*Abby Walsh delivers the ball into the Scariff/Ogonnelloe attack. Photograph: Aidan Ryan
AFTER a prodigious underage career, Abby Walsh is now making her mark at the senior grade.
With championship medals won at U13, U14 and U16, Abby this year secured minor and senior honours for the first time in what she admitted was turning into “a nice collection” of silverware in the Walsh’s Ogonnelloe home.
In her first year on the senior panel, the seventeen year old has featured in most lines of the pitch during their outings and was midfield in their success over Truagh/Clonlara following a replay.
Of their run to date, Abbey reflected, “It’s dreams come true really, I feel like it is surreal almost, some people go their whole careers and never get these chances, it is a privilege that I’m getting it so young”.
She added, “the older guys would have said to me that this doesn’t come around very often, you have to savour every moment, going training is fun and it’s amazing to be able to keep going out in the winter”.
Throughout the season, she has been absorbing nuggets of wisdom from her more senior colleagues like a sponge. “I do what I’m told pretty much, the older girls say sit back and move forward, they’re always talking to me, it takes a lot of pressure off me which is great, they know I’m young and I need to help that bit of experience so I’m always protected by them”.
Preparing to line out in a first Munster final is “nerve-wrecking,” the fifth year student at St Anne’s Community College in Killaloe admitted, “but all the older girls help to make you feel so welcome and supported, we’re doing this as a team, there’s no individual, everyone just helps each other”.
Key to Scariff/Ogonnelloe regaining the McMahon Cup this year has been the arrival of five seventeen year olds to their team including Abby. The high amount is attributed to the “class” underage setup that the club have, she believed. “The success we’ve had over the last five years is unbelievable and it’s testament to all the managements we’ve had from U12 up”.
Success up along the ranks is standing to this cohort, Abby felt. “We’ve been warned not to get too used to winning, it doesn’t come along as often as it does in the younger age-groups, the senior is madly competitive in Clare, you just have to fight for it and we’re so lucky to have won this year”.
“We’re not weighed down by expectations, we’re free to go out and play, if you mess up then you mess up but everyone is going to cheer you on, you’ll get back up and try again”.
She added, “People talk about us being Munster champions from two years ago, obviously there’s a big crossover of players but it’s a completely new team to be honest, there’s so many of us young ones that have come in and really changed the face of the team. We are a young team but we’re experienced, the players who played in the 2019 Munster Final are carrying us through and helping the younger girls step up”.
