Louise Ward: Galway have served their apprenticeship

Louise Ward of Galway in action. Pic: Ray Ryan

GALWAY joint vice-captain Louise Ward has made a timely return from injury in recent weeks. Ward suffered a grade-two groin tear, along with a tear in her abdomen, which ruled her out of the Connacht final and the group stages of the All-Ireland Championship.

The Galway joint captain made her return from injury off the bench during the All-Ireland quarter-final against Mayo and was an impact sub once again in the semi-final against Armagh.

“It’s clearing up at the right time, it was difficult being out for the last ten weeks but back in full training now. I was happy to come on against Armagh and get the minutes under the belt, I got ten minutes against Mayo and almost 20 minutes the last day. It was good to be able to come in (against Armagh) and be a little bit of an addition to it as well,” Ward said.

The 29-year-old feels something is different about this Galway team compared to the 2024 team who came up short against Kerry in the All-Ireland final.

“In 2024, we would have got relegated in the league and ended up in the All-Ireland final. It was the lads first year with us as a squad, now it’s year three with them, you’re building on things that you would have done from the first year to the second year. We thought we were going well last year and that’s why we were so disappointed with how the All-Ireland semi-final ended against Dublin,” explained Ward.

“I think when you combine those years and you go into year three, as a collective we’ve all learned together. There is that extra togetherness this year, you can see the performances coming together at the right time, and we’re just hoping that carries into the All-Ireland final.”

Last month the Galway U20’s tasted All-Ireland glory. Ward believes if Galway were to get past Kerry this weekend it would be huge for ladies football across the county. The Tribeswomen last won the Brendan Martin Cup in 2004.

“It would be absolutely huge so it would, it’s just we have been so close the last few years. We are knocking at the door all the time, I think we have served our apprenticeship for long enough at this stage. We’ve taken a lot of learnings from last year, 2019 and 2024, it would be huge to get across the line.

“It’s been a long time since the Brendan Martin Cup was in Galway, I don’t think we’ve been that far off the top teams. It’s a game of inches, sometimes you need a bit of luck on the day. It would be massive for the county; we’ve been lucky with the club to have the achievements that we’ve had. It’s the one medal that has eluded a lot of us. We are delighted to be back at this stage, we know it’s not going to be easy,” added the Kilkerrin Clonberne player.

Galway’s wait for the Brendan Martin Cup is something the squad are aware of, but Ward believes the main focus this weekend is delivering a performance, having fallen short of their full potential in previous finals.

“Obviously you’d be conscious, the last time we won the All-Ireland was in 2004 everyone is aware of that. This is our third time in a final now, we were there in 2019 and 2024 but none of those finals really went to plan. We probably didn’t get a performance on either of those days, to be back at this stage, the one thing you would be looking for is a performance against Kerry. It’s something that we have been able to achieve in a final that I have been involved in anyways.“

Galway’s panel also boasts a remarkable family connection, with four sets of sisters involved: Niamh, Siobhán and Olivia Divilly, Hannah, Eva and Lynsey Noone, Louise and Nicola Ward, and Chellene and Andrea Trill.

“It’s very special, it’s unique for a county to have that many sisters, it’s probably something that you would associate with a club team more than anything. Maybe in one way that’s created an extra bit of bond within the county squad this year that you do have so many sets of sisters. It’s creating that environment where it’s like a sisterhood there, everybody gets on.

“We’ve been fortunate this year, it’s just been great to be around the girls, great fun and you are still able to have those honest conversations, you are still able to push each other. For everybody’s family involved, to have more than one daughter on the team, it’s obviously going to be a big occasion for all those families going to Croke Park on the day, hopefully we can give them something to shout about,” concluded Ward.