AS WORLD CUP fever begins to kick in, let’s strip it right back.
The final countdown to Ireland’s first-ever major tournament is underway, but what about where it all began for these history-makers?
The simplicity of the beautiful game and just what, exactly, it means to them.
The 42 has spoken to several Ireland players in recent weeks, asking the same question.
“What do you think about when I say the word football?”
The answers, as expected, are varied.
Both in length and content.
Some snippets: Life. Happiness. Fun. Passion. Highs. Lows. All-consuming.
With a hat tip to Gavin Cooney for the concept, here’s what the some of the Ireland players told Emma Duffy:
Louise Quinn
Football… it’s just everything I’ve ever known. It’s everything I’ve been obsessed with, honestly ever since I remember.
It’s, mostly, the best thing that you ever do. You get into a professional set-up and you’re sometimes like, ‘This is tough’. The commitment, the sacrifice… if you’re not going through a good stage of playing, sometimes it can be brutal. I’d feel lost without it, to be honest. It has been totally consuming, but thankfully in the best way possible.
Lucy Quinn
The first word that came to mind was happiness. Fun. It’s always been my thing. I’d probably say the best time. It’s just always been my happy place and I think it’s the same for everybody.
Áine O’Gorman
I just think about having fun, scoring goals, enjoyment. Then to go on and wear the green jersey is on another level, the World Cup is just out of this world. Ever since you were a young kid, even now, you have to still enjoy it. Going out, playing with all your team-mates, scoring goals, winning games in high pressure situations, it’s kind of hard how to describe the feelings.
Courtney Brosnan
I just think of passion, I think of friends and family and I think of all the opportunities and they people I’ve gotten to meet through the sport. It’s been unbelievable. I think it’s just so special to be a part of this journey and see the different people that you meet along the way.
Kyra Carusa
Ah Jeeze. It’s so ingrained in my life at this point. I almost don’t bat an eye at it. It’s just like your life. You know nothing else. But you do know other things… I try to explain this to people, you do know other things. A lot of us have gone to university, we have degrees, we have passions outside of it, but nothing… it’s almost like an entity of you, it’s almost like a piece of your being. You almost take it for granted. It’s the breath you breathe, you don’t even think about it but it is your life.
You notice it the most when you are with fans and the younger generations. When you really understand what football is to you, your family, and what it will be to to you in the future. Those moments, when you get glimpses of it, you just clock into how special it actually is. It’s mirrored to you through someone else’s eyes. Trying to take every moment as it comes, live in it and not take it for granted — as with the other special things in your life.
Chloe Mustaki
A mix of emotions, from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.
Obviously I’ve been through an ACL injury very much veering in on my senior debut. And for my whole world – well not my whole world because that’s excessive – but for that dream at the time to come tumbling down and then fast forward to that night in Hamden Park and we’ve qualified for a World Cup. It’s such a big contrast.
Lots of different emotions when I think of football but predominantly it is very positive. I’ve met some amazing people and I’ve experienced some unbelievable times thanks to the sport.
Izzy Atkinson
I’d just say life. Because I have never done anything else. Never wanted to do anything else. As bad as it sounds, I never cared about school and stuff. It was always football. Always, always, always football.
Even when I was in school, my Mam and Dad said to our principal before, ‘Football comes first.’ They’ve always supported me with that, I’ve been lucky that they have always been like that. I honestly would just say life because I don’t have anything else to do otherwise.
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As the madness of the coming weeks takes hold, Ireland’s history-makers won’t lose sight of the simplicity of it all. 12 days to go.
