Teehan ‘delighted to play for Offaly' after once starring for fierce rivals as she eyes All-Ireland camogie title
HAVE FAITH Teehan 'delighted to play for Offaly' after once starring for fierce rivals as she eyes All-Ireland camogie title
MAIRÉAD TEEHAN is delighted to play for Offaly — even though she once lined out in All-Ireland finals for bitter border rivals Tipperary.
The Faithful take on Kerry in Croke Park this Sunday in the Glen Dimplex camogie All-Ireland intermediate final.
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Mairead Teehan of Offaly in action against Roisin Cassidy of Derry during the Very National Camogie League Division 2A final
Credit: Tom Beary/Sportsfile
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PwC GPA Player of the Month for April in camogie, Mairéad Teehan
Credit: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
But Offaly star Teehan — who scored a vital goal in last-month's one-point semi-final victory over Antrim — lined out for the Premier at underage level, winning All-Irelands at Under-16 and minor grades.
She plays her club camogie for Moneygall in Tipperary.
However. the 28-year-old teacher was born and raised in the village of Dunkerrin on the Tipperary-Offaly border — and knows where her loyalties lie.
She said: 'Offaly people are just proud to be from Offaly, it's just lovely to be from here.
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'I'm delighted to be from Offaly.'
After rising through Tipperary's underage ranks, she was picked for the adult team in 2017 when still in her teens.
But that was the point in time when Teehan decided to step away from the sport, citing burnout.
However, when her home county came calling, it was a different story.
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She explained: 'When I was Under-12 and U-14, playing for Offaly just wasn't an option.
'If you were lucky enough to be selected from the club, you were sent for Tipperary trials and at that age, you just want to go and play.'
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The sharp-shooter prefers to remain coy though when asked if she had been shouting for Tipperary against Cork in the All-Ireland SHC final 19 days ago, although she did line out with a couple of the Premier's Moneygall players.
She added: 'Ah no, I wouldn't say I was supporting them now!
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'We played with the two lads, Seánie Kenneally and Joe Fogarty, in school and we grew up with them all along.
'I'm delighted for them. In fairness, the way they won the match, you wouldn't begrudge them.
'They were the better team, they brought the work, they had the right attitude.
'It's just great that we're in an All-Ireland final as well, that we can say, 'We're here too, don't forget about us'.
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'So let's have a few Offaly flags flying around home.
'It's time to take down all the Tipp ones and put up the Offaly tricolours.'
PAVING THE WAY
Teehan admits she would not be playing for her home county if it were not for trailblazing club colleague Niamh Larkin, who had successfully requested to cross the divide before her.
She said: 'Niamh paved the way and I was very happy to be asked in. I love playing for Offaly, I always have.'
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Last year, when a young Offaly team fell short to Cork in a competitive All-Ireland semi-final at Semple Stadium, it was not geography that prevented Teehan from wearing green, white and gold, but injury.
She added: 'The girls getting to the semi-final last year brought a lot of positivity to Offaly camogie in general.
'When teams are successful, people want to be part of it, so it was a matter of building on last year and bringing that to this year.
'A good core group has stayed from last year into this year, which is not always the case.
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'There's a few more, myself included, who hae come back in and hopefully added to it.'
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