O’Shaughnessy happy to have opportunity knocking

LADIES IFC Down test looming large on the horizon

If at first you don't succeed, try, try and try again. In these uncertain times surrounding Covid restrictions the chance to 'try again' is something being denied to a lot of sports teams, but for Meath ladies the opportunity to lay the ghosts of All-Ireland final losses in 2018 and 2019 to bed is more than welcome.

Meath captain Maire O'Shaughnessy is relieved to get the chance to return to Croke Park and have the opportunity to compete for the All-Ireland IFC crown, but the 27-year-old Donaghmore/Ashbourne player isn't looking any further than next Sunday's opening round clash with Down in Dunleer, Co Louth.

Working from home as a project worker with the Dublin Simon Community O'Shaughnessy is well aware of the uncertainty the current crisis has on society, but she is delighted to have a little bit of clarity back for the football championships.

"We didn't know what was coming for the last couple of weeks. We have been back training collectively for the last few weeks so it was a nice relief last Monday to hear that we can continue with our campaign," O'Shaughnessy told the Meath Chronicle.

"Again, we don't know if we will get to finish, but we are just looking at the next game and seeing how that will go, but I'm very relieved that we get to fulfil the fixture.

"I can only speak for myself. I work from home and I'm studying at home, I just live with my boyfriend so my bubble is quite small. I'm not going home to elderly parents or vulnerable adults whose health might be compromised, so personally I don't have that worry.

"In terms of our set-up with Meath, everyone has been very compliant with the rules and the guidelines and I feel that it is a very safe environment, everyone has come back, so they must feel the same.

"There is no pressure put on anyone, management have said that if for any reason anyone feels like they can't commit this year because of circumstances then that's absolutely fine.

"It is a very safe environment. We have taken measures. We all travel to training separately, we don't use dressing rooms and go home straight after training.

"Thankfully the weather hasn't been too bad, we haven't had to hop back into our cars absolutely drenched after training.

"It would be ideal if we could have showers, but something has to give and we are just happy to be back and we will certainly be compliant with the rules. We don't want to put anyone at risk, so if that means not having a shower straight after training then so be it," said the Meath captain.

Prior to the first lockdown back in March, Meath were flying high in NFL Div 2. They occupied second spot ahead of a visit to Navan by leaders Kerry and off the back of an outstanding victory over Armagh Eamonn Murray's charges looked good for promotion.

However that dream was dashed when the leagues were declared null and void, so was it difficult for O'Shaughnessy and her team mates to keep focused considering the uncertainty surrounding the playing of the championship?

"It wasn't hard to keep our focus, even during the first lockdown back in March we did a lot of game play and work over Zoom, so we kept in touch quite regularly like that," recalled O'Shaughnessy.

"Then when we went back to club it was great to play football and there was a huge eagerness to get back to county once the club finished, so there hasn't really been a distraction in the group in terms of keeping our focus. Everyone has controlled the controllables and that's all you can do.

"We did really well in the league and we were improving with every game and the last game we played against Armagh was definitely our best performance of the year so it was frustrating for it to get cancelled when we were so close to promotion.

"However, to be honest the championship has been our main goal even before Covid was a thing, so we are just relieved to get the chance to play in the championship and it is a big goal of ours to get up to the senior ranks next year and progress as a team."

After successive All-Ireland final defeats O'Shaughnessy believes the hunger is even greater now to get over the finish line.

However, in the current climate everything is being taken on a day-by-day basis, so O'Shaughnessy isn't looking beyond the game against Down.

"Each year has been different. The first year was a bit of a novelty factor just getting to the All-Ireland final because we were the first adult ladies team from Meath to get to an All-Ireland final in 25 years, so that was just a huge honour in itself," she said.

"The following year we came up against a Tipperary side that should never have been at intermediate level, they are a senior team, so we knew we were going to be up against it heading into that final.

"At the end of each year you have to reevaluate and come back with a clean sheet and prepare for it in a new way and go at it.

"The previous years are in the back of the mind, but each year is a new campaign with its own obstacles, so we just have to face them.

"We put a bit of pressure on ourselves because we really want to be playing senior. Having played in Div 2 this year against some of the top teams who are playing senior, we know we can compete with them, so we put pressure on ourselves to keep progressing.

"To be honest we are not looking beyond the Down game, that is going to be a huge challenge.

"As well as that you can't look too far into the future nowadays, so we are just trying to go through week by week because you don't know what's going to happen.

"Looking long term isn't a thing any more, you just have to take each week as it comes and they will bring its own obstacles," concluded the Meath skipper.