BY SEÁN HOLLAND
SOMETIMES the dreams that come true are the dreams you never knew you even had.
One year ago, this O’Donovan Rossa junior ladies team, having lost the county junior A final, could not have dreamt of the season that lay ahead for them.
Promotion from the junior grade was the goal but once that was achieved, with every passing week and win, this group of ladies felt like a team of destiny. Taking time out of their celebrations, O’Donovan Rossa’s victorious captain Lisa Harte spoke to The Southern Star this week, describing their All-Ireland triumph simply as ‘a dream come true’.
O'Donovan Rossa captain Lisa Harte and her team-mates celebrate with the cup after their All-Ireland final win.(Photos: Ben McShane/Sportsfile)
‘It hasn’t even sunk in what has happened and it probably won’t for a while. It’s just surreal. Words can’t even describe it. It just feels like a dream come true,’ exclaimed the O’Donovan Rossa captain.
Before the All-Ireland final against Claremorris at Parnell Park on Sunday, staying grounded during the week was key for the Skibb team. Harte explained how they didn’t give the game any special treatment over their previous outings.
‘We kept with the same training and preparation like we had all year,’ she said.
‘There was a great buzz in the town before the All-Ireland final and we tried to enjoy the lead up to it as much as we could. Then once Saturday came, going up to Dublin on the bus, we only had our minds on the final.
‘I know it’s cliché to say but we tried to treat it as just another game and play our style of football. Look, it worked for us.’
After defeating Claremorris in a nail-biting decider, and hearing the whistle sound, what were the initial feelings like?
‘It was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions once the final whistle went. It was relief as much as it was joy. People were balling and crying everywhere because it meant such much to everyone,’ Harte said.
Being the captain comes that small bit of extra responsibility after the game. Harte was so overcome with emotion that she remembers very little of her speech but she’s been lucky having had plenty of practice with them this year.
‘Oh my God, to be honest, I don’t even know what I was saying!’ she laughed.
‘I was so emotional after the game, then trying to go up and speak was hard going alright. I think… well, I hope I did a good job! I’m after doing three of them now, so I’m getting used to it alright,’ she joked.
Harte was quick to deflect the praise off herself and onto her teammates, commending them for their hard work throughout the year.
‘It’s a great honour to be captain, but it’s for the whole team. The hard work the girls have put in throughout the year has been incredible. It was an absolute pleasure to lead this team, it was so special. There are so many other leaders on the pitch that made my job so much easier during the year,’ Harte explained.
Returning home to dear old Skibbereen on Sunday night, Harte explained that she and her teammates expected a longer journey than what transpired. Such was the anticipation of what lay ahead of them on their arrival.
‘We were saying during the week that it was going to be a long journey down home to Dublin but it absolutely flew from all the excitement. Coming in from Leap, seeing all the bonfires along the road was amazing. Then once we got into the town, being on the bus, seeing all the red and white flags and the crowds of people, it was just sensational. It was one of the best nights Skibbereen has ever seen. Something we as a team will never forget,’ Skibb’s captain fantastic added.
