KATIE MCCABE AND Louise Quinn, two key pillars of this Irish team, tried to find the words just after the final whistle at Hampden.
A flurry of emotions: ecstasy, pride, relief, disbelief.
World Cup-bound. History-makers forevermore, having helped the Republic of Ireland women’s national team reach their first-ever major tournament.
“It wasn’t pretty but we got the job done and we’re heading to a World Cup,” captain McCabe began, struggling to sum it all up. “It doesn’t feel real, I’m absolutely speechless.
“I was actually more emotional against Finland in Tallaght. This one, I’m just numb.
“The weight, a subconscious weight, that we have never reached a major tournament before… so to say we have done it I don’t think it will sink in until, maybe, I’m on the plane to Australia.
“I woke up with a good feeling this morning. As I said, there’s a subconscious weight on your shoulders of getting a team to a first major tournament. We’ve tried to do it in the past.”
“It’s for all the girls before us, Emma Byrne and Olivia O’Toole,” she continued.
“If it wasn’t for them paving the way, we wouldn’t be able to do this. This win, this monumental time to get to a major tournament is for them and for everyone before us. Honestly, it’s been unbelievable.
“It’s for all the injured girls too, and all the young girls looking up to us. My sister is here tonight, enjoying the celebrations, this is for her and I hope this inspires a generation of young Irish girls to dream.
“Me Ma and Da are up there too — they paid about a grand on flights with Ryanair doing them! But they got here — Rue, her family, my old team-mates from Raheny. Honestly, I’m so proud and can’t wait to get the party started!”
The plan now?
Champagne, she roared, before being whisked away by screaming, shaking fans.
Amidst an interview focused heavily on emotion and sentiment, the Dubliner also had a word for Ireland’s often-questioned defensive set-up.
“We worked on that,” McCabe explained. “People might not like our style of play, defending deep, but we are passionate about it. We know if we nullify the spaces in behind, we can catch teams on the counter attack. We have shown that against some of the best teams in the world. Look at Scotland — we’ve shown Europe, we’re showing the world that we compete in our style of play. We love it. It has got us to a World Cup.”
Ever-impressive defensive general Louise Quinn touched on the same, with a word for some of the protagonists of the monumental 1-0 win over Scotland at Hampden Park.
“Everything happens for a reason. Amber Barrett scoring, Courtney Brosnan saving a penalty, everything happens for a reason,” the Wicklow woman beamed.
“You know, past games when we failed has only made us stronger. We knew Scotland were not going to score in those last few minutes.”
The experienced trio of herself, Niamh Fahey and Diane Caldwell, and superb goalkeeper Brosnan, who has really come of age in this campaign and impressively rebounded from some high-profile errors in the past, stood firm throughout.
“It is just a pleasure playing beside them,” Quinn, on her 99th cap, continued. “And Courtney behind us was so commanding. Any ball that went over us, we knew she was there. Just knowing everyone has your back, that’s a team, believe me. Courtney lights up the team. The confidence she has gained in the last couple of years is just phenomenal.
“I knew she was going to save that penalty. I knew it. I just knew it. She has been saving them all week in training. And Áine [O'Gorman], she is one of the strongest people, nothing fazes her. We are all better [for that defeat to Ukraine in 2019] because we stuck together.”
“Amber had a tough week, it was really, really sad for her,” Quinn added on the goal-scorer in the wake of the devastating Creeslough tragedy. “You put that into something else. She put it into putting the ball in the net. It was beautiful.
“The tragedy is unbelievable but for her, that was so special and hopefully that can go back to Donegal and give them a bit of light. I am so proud of her.”
Aren’t we all?
Onwards.
