'I was in a really bad way' - Dublin's goalscoring star bows out a five-time All-Ireland winner

The 42

12 hours ago

THE FOCUS WAS on Hannah Tyrrell yesterday, but another Dublin All-Ireland winner quietly slipped into retirement.
Multi-sport star Tyrrell had shared her plans to call time through the build-up, and confirmed her decision to RTÉ's Marty Morrissey on the Croke Park pitch.
Nicole Owens also announced her retirement in an interview with Jerome Quinn for Ladies Gaelic football.
'That is me done,' the five-time All-Ireland winner said. 'I made the decision, win or lose, because I knew if we didn't get over the line it would be hard to make it. The big thing for me today was to go out and enjoy it as much as possible.'
While she kept quiet on her decision in the press conference room — the on-field interview was published later — Owens reflected on a special day.
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She laid the platform for victory with a sixth-minute goal, as Dublin stormed to a 2-16 to 0-10 win over Meath.
The 32-year-old has had a nightmare run of injuries in recent years, perhaps making it all the sweeter.
'I was on the fence about coming back or not this year, and I think I was in a bad way starting,' she told The 42.
'I think it speaks to this team, a few of the girls I would have chatted to, Paul (Casey) and Derek (Murray) would have been on to me. I was in a really bad way at the start of this year, they just kind of put an arm around me and got me back in.
'We spoke about Orlagh Nolan on the pitch, but off the pitch, having someone there on the shit days, to be in the gym doing the same stuff over and over again, that was massive.
'I'm so proud of this team and how that ended, and how we had a performance when it mattered. I'm glad that I managed to score a goal to cap it off!'
Elaborating on the injury hell, which included two ACL ruptures and an Achilles setback, Owens continued:
'If you look at the likes of Martha (Byrne) and Leah (Caffrey), who've probably missed about one game in the past 12 years. I'd love to have been that consistent and that solid, but, unfortunately . . . some of us maybe weren't made to play football to this extent!
'It's allowed me to develop a bit of resilience, and, look, I've always been given a lot of trust, the lads backed me when I came back this year, and I was given chances because of what I'd done in previous years, and I think you can't understate the importance of that, the team trusting me and the role that that played. I'm just delighted.'
Joint manager Casey, sitting to Owens' left in the bowels of the Hogan Stand, hailed the 2017 All-Star forward, who made her debut in 2012.
'Like Nicole here, there's some girls who are suited to the big stage and that they've never, ever let this county down on the biggest of days.
'Nicole, I thought her work-rate out there was superb. And it really typified what all those older players did. I don't know if we should get into calling out their ages and all that, but they brought all that experience out into play.'
Injury was a big factor for Dublin this year. They were often down key players, with Lauren Magee the latest to join the long-term injury list with an ACL tear in May.
Orlagh Nolan recently returned from the dreaded knee injury, and turned in a Player of the Match performance yesterday. The Ballinteer St John's forward carried huge amounts of ball, and chipped in with a brilliant point.
'Orlagh has worked so, so hard to come back,' Casey said. 'Like when we were up at Clonshaugh and Craobh Chiaran in the dark and the muck, Orlagh was in the gym and she was working so hard to come back. She always did it with a smile on her face.
Orlagh Nolan on the ball against Marion Farrelly. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
'We would have loved to have her back playing full games, maybe in the quarter-final, but our medical team were very strict in terms of just easing her back into it. But it fell perfectly for her to have her first start today. I suppose, sadly, it coincided with Caoimhe (O'Connor)'s injury as well.
'But Orlagh, just her composure on the ball out there at crucial times, she was superb. We saw that when she came on in the semi-final against Galway. She's a fantastic footballer, so hopefully she can put all those injury problems behind her.'
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Nolan had the initials 'LM' and 'COC' written on her blue wristband.
2011 All-Ireland winner Casey hailed several others who have had tricky paths.
'Niamh Donlon we thought we had lost last weekend, she had a bit of a nick in her groin. But to go out and give that performance was superb.
'Being able to bring Hannah Leahy in there. She had suffered three cruciate ligament injuries over the years. Aoife Kane had a really bad injury against Kildare in the group stage of the Leinster championship.
'To be able to bring those players in was fantastic. It's great for them and it's testament to all the hard work that they've done.'
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