Ciara Larkin

First experience of the club:

“I was lucky enough that I was forced into the club as young as I was. I remember I used to always go up to the club on a Saturday with Patrick and Daire – I would never join-in, I would just stand at the side of the pitch. I remember one day there was a girl- I couldn’t tell you who she was- but she was wearing a pink full tracksuit and I joined in that day and have done ever since- there was no going back. I’m lucky I have the whole family connection in the club- I love that about our club. I’m probably a bit bias, but there is such a family orientation to it and its special”.

Boys football:

“I remember going to my first boys training session- I was up really early and I sat in the car the whole time. Training had started by the time that mummy had dragged me out of the car onto the pitch. I remember being so embarrassed when we walked over and mummy said, “have you got space for one more trooper?” I was like mummy- I’m going to kill you”.

“I loved playing with the boys- there was Tony [Stanley], Dodger [Pat McCambride] and Joe [McNeill] who took us. At the start I thought all the boys were thinking- who’s these girls trying to play with the boys. There was Niamh Webb, Katie Tumelty and myself and I think we proved ourselves by the end of U-12. Once I was U-14 I was trying to find a loophole in the rules so I could continue playing for the boys – but unfortunately I couldn’t, and it was just pure focus on the girls then”.

U-14 and scoring against St Paul’s:

“It used to be really funny playing for the girls team when we were younger. It first started with Mary Gibson and Caoimhe Whinnery taking us – but then we had no manager at U-14 and Aisling [McConville] and Grainne [Herron] were taking us and it was such good craic. I remember playing at the winter league and we were playing against St Paul’s – I’d taken a free and scored- it was only a couple of minutes later and Bronagh Haye’s turned round and said to me “we’ve just scored against St Paul’s” and stopped in the middle of the match and shouted “Aisling, Grainne – we just scored against St Pauls” – that was fun”.

“In my second full year of U-14 we fairly came on- we always had a lot of battles against St John’s in U-14 and U-16 through the leagues. I remember we were playing them in the Championship semi-final, the game was arranged really last minute, and we were missing a few girls and St Johns refused to rearrange it. We were going into thinking- we’re missing girls and might struggle but we were fired up for it anyway and it was one of the best wins ever. We went on to win the Championship and were one of the first to win an underage Championship that year”.

Progression to senior and Championship win:

“Towards the end of U-14 I got injured and have carried injuries for a few years but last year I properly got back from injury. I played my first senior match when I was 13 – after lots of begging my mummy. We’d James [Martin] and Peter [Kane] taking us when I first played, then Micky [Boyle] and Smickers [Brian Smyth] and then we didn’t have anyone to take us and that’s when Benny [Brennan] came last year. Brendy [O’Neill] and Marty [Hayes] and Webber [Paul Webb] and I’m lucky that I’d my mummy [Maura] and daddy [Paddy snr] on the side-line and sister [Aoibheann] on pitch. There’s a really strong bond with the team and I think that’s why we won the Championship last year- it was class”.

“I was really lucky- I remember playing for the club when we were younger and we never won anything, it was all for the craic. I still love playing for the craic, but it has got a good bit more competitive. We were unbeaten in the league last year apart from against St Brigid’s and in the Championship we played Laochra Loch Lao in the first match. We had a few good battles with them over the last two years- we got over them and played St Comgall’s in the semi-final. It was one of the best matches we played together and such a good feeling to get into the final with the girls”.

“Con Magee’s beat us in extra-time in the first round the year before- we were all so fired up for it and it was class because there’s such a wide age of people. I’m just stepping into senior, there were three girls from Gaelic For Mothers and Others, a few of the younger girls – I got play with my wee sister- which is good, she gives me a good bit of competition. It’s just good winning with your family. I’ve had a few wins with the county and with my school [Rathmore] in Ulster finals before, but it’s so much better winning with the girls you’ve grown up with”.

Representing Antrim:

“The first time I played county I was still U-12 and Aisling just sent me down to the trails. At that stage you’re just full of energy and I was running about the place and somehow I made it onto the team. In my very first match I remember- I was used to playing with the boys that I didn’t know that in girls football, you weren’t allowed to shoulder. The first match the referee threatened to sin-bin me and I realised- I better get a bit more used to the girls rules”.

“It’s amazing to get the experience of playing against the best girls in your age group in the country. It’s so great to come back to the club then, because you do have the younger girls- when I’m working in the Cul Camp’s during the summer- it gives them something to look up to. I’d be about the club sometimes and you get young girls wanting to kick the ball with you. I find that surreal because I’m still young myself, but I find it class”.

Cul Camp and summer at the club:

“I remember my first year at Cul Camp- you had to be seven to go to it and I was only five. My mummy said don’t tell anyone your age! I remember the very first day it lashes out the heavens and I was complaining. Diesel [Damian McGarry] saying to me” go and put on some tracksuit bottoms and you’ll be grand”. I went in and got changed and by the end of the week- I remember I won a football for my improvement of attitude. That was my football then and if any of the boys- Patrick or Daire tried to touch it there was war in our house over it. It definitely got me into playing”

“I remember my first year helping out at Cul Camp – I was the toilet runner so anytime any child in the pitch needed the toilet I was back and forward to the club like a yoyo. The last two or three years I have been one of the coaches and I just love to see the young children playing for the enjoyment – it’s class. When I was injured- I still would have been in all the different trainings and matches in the club. I used to take a few warm-ups here and there and then a drill or two and then Webber would have let me take a full session sometimes. I love coaching and to give back. Even with the Scéim Samhraidh – Orla Fitzsimons used to take it when I younger and it’s grown. Silo [Ronan McHugh] has come in and it’s now a full week in the summer. I love seeing the Irish language and culture being spread in the club. I love helping out during the summer”.

Refereeing:

“I remember one Sunday night after the match – Smicker’s said “I’m giving your name to Fionnuala [Murphy] to do a referees course”. I thought okay and went along with it. It’s really different being a referee and you sort of understand the abuse they get sometimes. Even sometimes I forget and shout for overcarrying – I’d say Ciara zip-it. I enjoy it- even despite the abuse you can get along with it”.

“With still playing myself and being in Dublin now- I don’t have a lot of time for it but every year I still help out at the Winter league that Community Sports Network run. Seamy [McKenna] and Emma [Kelly] were so important in my football experience growing up – so it’s only fair to give back to them and I love seeing all the girls having craic on a Saturday morning. It’s a different way to be a part of it while still being able to play and I still get to keep a little bit of fitness- running up and down the pitch after them”.

Family influence:

“I remember when we were younger- Daddy used to give us a run-down of how we played after every match. You always wanted to hear it- even if it did end-up in a screaming match in the car. My two brothers are probably the biggest influence to me playing because I used to copy everything they did. I remember being out in the back garden with Patrick and one time- who decided to teach me how to play hurling and snapping Daire’s hurl in half”.

“I love having my mummy and daddy there- My mummy is just so enthusiastic about it all. If it wasn’t for her- we probably wouldn’t have got the minor team running last year. We got to the Championship semi-final- which we were unlucky not to win- and its class with that. I love playing alongside my sister because the GAA is all about family, I love that and even Paul Webb and Niamh Webb. I’ve played along with Niamh for so long that they’re like our second family now – with me and Niamh as players and our parents as managers”.