It’s the official announcement that AIB will be sponsoring the All-Ireland Ladies Football Club Championships for the next four years.
The sun is shining. Niamh is smiling. She lights up the screen.
She looks back to Paris. The Olympics and the Paralympics.
“Ellen Keane is from just around the corner from me. When I was in primary school, she came in to give us a talk.
“She’s an unbelievable athlete. It’s sad to see her finish her career. But five Paralympics is some record.”
Niamh enjoyed the RTÉ coverage. “In between studying,” she laughs.
“I work with PwC as an accountant. I have one more exam in January before I’m fully qualified.
“Exams are stressful, no matter what exams you are doing. We get a good bit of study leave. I can get the study done during the day before training at night.
“PwC are very flexible. It’s three days in the office. You can start and finish early, which suits the football.
“They are very GAA-oriented. It’s great to have that support.
There’s a few inter-county players working there from all codes.
“The company are involved in the GAA/GPA Player-of-the-Month awards. We get to go to the Presentation Lunch every so often, which is nice.”
Home is Clontarf. An area with a deep sporting tradition.
Brian O’Driscoll grew up there. Christy O’Connor would practice his golf on Dollymount Beach.
Paddy Ambrose would race his pigeons. In between playing for the Hoops.
Niamh doesn’t have to look beyond her own hall-door for inspiration.
Her Dad, Ciarán, hurled for Dublin. And won senior county championships with Craobh Chiaráin.
He was one of Anthony Daly’s chief lieutenants. Dalo’s Golden Days in the capital.
Niamh’s mother, Patsy, has a cabinet bursting with camogie medals from her time with Marino and St Vincent’s.
It included the Leinster Senior Club Camogie Championship title. An accolade Niamh also won with Vincent’s. Twice.
Niamh’s brother, John, is in outstanding form for St Vincent’s. Pat Gilroy has guided them into the semi-final of the Dublin Senior Hurling Championship.
Niamh was thrilled to see Dublin reach the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship semi-final.
“It’s been a few years since they have done that. It was great to see a few of the girls that I played with at St Vincent’s being a part of it.”
One of them, Aisling Maher, has received a PwC All-Star Camogie nomination, along with Emma O’Byrne (Good Counsel/Liffey Gaels) and the Gannon sisters from St Jude’s, Claire and Aisling.
“I haven’t played any camogie this year. I made that tough decision after the Galway defeat,” reveals Niamh.
“The split season means it’s a longer year. The camogie didn’t finish till November the year before last, and last season it was mid-December.
“One year was leading into the other. I haven’t been around for pre-season with Dublin. It was a case of picking one over the other.
“I took a few weeks break after the inter-county football this year, which was good. And I got a two-week holiday before I went back to playing with Clontarf.”
Patsy was also an accomplished footballer. Helping Dublin to the 1989 All-Ireland Junior Championship crown.
Dublin’s victory in the 2023 All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship final was one to savour.
The team had come up off the floor. A Dermot Bannon rebuild. They gave a majestic display against Kerry in the All-Ireland final.
The Dubs were hotly tipped again this year. Galway ended their run, after extra-time, in the quarter-final in Parnell Park.
“We felt it was one we left behind us. Galway improved with each game. They were the better team.
“All we can do is to take our learnings from it. Our shooting wasn’t up to scratch. Dropping shots short, putting them wide. And getting punished at the far end. It wasn’t one of our finest performances.
“We weren’t undercooked. I don’t think you could say that any game leading into it was a walk-over by any means.
“Our in-house games are as tough as any match. The competition within the group is very strong. We are playing for our place on the team.
“We prepared well. We had a few injuries. That had a bearing on the result. But Galway were deserving winners.”
Regarding Mick Bohan’s future, there has been no white smoke.
“We haven’t heard anything. The professionalism he brings can’t be beaten. But he owes nothing to Dublin.
“He has been there for eight years. He has done an unbelievable job. We can’t blame him if he does go, but we’d love to see him stay.
“We haven’t met up as a group yet. I don’t think any decisions have been made yet.
“The next few weeks and months will keep us on the edge of our seats to hear who is coming back and who is going. Obviously, we’d hope to see everybody stay.
“We are a very determined group. The drive comes from within, and hopefully we’ll back up there again next year.”
Niamh didn’t go to the All-Ireland final. “I found it a tough watch, to be honest. You set out your goals at the start of the year to be there, so when you don’t make it, you are disappointed.
“I was pleased for Kerry. They have been there or thereabouts in the last few years.
“I was delighted that Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh finally got the medal that she was missing. She is an unbelievable player.
“She has got individual awards over the years, but growing up, everybody dreams of winning an All-Ireland medal. A lot of great players go through their careers without winning the All-Ireland.”
There’s never any shortage of sporting debate around the family dinner table.
And there’s no lack of banter regarding Vins and the Craobh. Brothers, Kevin and Alan, joined Chiarain’s, and sister, Michelle, signed for Vincent’s.
It’s what puts the curry on the chips.
And as Patsy has often said: “Sport is such a big part of our lives.”
Lately, there has been much talk about the proposed new rules for football.
Niamh would like to see more physicality in the women’s game.
“I think that’s the view of the players across the board. We are in the gym working on our strength and conditioning, so it would be good to let the game flow a bit more.”
She is happy with the clock. “Yes, I’m a big fan. It cuts out any doubt. When the hooter sounds, the game is over. And that’s it.”
Meanwhile, the seconds tick down on the Zoom Call. A cheery last wave from Niamh.
Back to balancing the books. Before donning the golden boots for Clontarf.
