Teen sensation McCabe shines on the big stage

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At just 16 years of age, Gia McCabe produced a performance of remarkable maturity to help steer Knockbride to their and Cavan’s first ever All-Ireland Intermediate crown and walked away from Croke Park as Player of the Match. Moments after the final whistle, the young forward was still struggling to articulate the scale of what she and her teammates had achieved.

“Oh, it’s just unbelievable,” she said, the emotion still written across her face.

“To have it with your club… it’s like playing with your family. I can’t even express what I’m feeling, it’s just unbelievable.”

For a player so young, McCabe has already amassed a list of honours that would decorate a long career, but she insisted nothing compares to winning in the green and red of Knockbride.

“This definitely tops it,” she said.

“Playing with Knockbride… I wouldn’t want to play with anyone else. Club just is over everything. It’s like playing with your family.”

Even stepping onto the pitch in Croke Park felt surreal for her, never mind climbing the Hogan Stand as an All-Ireland champion.

“Definitely not, no,” she laughed when asked if she ever imagined such a moment.

“At the start of the year we just knew we had to be back winning the county final. I didn’t even think Ulster was in our eyes, but this is just extra. It’s unreal.”

Last year’s county final defeat proved a turning point.

“Oh definitely, yeah,” she said.

“We knew where we should be this year and it pushed us on way more than last year. For us not winning it definitely drove us.”

Her influence throughout the championship has been immense, consistently delivering on the biggest days. After near misses for individual awards in the county and Ulster finals, she finally claimed player-of-the-match recognition when it mattered most.

“I didn’t think I deserved it that much,” she admitted modestly.

“All the girls played really good, we all deserved it.”

Knockbride’s defensive efforts were once again extraordinary, holding their opponents scoreless in the opening half for the second match in a row. McCabe said there was no danger of complacency at the break.

“We knew they were kind of a second-half team,” she explained.

“Peter always says, ‘There’s no cup at half-time.’ We still had 30 minutes to dog into them. So we knew we had to work just as hard.”

There was also a deeply emotional family dimension to her day. Her sister Janelle, a stalwart of the Knockbride team for years, stunned her by arriving home from travelling to support the squad.

“Oh yeah, definitely. Seeing Janelle this morning… it was a surprise. Unbelievable,” she said. “She’d texted me during the week saying she’d be watching me on the telly. I couldn’t believe it when I saw her.”

Her mother also played a role on the sideline, adding to the sense of occasion. “It all just makes it more special.”

As celebrations began in Canningstown, McCabe left little doubt about how the evening would unfold.

“Oh definitely,” she grinned, “we’re going to really enjoy it.” And few have earned it more.