'Relief' for Cahill at UL Bohs' second title on the trot
SISTER ACT: Caoilinn Cahill accepting the Energia All-Ireland League Women's Division Player of the Year award on behalf of her sister Eilís Cahill, with Ireland’s Women’s Head Coach Scott Bemand, Women’s Scrum Coach Denis Fogarty, National Scrum Coach John Fogarty and Men’s Backs Coach Andrew Goodman. Pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane
UL Bohemian’s drive for a third Energia Women’s AIL title in a row next season is already alive but the league’s player of the year Eilis Cahill is delighted just to have contributed to one.
Having missed the Limerick club’s triumph over Railway Union at Aviva Stadium in the 2024 final through injury, the tighthead prop made up for lost time in the season just past to help UL Bohs return to Lansdowne Road for a rematch with their Dublin rivals last month.
That Cahill scored the winning try in a 29-24 nailbiter made for perfect scripting and club captain Chloe Pearse recognised as much when she paid tribute to her packmate in her post-match media conference, moments after the front-rower had finished a brilliant end to end move in the 78th minute.
“She has been tremendous for us all season,” Pearse said. “She is a super player. She missed last year’s final through injury and I'm just delighted for her to get to dot down the final try. It’s a big team effort, but personally for her, I thought it was absolutely cracking. She was superb again today going 80, tighthead prop.”
Those were not the last plaudits for Cahill, who the following week was named the Energia Women’s AIL player of the year.
“Fantastic, absolutely fantastic,” Cahill told the of her emotions at the double celebration, though she focused on the collective effort to get over the line against Railway.
“When you're on your own five-metre line and it's 79 minutes or 78 minutes on the clock, at that stage all systems go out the window and you just have to find a way. So I think from winning that scrum penalty, and Kate (Flannery) being brave enough to crossfield that kick to Clara (Barrett); to get up to their five-metre line, I feel like I knew I had to try and finish it off for the girls with me.
“It took from one to 23, and one to 40, to be honest, with the panel that we have. It was just absolutely incredible, I don't think words can describe the feeling when the referee said that it was a try.
“I think for everyone it was relief more than anything else that our hard work for the year had paid off.”
The victory was made all the sweeter for Cahill given she had been in the Aviva Stadium stands 12 months earlier for the club’s first title success in five years.
“Last year, I actually I missed out on the final, I tore ligaments in my foot after Christmas and missed out on final day last year. So that was definitely a massive motivator for me this year, that I wanted to get back in top shape, back into AIL and to prove my place really and to fully understand what a privilege it is.
“There's no better feelings than being on that pitch when the final whistle blows. It was so incredible to be involved last year and I played the first half of the season but nothing compares to this year, that winning feeling, and the competition in the squad even, just to be a part of everything. It's so different when you're involved as opposed to when you are on the sidelines.”
A title three-peat would be nothing new for UL Bohs, who won the Women’s AIL 11 times in a 12-year period between 2002 and 2013, and Cahill said: “It would be a fantastic achievement. It's something we're definitely going to work hard towards, but I do think it needs to be appreciated as well that two in a row is an incredible achievement at the Aviva.
“That's the goal of any year, to get back to the final and win it. We ourselves know what loss feels like, we've been on the losing end more times that we’ve been on the winning end. So I think we're just going to stay grounded, come out the same as we did any other season and just put our best foot forward.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
