving end of some heavy defeats at the hands of provincial rivals Mayo and Galway. Yet even though Leitrim will once again be operating in Division 4 of the NFL when inter-county action returns in 2025. Owens feels her county are much better equipped to cope with their latest emergence on the senior championship scene.
“This actually happened us before, where we were in Division Four in 2010” Owens explains. “We were Division Four and senior championship. We actually won Division Four that year against Limerick,” added Owens. “I think Leitrim football is in a much better place all over” explained Owens. “In terms of the set-up. I think ladies football, the whole thing has moved on a lot in the last decade”.
“I think that Leitrim ladies taking on senior football next season is a whole other prospect to what it might have been 10 or 15 years ago.”
