‘People are kind of saying that both player of the year awards are gone to the one household now, which is a phenomenal achievement. A lot of people have congratulated us on that recently’
Louise Ward celebrates after her side’s victory in the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football Championship Round 1 match between Galway and Cork at Pearse Stadium in Galway (Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile)
BY DAIRE WALSH
ALMOST 11 years on from triumphing in the competition during her debut campaign as a senior inter-county player, Galway’s Louise Ward will have another shot at Lidl National Football League Division 2 glory next weekend.
Back on May 10, 2014 at Parnell Park, Ward started alongside her twin sister Nicola when Galway claimed a second-tier title courtesy of a 3-10 to 0-9 victory against Westmeath. A lengthy stint in NFL Division 1 followed and while 2024 saw them suffering relegation, the Tribeswomen have responded with a seven-game winning streak in this year’s league.
Whereas up until 2023 a team had to win a Division 2 decider in order to gain promotion to the top-flight of the NFL, the current structure ensures Galway and Cork are already guaranteed of a swift return to the top-flight in advance of their showpiece meeting at Croke Park next Saturday.
“Division Two back then was even a tough group to get out of. There was huge delight as well when we got out of Division Two. Obviously we were in Division One for the best part of 10 years, so it was just unfortunate the way that things happened last year. We fell on the wrong side of a few results and they didn’t really go our way,” Ward said.
“Obviously ended up in Division Two, but I think with the performances we’ve been putting in this year in Division Two, you can really see the hunger in people to get that promotion back up to Division One as well. I think that is something that we’re very happy with, regardless of the league final.
“Cork are an absolutely exceptional team. We know they’re going to take a lot of minding, but I suppose we’re just focusing on ourselves.”
Kilkerrin-Clonberne manager Willie Ward celebrates with daughters Louise Ward, left, and Nicola Ward after their side’s victory over Kilmacud Crokes of Dublin in the AIB LGFA All-Ireland Senior Club Championship final at Croke Park (Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile)
In more recent times, Ward has become a regular visitor to Croke Park. Within the past two years, she was a starter for Galway in Lidl NFL Division 1 and TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship finals against Kerry – both of which were won in convincing fashion by the Kingdom.
The University of Limerick graduate has enjoyed greater luck with her club Kilkerrin-Clonberne in the north Dublin venue as she was part of their AIB All-Ireland senior successes over Donaghmoyne, Ballymacarbry and Kilmacud Crokes in 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively. Considering no fewer than eight Kilkerrin-Clonberne players were in the match day panel for last Sunday’s league encounter against Clare in Doonbeg, it is clear there is a major sense of familiarity with GAA HQ in the Galway ranks.
Yet for those who might be more recent arrivals on the inter-county scene, Ward sees next Saturday’s final as a significant learning curve ahead of a potential return to the venue later in the year.
“For us as a club, we have so many fond memories of going to Croke Park. Any time we’ve gone there now we’ve come away with a result. On the flip side of that, the last two years we’ve met Kerry in a league final there and met them in a championship final and it hasn’t gone our way.
“There’s a lot of younger players in the squad at the minute and this will be the first time for some even experiencing Croke Park. The dressing rooms, the atmosphere, what the pitch is like. Your surroundings while you’re out on the pitch.
“Getting used to that, where you have potential to maybe make that stage for a championship game, that can only be good. It gives them the experience that they need for the latter stages of the competition this year as well.”
Despite the disappointment of Galway losing out to Kerry in last year’s All-Ireland senior championship final, there was a great sense of pride in the Ward household when Nicola was named the TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year at the TG4 All Star ceremony in Dublin last November.
There was another memorable night for the family at Croke Park on March 21 as Louise was named Ladies Gaelic Football Club Championship Player of the Year at the AIB Club Player Awards. This was a very significant evening for Gaelic Games as it saw the best stars from club football, hurling, camogie and the LGFA being celebrated in a single ceremony for the first time.
To top things off, the Ward sisters were two of eight players from Kilkerrin-Clonberne to be named on the night in the AIB Ladies Gaelic Football Club Championship Team of the Year.
“That’s a nice thing. People are kind of saying that both player of the year awards are gone to the one household now, which is a phenomenal achievement. A lot of people have congratulated us on that recently. For Nicola even to pick up the Players’ Player of the Year off the back of the inter-county season was huge for our club in itself.
“I think that having a player of that calibre within your own club squad at that time, it was just massive for us as well. It brought a huge boost around to the club and I think she was the one that probably pushed the club on to another level as well. To be able to train with somebody of that calibre, the best player in the country, it was massive for us.”
Away from the field of play, the last couple of years has seen Ward taking her professional career into a whole new direction.
While still employed as a physiotherapist at Portiuncula University Hospital in Ballinasloe, Galway, she set up a sportswear company named GOWA with her close friend and Sligo football stalwart Noelle Gormley in 2022. Twelve months later, Ward opted to go full-time with GOWA and as things currently stand, she and Gormley are extremely happy with how their business is developing.
“I’m very fortunate that everything is going well. We’re only registered since 2022, but it’s going really well for us. We’re both full-time as a directors role in the company now, which is huge for us,” Ward added.
“Leaving physio was a hard thing, but at least if things don’t work out, it’s always there to go back to as well. Luckily at the moment it’s going very well for us.”
Nicola and Louise Ward, right, during the AIB Club Player Awards at Croke Park in Dublin (Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile)
Louise and Nicola Ward with their mum, Chrissie, during the AIB Club Player Awards at Croke Park
