HER TEAMMATES GATHERING around for one last embrace was a poignant sight in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday night.
The Republic of Ireland had fallen short in their Nations League quest against Slovenia, but the squad enjoyed a unifying moment out on the pitch. Louise Quinn was hunkered down the middle of the pack, saying her final piece after her last game in green.
Ireland boss Carla Ward said after the game that this had been an emotional week for all in camp. Chasing automatic qualification to League A was the primary target, but everyone knew this was also the last goodbye for their long-serving general at centre-back. 122 caps and out.
“There were moments when you just kinda feel totally fine and someone says something or you see someone and that just sets me off, and I have to get back to reality,” the now retired Quinn said after Ireland’s 1-0 victory over Slovenia. They needed to win by at least four goals to secure their spot in League A, meaning they will head to the play-offs in October.
“Someone taking the piss or throwing me up in the air or someone getting in my face and I have snot in my nose and the emotion is gone.”
Quinn had plenty of family support at the game in Cork. Her partner Eilish was in the crowd with their son Darragh who Quinn cradled in her arms on the pitch at full-time. Big distances were covered to be there for the Wicklow native.
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“My sister flew back from Australia,” Quinn continued.
“She is crazy. I said to her, ‘that’s ridiculous, I mightn’t even play’. She said, ‘nah, I’m coming back’. She was super-emotional when I told her. But we’ve travelled so much because of that and at times she has come back from Australia to be there for certain games. That importance of family and what we’ve done together and where we’ve travelled, I think that’s important.”
The weight of the emotion was almost unavoidable for Quinn this week, but Ireland’s objectives for Slovenia’s visit to Cork were always on her mind too.
“My routine before every international game, every club game, I go and take a stroll around and do a bit of visualisation. A few little moments, when you do say to yourself this is the last time but you might catch me in parks around Wicklow or Birmingham, just walking around, taking it all in.
“I think and I hope I found that balance of soaking it all in but again, if I was coming on, had to be ready and not think this is the last time.”
FAI chief executive officer David Courell made a presentation of a framed picture to Quinn just before kick-off, although she didn’t want anything formal to mark the occasion. She simply wanted one more international appearance.
“I wasn’t looking for a send-off. I told Carla that. I am back fit, so try pick me please!”
Quinn coming on for her last international appearance against Slovenia. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Quinn was sprung from the bench in the 80th minute for her final cap, coming on for Abbie Larkin at a time when Ireland were still trying to chase down the four-goal quota. She admits that the aim of winning by such a margin was always going to be difficult but her ambition for Ireland was to simply to win the game and try not to fixate on the goal tally.
As Quinn prepares to step into retirement, she says she’s “not worried” about the Ireland team she leaves behind. She’s confident that experienced campaigners like Katie McCabe, Denise O’Sullivan and Megan Connolly will continue to provide the leadership in her absence.
She hopes to engage with some punditry in the future and is looking forward to enjoying a summer break with Eilish and Darragh to bring the curtain down on a fruitful career.
“I will miss the football of course,”Quinn concludes. “I felt when I was coming on the pitch I just had this different mentality about me as well, because I am a big softy, really. I just loved even when we were playing against the biggest nations, being the underdog. For me, it’ll be the bus journeys, the training, the games, dinner, lunch, we’d sit there for hours, playing werewolf.
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'My sister flew back from Australia' - Quinn's emotional farewell from football
HER TEAMMATES GATHERING around for one last embrace was a poignant sight in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday night.
The Republic of Ireland had fallen short in their Nations League quest against Slovenia, but the squad enjoyed a unifying moment out on the pitch. Louise Quinn was hunkered down the middle of the pack, saying her final piece after her last game in green.
Ireland boss Carla Ward said after the game that this had been an emotional week for all in camp. Chasing automatic qualification to League A was the primary target, but everyone knew this was also the last goodbye for their long-serving general at centre-back. 122 caps and out.
“There were moments when you just kinda feel totally fine and someone says something or you see someone and that just sets me off, and I have to get back to reality,” the now retired Quinn said after Ireland’s 1-0 victory over Slovenia. They needed to win by at least four goals to secure their spot in League A, meaning they will head to the play-offs in October.
“Someone taking the piss or throwing me up in the air or someone getting in my face and I have snot in my nose and the emotion is gone.”
Quinn had plenty of family support at the game in Cork. Her partner Eilish was in the crowd with their son Darragh who Quinn cradled in her arms on the pitch at full-time. Big distances were covered to be there for the Wicklow native.
“My sister flew back from Australia,” Quinn continued.
“She is crazy. I said to her, ‘that’s ridiculous, I mightn’t even play’. She said, ‘nah, I’m coming back’. She was super-emotional when I told her. But we’ve travelled so much because of that and at times she has come back from Australia to be there for certain games. That importance of family and what we’ve done together and where we’ve travelled, I think that’s important.”
The weight of the emotion was almost unavoidable for Quinn this week, but Ireland’s objectives for Slovenia’s visit to Cork were always on her mind too.
“My routine before every international game, every club game, I go and take a stroll around and do a bit of visualisation. A few little moments, when you do say to yourself this is the last time but you might catch me in parks around Wicklow or Birmingham, just walking around, taking it all in.
“I think and I hope I found that balance of soaking it all in but again, if I was coming on, had to be ready and not think this is the last time.”
FAI chief executive officer David Courell made a presentation of a framed picture to Quinn just before kick-off, although she didn’t want anything formal to mark the occasion. She simply wanted one more international appearance.
“I wasn’t looking for a send-off. I told Carla that. I am back fit, so try pick me please!”
Quinn was sprung from the bench in the 80th minute for her final cap, coming on for Abbie Larkin at a time when Ireland were still trying to chase down the four-goal quota. She admits that the aim of winning by such a margin was always going to be difficult but her ambition for Ireland was to simply to win the game and try not to fixate on the goal tally.
As Quinn prepares to step into retirement, she says she’s “not worried” about the Ireland team she leaves behind. She’s confident that experienced campaigners like Katie McCabe, Denise O’Sullivan and Megan Connolly will continue to provide the leadership in her absence.
She hopes to engage with some punditry in the future and is looking forward to enjoying a summer break with Eilish and Darragh to bring the curtain down on a fruitful career.
“I will miss the football of course,”Quinn concludes. “I felt when I was coming on the pitch I just had this different mentality about me as well, because I am a big softy, really. I just loved even when we were playing against the biggest nations, being the underdog. For me, it’ll be the bus journeys, the training, the games, dinner, lunch, we’d sit there for hours, playing werewolf.
“That will be something that I’ll miss a lot.”
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End of an era Louise Quinn Republic Of Ireland WNT