Having, briefly contemplated the idea of retirement, Leitrim’s Charlene Tyrell has admitted the prospect of playing in the TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship was one of many reasons to stay on.
Having made her debut back in 2003. Tyrell started when the O’Rourke County defeated Wexford to claim an All-Ireland intermediate title four-years later.
After returning to the fold in 2020 following a near decade-long absence; Tyrell featured at full-back at the age of 38 last August, when the Connacht side secured another second-tier crown with a thrilling final win over Tyrone at Croke Park.
Leitrim enjoyed a couple of senior campaigns in the wake of their intermediate success of 2007. However, circumstances dictated that Tyrell didn't play at that grade.
With Jonny Garrity’s side set to compete in both the Connacht and All-Ireland senior championships later this year. Tyrell will finally get an opportunity to sample life at the highest level of ladies football.
“There was a period after all the celebrations and everything had settled down” explained Tyrell. “I sort of enjoyed not having anything to do”.
“I had considered ‘God, will I go back?’, but once I got back to training, the desire is there and the love is there”.
“Mainly to get out of Division Four, first and foremost, but” I’m “really excited to play senior championship this year.”
“It will be obviously one competition at a time” added Tyrell. I’m “really excited to be playing against some of the best teams in the country and see how we fare”.
“I haven’t played senior championship with Leitrim, so it will be really exciting”.
“We’re obviously not looking forward to games ahead in the senior championship as just making up the numbers”.
We're not going to make up the numbers
“We intend to compete and be serious competitors” declared Tyrell. “Hopefully we can establish ourselves as a senior team and stay up in the senior ranks”.
“By the time I retire, hopefully I’ll be leaving Leitrim in a better place. Leaving a nice little legacy behind.”
Aside from those All-Ireland intermediate championship triumphs 17-years apart.
Tyrell won a Lidl National Football League Division 4 crown in 2010 in the colours of Leitrim.
The Mohill defender and her inter-county colleagues have been pushing hard for a second success in the competition. However, the past four-years has seen a fall at the semi-final and final stages of Division 4.
Despite losing their opening game of this year’s league to Fermanagh. Leitrim need a top four finish to advance to the knockout rounds.
Although last weekend saw their proposed clash with Wicklow postponed. The O’Rourke women will be back in action this Sunday against Derry in Kiltubrid.
Both teams that qualify for the Division four decider will automatically gain league promotion for 2025. This wasn’t the case when they lost NFL showpieces in 2021 and 2023.
“Last year we lost out in the semi-final stages, which was completely heart-breaking, the nature of that loss” explained Tyrell.
“I think that will haunt me forever, but last year ourselves and Fermanagh flew through the group stages and topped the group”.
“We were well ahead on points and I’m not sure if a little bit of complacency set in. So we’re definitely a lot more focused this year on what we want to achieve and it’s to win Division Four”.
“It’s not to just be promoted, it’s to win it, but we’ll take that one game at a time. We’ll look forward now to next weekend and tick off that box.”
Division Four promotion campaign
When Leitrim lost to Limerick in a Lidl NFL Division four semi-final last year, Tyrell came up against Roisin Ambrose.
Fast forward a little over 10 months and she has joined forces with the Treaty joint captain as an ambassador for DFI Beds. Who were unveiled on Thursday as the official Sleep partner of the LGFA.
“When I was asked, I actually wasn’t entirely sure what I was saying yes to!” explained Tyrell. “I’ve only ever sort of met Róisín on the pitch. I never met her off the field, so it’s lovely”.
“That’s what football is all about too. It’s not just about playing on the field, but it’s about making friends outside the football side of things and outside the county”.
“It’s lovely, she’s a great girl. We had good fun now doing some of the photographs that you’ll see appear!”
In addition to all the above and her day job as a sports therapist. Tyrell has been kept busy in recent months with her role as a mental health facilitator for the Movember Ahead of the Game campaign that is jointly run by the GPA, the GAA and Movember.
Drawing on own experience
“I just go around to the clubs around Connacht, delivering mental health workshops to underage teams and parents and coaches". Tyrell explained "I only started that in September, so that’s lovely. I love doing that.”
“It’s definitely something I wish I had when I was younger, because it wasn’t until I was in my early 20s and had my son [Noah] that I suffered myself with postnatal depression”.
I “didn’t know even what it was at that age when it came on me. To give the kids the understanding of the signs and symptoms, and to reach out and to talk”.
“I think it’s something that we get great feedback from the players and the coaches, that they’ve a better understanding that your mental health is your health”.
“It’s not two separate things, your mental health and your physical health, it’s all one. It is vitally important.”
Leitrim’s Charlene Tyrell was speaking as DFI Beds were announced as ‘Official Sleep Partner of the LGFA’.
