Brady backs team-mates to atone for 2021 final loss

Ladies SFC final preview

Kevin Óg Carney

Back in 2006, New York GAA’s loss was Lurgan’s gain. And, winding the clock forward, Ciara Brady may just be about to rub further salt into the Big Apple’s still gaping wound this Saturday at Kingspan Breffni.

The Lurgan team-captain has been plying her skills on this side of the Atlantic since her parents decided to return to the ‘oul sod when Ciara was eight years old. For the last 16 years, she has been sprinkling stardust on GAA pitches in her adopted county and way beyond.

With four Cavan senior football championship medals on her c.v to date, Lurgan’s commanding centre-back would like nothing better to be giving her team-mates a high-five come the final whistle this Saturday.

“Some people might think that a few of us who have been lucky enough to pick up county medals already might not have the same level of hunger this time around but that’s definitely not the case,” Ciara declares.

“We’re as ambitious as anyone going into a county final. And Killygarry won’t be any hungrier than us. There’s no question mark over our hunger.

“Anyone my age or older on our team knows just how hard the championship final is to win; all the commitment and desire that it takes to win the title.

“Getting to the final last year was great but falling at the last hurdle has made us more determined to go one better this year.

“Last year the team was going through a bit of a transition with a couple of younger girls coming on board and some players going travelling so we hadn’t a lot of playing time together as a team. I think we have developed a better team and a better unit than last year.

And the abiding memory from last year’s county final defeat (to Crosserlough)?

“I suppose the defeat itself; the hurt of hearing the final whistle and knowing that we had just lost out, after having put in such an effort all year to keep in tip top shape for the big day.”

The inspirational centre-back believes that this weekend’s big game will go right down to the wire. She says that the formbook and results from recent outings all point to a game that won’t be decided ‘till the Fat Lady sings.

But what might make the difference in the end?

“I think it will be important to get the match-ups right on the day,”says the current St. Mary’s N.S (Virginia) teacher.

“We’ll need to be well set up and make sure our support play is good. They have a couple of county players on the senior panel and our defensive set up needs to be good. And getting scores on the boards will obviously be key as will taking our chance so as to build up morale and momentum,” adds the former Ulster and all-Ireland winning basketball player with Virginia College.

The Lurgan captain understands why a lot of pundits have made her team the favourites to land the title on Saturday:

“I suppose people have been looking at our record over the last ten years or so in relation in county finals and they know what we are capable of achieving but our team has gone through a bit of a transition and we know that we face a very tough test to get it right this weekend.

“Then again while a lot of people have us down as favourites, I think maybe we have proven some people wrong this year. Maybe there’s been quite a few people are surprised we got out of the group but we did well in what were three tough group games before we made the semi-finals.”

Crediting her mum Anne (holder of eight Monaghan senior camogie championship medals) and her late father PJ (ex-Ramor Utd clubman) with her interest in Gaelic games, Ciara says she hopes the team can show the same sort of resilience and character that downed Drumlane in the semi-final.

“Really, I don’t mind how we win though. As long as we win it.”