‘I think 2006 was the last time that Sligo ladies played in Croke Park. There’s probably a few girls on our team that weren’t even born at that time. I don’t think anyone on our team has ever played in Croke Park. That alone is a huge incentive to try and get over the line now on Sunday’
BY DAIRE WALSH
IT is close to two decades since Sligo last appeared in an All-Ireland ladies football final, but team captain Sinead Regan is optimistic this could change sooner rather than later.
Back on October 1, 2006, the Yeats County defeated provincial rivals Leitrim on a score of 0-8 to 0-4 at Croke Park to claim the TG4 All-Ireland junior football championship crown. This was a sweet victory for Sligo, who had lost deciders to Kildare and Armagh in 2004 and 2005 respectively – renowned performance psychologist Caroline Currid served as skipper for the latter season.
Since triumphing against the O’Rourke side all of 19 years ago, Sligo have come close to sealing a return to GAA HQ, with four consecutive semi-final losses from 2016 to 2019 in the TG4 All-Ireland intermediate football championship bringing considerable heartbreak. Regan was part of the Yeats panel for three of those defeats and is now hoping for greater fortune when they face Antrim at the penultimate phase of the All-Ireland junior championship at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones on Sunday.
“It would be massive for Sligo. I think 2006 was the last time that Sligo ladies played in Croke Park. There’s probably a few girls on our team that weren’t even born at that time. It has been a long time coming now and it would be just such an achievement for the team, for the management, for everyone in Sligo ladies,” Regan said.
“We really want to push on now and get back to Croke Park. I don’t think anyone on our team has ever played in Croke Park. That alone is a huge incentive to try and get over the line now on Sunday and get to Croke Park.
“It was definitely the plan all along, to try and get back to a semi-final. We’re delighted to be in a semi-final now. We’ve had a great year so far. When you compare it to last year, we’ve got a few more wins under our belt. I feel like that has really stood to us going into championship. We’re really looking forward to the semi-final now on Sunday.”
Overcoming the challenge of Antrim will certainly be no easy task as the Saffrons have proven to be one of the most in-form teams across all levels in 2025. From the 15 games they have played thus far in Division 4 of the Lidl National Football League, the TG4 Ulster junior football championship and the TG4 All-Ireland junior football championship, the Ulster side have won each and every one of them.
This includes a 5-7 to 2-8 league triumph over Sligo amidst treacherous conditions at Enniscrone back on January 26. Regan believes there has been considerable growth within her team since that round two reversal, but she nevertheless acknowledges Antrim will be a tough proposition in Clones this weekend.
“That was our second league game. It feels like forever ago now nearly. I feel like we’ve come such a long way since then, but they were very good that day out in Enniscrone. That was the weekend of the storm and the bad conditions, but that was the same for both teams. So we can’t use that as an excuse, but I do think that we’ve come a long way since then.
“Antrim are a very strong side. It will definitely be a tough battle. They’re unbeaten this year for a reason. We know it’s going to be a tough, tough game and we need to be 100% if we want to get over the line against Antrim. They’re a fast, strong team and when they come with numbers, they’re hard to stop.”
Sinead Regan after her side’s defeat in the Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 4 semi-final match between Fermanagh and Sligo at St Barry’s GAA Club in Ballytoohey, Roscommon (Photo by Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile)
An adult inter-county debutant back in 2017, Regan had established herself as a regular starter in the Sligo team by the end of that decade. She subsequently acted as Yeats vice-captain for a couple of years, before opting to spend some time in America on a J1 in 2022.
She had returned to home soil by the end of the year to help her club Drumcliffe/Rosses Point towards a Sligo junior football championship title, but even though she missed out on the county scene for the first time since joining the set-up, Regan doesn’t regret making the journey to the States.
“It was nice. I thought it was an opportunity that I knew I could only have in college. All my friends were going, so I thought I’d have enough years playing county that I’d take one year and go. It was a brilliant summer and it was nice to spend it with friends and just experience living in America.
“I definitely have no regrets doing that. It was nice to have the year off. It was just an opportunity at the time and I thought if I didn’t do it, I’d never get the chance again to do a J1. I just took the opportunity when it came up.”
Upon returning to Ireland, Regan completed her final year of studies in podiatric medicine at the University of Galway. Graduation later followed and for the past two years Regan has been working as a podiatrist in Sligo.
When she considers the commute players can face in order to make it to and from inter-county training, Regan is pleased her current occupation is keeping her close to Sligo’s training base.
“I feel like when you’re in college, you’re trying to juggle college football, club football, county football, part-time jobs, your studies. Final year was busy with placement and thesis and everything. That was definitely quite a hectic year and even travelling up and down to college as well would definitely take it out of you,” Regan added.
“I feel like now I’m in more of a routine and I’m living in Sligo and working in Sligo. Less travelling and I have my evenings and weekends off. There is no clashing with part-time work or restaurant work or anything like that.
“I always would have given it my 100%, but I think definitely this year now and last year, it has made it a bit easier when you’re living where you’re training. It is tough on the college girls trying to get up and down for training. Juggling part-time work and studies and everything. I feel like I’m in a good position now at the moment.”
Sligo captain Sinead Regan before the Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 4 semi-final match between Fermanagh and Sligo at St Barry’s GAA Club in Ballytoohey, Roscommon (Photo by Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile)
