DUBLIN LADIES GOALKEEPER Ciara Trant says she agrees with manager Mick Bohan’s mixed views on the Leinster final double-header.
The decider was an historic occasion as the Ladies clash between Dublin and Meath preceded the men’s final between Dessie Farrell’s Dublin and Kildare.
However, in the build-up to the event, Bohan expressed concern about the early throw-in time for the Ladies game, as well as the difficulty to generate atmosphere at a large stadium like Croke Park.
Trant feels equally conflicted about the situation. She appreciates the significance of securing GAA headquarters for their provincial showpiece, but also feels there are shortcomings involved with the arrangement.
“Yeah I do agree with him [Bohan],” says Trant.
“It’s kind of selfish to say you don’t want the match to be played in Croke Park because there’s a lot of men and women who would love to play a match in Croke Park, even if it was empty. I think, just based on the crowds we had in Parnell Park, and in Navan this year, that atmosphere wasn’t replicated in Croke Park for the Leinster final, which was a shame.
“But, obviously, Croke Park is where you want to play. I’m on the same page with Mick on that. I don’t think the timing of matches should be sacrificed for it to be played in a certain venue, or on TV at a certain time.
“I think whatever is going to make it the best match on the day is more important. Would they have had to move it to a neutral venue somewhere else? I don’t know but I would be on the same page as Mick. I thought it would have had a better atmosphere in Parnell Park or Páirc Tailteann.”
Commenting further on this issue, Trant added that Cork’s Páirc Uí Chaoimh could be a venue that is adequately sized to facilitate Ladies Football games going forward.
“I think Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a fantastic venue and I think their set-up and facilities are fantastic,” says Trant, whose Dublin side started their All-Ireland series with a win over Cavan at the weekend. They will travel to Tipperary for their next outing on Sunday.
“I think it would be great to have the likes of an All-Ireland final down there but are we going to get a Dublin crowd travelling to Cork for a final? Possibly not with the numbers we see going into Croke Park for finals.
“So, I suppose there is a bit of compromise there but if you flip it the other way, counties have to travel to Croke Park and bring their supporters with them as well.
“It’s a neutral venue that’s close and suits both teams but I think in Ladies Football, the further you have to travel, the less people that go with you. It’s just the stage where the game is at compared to the lads where you’d have a good crowd travelling to a championship match down the country.
“We’re down in Tipperary at the weekend and I don’t see a Dublin crowd travelling down to that to be honest.”
Following on from their All-Ireland final battle last year, Dublin and Meath are continuing to build an absorbing rivalry. They’ve already collided on three occasions in 2022, with Dublin holding a slight edge having won their league meeting as well as the Leinster final.
“It’s enjoyable, it’s tense and it’s very nervy as well. There’s very little between the two teams on the scoreboard at the end of every match so it’s nice. We’ve played them three times this year and the weather’s been great on those three days.
“The crowd’s been out on those three days and they’ve been the most enjoyable three matches I’ve been involved in this year. So, I’m enjoying it, and I think the more rivalries there are in Ladies Football, the better the games will be and the better it is for the sport.
“I don’t think either team needs reminding that each other are there, there’s very little between the two teams.”
AIG ambassador Ciara Trant was speaking at the launch of AIG’s new For Times Like These campaign. In addition, AIG also announced their LGFA member and player car insurance offer of 25% off for players and 15% off for all members across the country at www.aig.ie/lgfa
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