Galway's inseparable Ward sisters collect the one missing medal
2 August 2026; Galway players Nicola Ward, left, and Louise Ward, celebrate with their parents Chrissie and Willie and the Brendan Martin Cup after the LGFA TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship final match between Galway and Kerry at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Inseparable since the day they landed into this world together, Louise and Nicola Ward were locked in tearful embrace when Kate Geraghty raised aloft Brendan Martin further up the Hogan Stand early on Sunday evening.
Inseparable in their football journeys, it was only fitting that Louise should make her first start of an injury-interrupted 2026 to ensure full presence on the afternoon she and her twin sister collected the one medal missing from the drawer.
The pair first came to footballing prominence when at centre-back and centre-forward for Galway’s U16 All-Ireland success of 2012. The same piercing run that Nicola delivered to create and assist Leanne Coen’s lead goal late on Sunday was on full display 14 years ago when the No.6 went all the way herself for a green flag that proved the turning point in the decider victory over Cork. The player of the match award recognised such.
Two minor All-Irelands were added in 2013 and ‘14. Nicola was again at centre-back for both, Louise in ownership of the same No.11 shirt.
The latter’s two goals were crucial in the come-from-behind win over Dublin in ‘13, while they contributed 0-5 between them to get Louise first up the steps for successful retention 12 months later.
By that stage, both had already made their senior inter-county debut. Nicola was first to tick that box in 2013, Louise following along a year later and very quick to catch up. Less than three weeks after captaining Galway to All-Ireland minor glory, Louise was handed the player of the match crystal for the senior quarter-final triumph over Monaghan.
Their age, inexperience, or newcomer status didn’t matter. The Ward twins were both the present and the future of Galway ladies football.
A first All-Ireland senior involvement didn’t arrive until 2019, their second All-Ireland final defeat in the space of 10 months, what with Kilkerrin-Clonberne having come up agonisingly short to Mourneabbey in their maiden club decider appearance.
Indeed, it was club matters that filled forty mantlepieces over as the inter-county journey time and again fell short of the intended destination.
At last count, there have been 13 successive county championships, 10 Connacht crowns, and a five-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles.
Sunday completed the set. And in a departure from every other All-Ireland they’ve won, the twin sisters lined out side-by-side in the half-back line.
A half-back line, mind, they frequently vacated. The instinct has always been to drive forward, irrespective of the number on their back.
Louise assisted Galway’s second and fifth point. Her shot for a second Galway goal was smothered by Emma Costello on 48 minutes.
Galway’s second green flag would arrive six minutes later. Accepting the pass from Shauna Hynes on halfway, Nicola carried possession to the edge of the Kerry 20-metre line. The offload to Leanne Coen. More Corofin magic. Galway in front by one. As they would still be at the hooter.
“It is unbelievable to do this with Nicola,” said Louise.
“It is unbelievable to do it with so many of the Kilkerrin-Clonberne girls [they had 11 on the panel]. This year, something felt different about the group. There is such a family culture there now, such a sisterhood, such a togetherness. I am just so delighted for every single girl that is part of the panel. It is unbelievable.”
Louise’s first-half point attempt dropped short was one of 10 opening half misses that contributed to a 33% conversion rate. They had to slow down to speed up their scoreboard movement.
“I thought, to be honest, we had done well in the first half. They only scored four from play. We breached one time and gave them another point. They got frees a bit on the soft side from ourselves, a pull of the arm or whatever.
“But we thought we were very well set-up in defence, the only thing that was letting us down was our shooting efficiency, so that wasn’t good enough. In the second half, we went out trying to slow the ball a little bit to get those opportunities, and I thought Leanne Coen’s finish, Nicola making her trademark run, just so many things came right at the right time.
“Everything we set out to do, we did. We wanted to force Mary Ellen [Bolger] on the tee to go long, make it a contest around the middle, take their supply, and take Síofra [O’Shea] out of the game. I thought we did all those things so well today.”
On the business front, Sunday was a shopwindow dream for Louise. Co-founder of sportswear company, GOWA, along with former Sligo footballer Noelle Gormley, both the senior champions and All-Ireland intermediate winners Roscommon sported GOWA kits.
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“I wasn’t even thinking of it today, but I am just so lucky that I get to work with Noelle Gormley. She took so much stress off me this week, even with getting the jerseys ready, the shorts, socks, kits, for even Roscommon. Everything was done and it just allowed me to be a player this week. It is so nice and just so, so thankful.”
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