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Niamh O'Sullivan ready to embrace new Meath challenge

Meath Footballer, Niamh O’Sullivan will take part in Plant For The Planet Games this November in Kenya. The games are the brainchild of Warriors for Humanity founder and former Galway dual player Alan Kerins and are in partnership with Self Help Africa and the GPA. The games will feature 50 male and female Inter-County Gaelic Games players from all four codes. Each player participating in the games has committed to raising €10,000. The funds raised will go to Self Help Africa to support the planting of trees, essential not only to combating the increasing impact of climate change but also as a way of providing sustainable income for local communities.  

Donations to the Plant For The Planet Games can be made at www.idonate.ie/event/planttheplanet. 

Meath Footballer, Niamh O’Sullivan will take part in Plant For The Planet Games this November in Kenya. The games are the brainchild of Warriors for Humanity founder and former Galway dual player Alan Kerins and are in partnership with Self Help Africa and the GPA. The games will feature 50 male and female Inter-County Gaelic Games players from all four codes. Each player participating in the games has committed to raising €10,000. The funds raised will go to Self Help Africa to support the planting of trees, essential not only to combating the increasing impact of climate change but also as a way of providing sustainable income for local communities.

Donations to the Plant For The Planet Games can be made at www.idonate.ie/event/planttheplanet. 

By Cian O'Connell

It has been a glorious sporting adventure for the Meath ladies footballers. An All-Ireland intermediate title followed by two senior successes illustrates the progress that has been made by a special team.

Niamh O'Sullivan has thoroughly enjoyed occupying a central role for Meath. With manager Eamonn Murray stepping down and a number of other influential figures in the coaching set-up departing change is occurring.

New challenges will be embraced under Davy Nelson, who takes charge for the 2023 campaign.

O'Sullivan discusses the past, present, and future of the Meath ladies outfit, reflecting on the triumphs and what now lies ahead. As a primary school teacher O'Sullivan also talks about the relevance and importance of sport.

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Q: The Meath story during the last decade, what has made it such a remarkable sporting story?

Niamh O'Sullivan: I think sometimes you have to pinch yourself to be like did it really happen? It has been amazing, Eamonn (Murray), Paul (Garrigan), Shane (Wall), Paddy (Dowling), when he was with us, Mark (Brennan), Kelley (Fay), Eugene (Eivers), Hayley (Clarke), our physio, and Michelle (Grimes) our FLO, it has been amazing since they came in. They really brought a professionalism into the Meath set-up.

I always say that Paul made people want to play for Meath. That was a massive thing over the years, people just didn't want to play for Meath. He brought that will, that want, even the enjoyment back in, playing for Meath. It was a special journey, a journey I will never forget. Would you have said at the start that we would have won an intermediate All-Ireland and two senior All-Irelands, no not a hope. As they say, we'd bite your arm off. It has been fantastic.

People are probably saying it is the end of an era for us because the lads are going on, but unfortunately change does come. With Meath it has come this year for us with the lads stepping down. We cannot thank them enough for what they have put in. As I've said before they have been the best management team I've ever played under, club, county, and even college.

They have just been fantastic - they have brought me on personally. They brought on the girls too - skill wise and on the mentality side of things too. It has been a special journey, the end of an era, but Davy has come in now with Bernie, they have kept Mark on. It is a new challenge for us. I think a lot of the girls are very excited for this challenge ahead.

Niamh O'Sullivan celebrates following Meath's All-Ireland Ladies Football final win in July.

Niamh O'Sullivan celebrates following Meath's All-Ireland Ladies Football final win in July.

Q: How important was it to generate momentum considering where this Meath team came from?

Niamh O'Sullivan: I just think we bought into the process. Paul would use a lot of quotes. When he came in first he gave us a rock - one of the American teams has a rock on the jersey.

He said this is our journey starting today. He was saying we were below the top 20 teams in the country. It really hurt when he said that. He was right, there was no arguing against that. He was saying that we needed to keep chipping away at this rock, if we get chipping at this rock, that we would create something special.

I just think everyone bought into his philosophy, just the way he went about things with players. His training was fantastic, everyone enjoyed going to training. Eamonn was great, if girls weren't 100 per cent Eamonn would link in with them, just making sure everyone was okay. As Eamonn always said whatever is going on in your personal life leave it at the pitch gate, to come to enjoy the football. People are all about winning, but I think with Eamonn it was more the sense of enjoyment he wanted us to have, to bring that back into Meath football. With Shane and Mark - the tactics, along with Paul they were the brains behind the operation.

The things they came up with, training was never the same. There was always an enjoyable element to it. I think just the bond between the girls, we wanted to play for each other, we would do anything for each other.

That happens off the field as well as on the field. I think when you have that strong relationship between management and players it meant it got on to the field. It really drove us on in games. Even this year people were saying we were lucky to come out of the likes of the Galway game when we weren't playing well, but we just knew we were never going to lose that game.

Who else, but Emma Duggan to step up that day to put it over. It could have been anyone on any given day. That is just the greatness of our team. Everyone steps up to the plate. I think the sheer motivation from the lads really drove it for us. After getting a few wins under our belt we started to believe in ourselves a bit more. The lads always believed in us, but I think us, as players, we needed to believe in ourselves a little bit more. Just buying into their theories and tactics really started this journey.

Eamonn Murray celebrating with Emma Troy and Niamh O'Sullivan following Meath's 2021 All Ireland Ladies Football Final win.

Eamonn Murray celebrating with Emma Troy and Niamh O'Sullivan following Meath's 2021 All Ireland Ladies Football Final win.

Q: In high level sport how critical is the enjoyment aspect?

Niamh O'Sullivan: It is so important. I've often done training sessions with clubs or talks, they are getting you down to talk to a team maybe before a semi-final or a final. I'm at the end saying it really comes down to one last thing - to enjoy the match. Always three words Paul wrote on sheets in his team talk, he always said enjoy the game. It is important. A lot of teams and management can get hooked up on winning. You want to entice girls to play. The numbers in the LGFA have went through the roof. The amount of girls joining, taking up the sport is absolutely massive. Likewise now with the rugby and soccer with the Irish soccer team.

That is what you want to see. You have to have an enjoyment factor to entice these girls and boys to play. It is definitely something we always focused on in our games. I think a game can pass you by very quick, you can forget about it. If you are a bit tense going into a game things can pass you by.

Definitely one thing Paul always focused on was enjoying the game. I think it is a massive thing to say to young kids and even adults before games. Even at training it is so important. I loved going to training because those Meath girls are my best friends. When I stop playing I will always keep in contact with them, that is important. It is where you make your long life friends. So I think it is very important to enjoy the game.

Niamh O'Sullivan after scoring a point in the 2022 All-Ireland Ladies Football Final against Kerry at Croke Park.

Niamh O'Sullivan after scoring a point in the 2022 All-Ireland Ladies Football Final against Kerry at Croke Park.

Q: As a primary school teacher how have you found the last couple of years. It has been a difficult time for pupils, how have you adapted?

Niamh O'Sullivan: The remote learning I wouldn't be a fan of, I have to say. It was hard on everyone, it was hard on the kids, parents, and ourselves, as teachers, we were never used to teaching that way. Unfortunately we just had to get on with it. You would feel sorry more for the younger kids that were in the early years of school - the junior and senior infants. They probably missed out on a year of learning, but we just had to get on with it. I have to say I'm enjoying being back in school this year, back into the full swing of things, back to normality. I think the kids want that. It is the bit of routine you want in your life.

It is the same with football. I'm enjoying my break, but I'm still missing it at the same time, the routine of training. To have the routine of getting up in the morning, coming to work is what I love to do. It has been fantastic. Even this year I know the All-Ireland was in July, I have to say I did miss the buzz around my school.

The previous year when we won it, the reception I got in my school from my principal Ciara Whelan, she has been so supportive of me here in St Seachnalls. All of the teachers, I'd get cards, kids would be in jerseys, when we'd bring in the cup, the sheer delight and smiles on the faces. To even see young boys wearing the Kepak jerseys, not just the girls, it has been fantastic. It is great that we are back in school, it is great that we have some normality in our life. Long may it continue.

Meath retained the All-Ireland SFC title in July.

Meath retained the All-Ireland SFC title in July.

Q: Did the spell really underline the value and importance of sport?

Niamh O'Sullivan: Yeah, definitely. People ask me about different things about the kids, I just think regardless of the sport it is just important they are doing some sort of sport. Whether it is soccer - it is great to see the ladies team doing really well - you had the rugby team doing really well. It is nice to see women's sport.

The boxing team did great in the European Championships, they came back with loads of medals. Whatever sport it is you just want to see kids playing, having a smile on their face. When you do come back into school, you do see the smiles on their faces. They'd be saying 'I was at the game' or 'I saw you on the TV'.

Some parents who'd never been to sport all came to support the Meath ladies. It has just been fantastic. Everywhere we go around the county we are getting amazing support, people just saying that we brought a lift to the county. I think even a lift to the country we have been told. Times were tough there for a while for the last two years with the virus - people couldn't see loved ones.

Obviously other people lost loved ones so it was a really tough time. To be able to give back in some way to the people of Meath, as well as the people of Ireland, it was a nice touch. It is really nice when you hear people saying that to us. If we can continue to do that - whether it is ourselves next year or another team - that is what we want, to bring a bit of joy into people's lives.

Meath's Niamh O'Sullivan in action during the 2020 All-Ireland Intermediate Football Final against Westmeath at Croke Park.

Meath's Niamh O'Sullivan in action during the 2020 All-Ireland Intermediate Football Final against Westmeath at Croke Park.

Q: There is a new management team in place now with Meath, it has been a while since the All-Ireland win, is there a real appetite to get going again embracing a different challenge?

Niamh O'Sullivan: We met Davy - he has brought in Bernie Murray, Mark Brennan is staying on from last year. He has brought in a nutritionist Hannah too. So there is a bit of continuity from last year and obviously the new faces. Every team has to go through a change - it is us this year. We had a team meeting a few weeks ago, the excitement coming out of that meeting, a lot of us cannot wait to get back. I'm getting a bit of an extended leave as a result of the trip to Kenya.

I know when I come back from Kenya I will be definitely chomping at the bit to get back involved with the girls. I think it is mainly just to see the girls, we haven't seen much of each other. It has been just a very busy off season.

A lot of us have been visiting clubs and doing presentations so we haven't had time to meet up as a group. It is an exciting time, I'm really looking forward to seeing what Davy brings to the table. He has a wealth of experience in the mens game, he has been fantastic with us.

He is a proud Meath man, having Mark there with him, and Bernie, another experienced guy, it is a great management team. We are really looking forward to it. Every team is going to be out to get us. I think that even gives us more motivation to get back, to get ready for the challenge ahead.