1994 Remembered

One part of All-Ireland Final day down the years is the presentation to the attendance inside the ground of the winning team of 25 years previous. Often winning teams from a quarter of a centaury earlier return to Croke Park with plenty of grey hairs to show, some even with no hear to show, and often looking a lot less fitter than they looked when they ran onto Croke Park all those years earlier.

That cannot be said of one team however. As is the practice when this year’s All-Ireland Ladies Football Finals were played at Croke Park recently the winning Waterford team from 25 years ago were guests of honour and looked like a side that could still be involved on All-Ireland Final day.

Croke Park today is a much different place from the side coached by Michael Ryan and his assistant Bridget McGrath came out on top against Monaghan on a 2-10 to 0-12 score line. The old Hogan Stand which Geraldine O’Ryan lead players out of from down near the Canal end of the ground is no longer to be seen. Neither is the old Cusack Stand on the opposite side of the field. Both are replaced with new modern stands running the entire length of the field costing many millions of euro, and rising to three different tiers. In between at the Canal end of a ground is a span new stand connecting the two bigger stands, replacing the old terrace which was to be found when Waterford won a third All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Final in four years. The small Nally Stand at the other end of the ground is also gone and now forms a terrace which is built on to the famous ‘Hill’ which has also been remodelled and brought up to modern health and safety standards.

The attendance at this year’s All-Ireland Final was also much bigger than what was present when Waterford played Monaghan 25 years ago. The attendance 25 years ago was in the low thousands. So low in fact that most supporters that travelled to the game on coaches 25 years ago would have only to walk from the Clonliffe Road. Over fifty five thousand were present for this year’s final’s at G.A.A. headquarters, which shows the progress made in the world of Ladies Football in the years in between. Waterford won five senior Ladies Football All-Ireland Finals between 1991 and 1998 and if the attendances at all five of these finals were added together it might be around the same it would come to what attended this year’s final.

Waterford Captain Geraldine O’Ryan won the toss of Christy Haughney’s coin and opted to play into the Hill end of the ground with the dropping sun in the eyes of Ann Gavan in the Monaghan goal.

Early in the game it looked as if Owen McNally’s side would win a first Brendan Martin Cup as his side got on the scoreboard inside 90 seconds of the game throwing in when wing forward Linda Gartland split the Waterford posts. Full forward Voreen Quigley had a chance to rattle the Waterford net soon afterwards but she shot wide of Anna Lisa Crotty’s posts. Had it gone it we will never know how this game would have ended for Michael Ryan’s side.

Waterford’s first score was a telling one. In the late 80’s and into the 90’s Áine Wall was a name that put fear into any defence which she faced. She could be liked to Clifford each time Kerry plays in the men’s game today.

The Ballymacarbry player often had Claire Ryan and Fiona Crotty alongside her in the Waterford inside forward line and when they hit form, any side they played against was in for a busy hour. With six minutes played wing forward Catriona Casey played the ball to Claire Ryan and she picked out Áine Wall and once she had the ball only one thing was on her mind and she made no mistake in dispatching the size four past Ann Gavan to give Waterford a lead which they would never give up.

Áine Wall pointed again on seven minutes but it was followed by a period where the Waterford defence was put under a lot of pressure. The Ulster side hit five attempts for scores wide of the Waterford posts and they also face a young goalkeeper in Anna Lisa Crotty who had one of the games of her life on the day.

She made three fantastic saves between the 9^th and 12^th minutes to keep Waterford’s lead in tact but the Ulster side did manage to hit a score on 19 minutes when Brenda McAnespie split the posts at the Canal end of the ground.

Michael Ryan on the Waterford line could see that Waterford could be in trouble and he made simple changes on the line, always the sign of a good manager which made a big difference. He switched Waterford wing backs and got Claire Ryan to come out onto the wing to use her skill to run at the Monaghan defence and the moves paid off.

Áine Wall picked out Catriona Casey with an inch perfect pass and she finished to the net to put Waterford into a healthier position. And while Monaghan would hit back with a point from Brenda McAnespie her second of the game, it was Waterford that finished the game the stronger of the two sides as points from Áine Wall, Marie Crotty from a free and team captain Geraldine O’Ryan were registered before the break to give Waterford a 2-4 to 0-3 lead as the sides headed to the dressing rooms at the break.

Both sides started the second half with attacks into their opponents half. Fiona Crotty was at the end of one move for Waterford and she saw her effort go over the cross bar for the first score of the second half while at the other end Pauline Woods saw her effort go wide.

Another point for Áine Wall followed for the Déise Ladies before at the other end Voreen Quigley was brought down in the box for a penalty but Orla Gartland saw her effort brilliantly saved by Anna Lisa Crotty but from the rebound Jennifer Greenan decided to take the safer option such was the form of the Ballymacarbry teenager in the Waterford goal and pop it over the crossbar.

Claire Ryan pointed with the aid of the post but the Ulster side refused to give up and with three attacks they registered three wides. Back at the other end Áine Wall and Fiona Crotty played a one-two for Áine Wall to split the post to put Waterford well in control.

Waterford had brilliant performances all over the field of play. Enough could not be said of Anna Lisa Crotty’s performance on the day. In front of her Martina O’Ryan was having her usual game in the number three shirt and either side of her Regina Byrne and Cleona Walsh could hardly put a foot wrong.

Noreen Walsh at centre back was also impressing while the switching of Sinead Walsh and Julie Anne Torpey worked a treat. And in the middle of the field the experience of Bernie Ryan and Marie Crotty two players that won a Junior All-Ireland with Waterford eight years earlier against Wexford as well as two senior finals both against Laois in 1991 and 1992 was telling.

Olivia Condon the only none Ballymacarbry player in the Waterford attack was having her usual workaholic performance while the five Ballymacarbry players Geraldine O’Ryan, Catriona Casey, Fiona Crotty, Áine Wall and Claire Ryan were using their experience to cause Monaghan all sorts of problems when they attached the goal at the Canal end of the ground.

Points from Jennifer Greenan, Angela Larkin and Brenda McAnespie reduced the Waterford lead to three points with nine minutes to play.

Waterford wrote themselves into the history books moments later. When the Ladies Football Finals were first played at Croke Park in 1986 Marie Crotty got her name into the record books for ever more when she became the first female players to score in a competitive game at GAA Headquarters. This time it was Olivia Condon that wrote her name into the history books, when she became the first female to be sent off at Croke Park for a foul on Jennifer Greenan, one that the Carlow referee deemed to be a bookable offence. The Na Déise Club player had picked up an earlier booking in the game so had to be send to the line. The second booking might be deemed to be harsh by many but it was something that she was prepared to do for the team rather than leave the Monaghan players potentially waltz through the defence and maybe end her sides dream of a third All-Ireland medal at this level.

Marie Crotty settled what nerves might be coming into the Waterford side when they found themselves with a numerical disadvantage. She used all her experience to take a well taken point after some good work by Claire Ryan down the Hogan Stand side of the field.

Áine Wall was unlucky not to have struck her second goal of the game with time ticking down as she saw her effort come crashing off the Monaghan crossbar. Linda Farrelly at the other end reduced Waterford’s lead by one, but it was fitting that following a fine performance by her that Áine Wall would hit the final score of the afternoon after she linked up with Lenora Mooney who had earlier come on for Fiona Crotty.

After the game hundreds of the Waterford support that travelled to the capital for the day made their way through the wire in front of the Hogan Stand and onto the field to congratulate their hero’s. 16 players were used on the day by team manager Michael Ryan and his assistant Bridget McGrath, but each and every one of the 24 players in the Waterford panel played a part in the win.

Some players were appearing in and winning their first All-Ireland, for others it was their second or third appearance at Croke Park and they had yet to taste defeat at G.A.A. Headquarters. For a select few it was their fourth appearance at Croke Park and again was to taste defeat at the venue.

Over the coming year’s Waterford would lose some of the players that played a part in the 1994 campaign. Others would come in for them and spurred on by what they had seen by those that came before them they too would go on to have successful careers in a Waterford shirt, some ending their careers with five All-Ireland Senior Medals in their collections as well as numerous other titles including Munster and League titles at inter county level as well as honours won with their club.

The era from 1991 to 1998 was a great time for Waterford when it came to Ladies Football. Those of us who supported the side up and down the country at the time will fondly remember some great days and some great players in the white and blue or the blue and white of Waterford. Waterford at the time were producing some great underage teams as well at the time which also contained some brilliant young players who unfortunately never got to play senior for the county, not because they were not good enough, they in fact would have walked onto most inter county panels at the time, but because Waterford at the time operated with a panel of around 24 to 28 players which made sense at the time, as it does nowadays as money was tight at the time and the county would not have been able to sustain big panels.

Waterford: Anna Lisa Crotty; Regina Byrne, Martina O’Ryan, Cliona Walsh; Sinead Walsh, Norin Walsh, Julie Ann Torpey; Bernie Ryan, Marie Crotty; Olivia Condon, Geraldine O’Ryan, Catriona Casey; Fiona Crotty, Áine Wall, Claire Ryan.

Sub: Lenora Mooney for Fiona Crotty (58 min’s).

Scorers: Áine Wall 1-5, Catriona Casey 1-0, Marie Crotty 0-2, Geraldine O’Ryan, Fiona Crotty, Claire Ryan 0-1 each.

Monaghan: Ann Gavan; Catherine Finnegan, Mary B. Hamill, Jennifer Treanor; Aisling Smyth, Eileen McElvaney, Mairead Kelly; Jennifer Greenan, Linda Farrelly; Linda Gartland, Angela Larkin, Orla Gartland; Brenda McAnespie, Voreen Quigley, Pauline Woods.

Subs: Brenda Swift for Linda Gartland (35 min’s), Audrey O’Reilly for Aisling Smyth (46 min’s).

Scorers: Brenda McAnespie 0-4, Jennifer Greenan 0-3, Voreen Quigley, Linda Farrelly, Linda Gartland, Angela Larkin, Brenda Swift 0-1 each.

Referee: Christy Haughney (Carlow).

Remainder of the Waterford Panel: Siobhan O’Ryan, June Whyte, Michelle Walsh, Ann Dunford, Patricia Butler, Catherine Walsh, Rebecca Hallahan, Ruth Ahearne.

Waterford’s Who’s Who: Sinead and Cleona Walsh are sisters; Noirin and Michelle Walsh are first cousins; Martina and Geraldine O’Ryan are twin sisters; Bernie Ryan and Siobhan O’Ryan are first cousins and are both first cousins of Martina and Geraldine. Claire Ryan is a first cousin of Martina and Geraldine O’Ryan. Marie and Fiona Crotty are sisters and they are a first cousin to Anna Lisa Crotty. Who said that the G.A.A. is Family?

Bernie Ryan, Marie Crotty and Catriona Casey started their fourth All-Ireland Final for Waterford in 1994. Catriona Casey played in the number 12 shirt in all four of these finals. Ann Dunford, June Whyte, Patricia Butler, Sinead Walsh and Áine Wall were also part of a Waterford team for the fourth time at Croke Park.

Anna Lisa Crotty, Siobhan O’Ryan, Ruth Ahearn, Catherine Walsh and Rebecca Hallahan were involved with Waterford for the first time in 1994. Ann Dunford was the only member of the panel to be married in 1994. Prior to the 1994 All-Ireland Final Áine Wall (5), Marie Crotty (4), Bernie Ryan (3), Martina O’Ryan (2), June Whyte (2), Ann Dunford (2) and Geraldine O’Ryan (1) had shared 19 All-Stars between them. Ann Fitzpatrick (3), Mari O’Ryan (1) and Dolores Tyrrell (1) who died at a young age also won All-Stars before 1994.

In 1994 Michelle Ryan who is at present one of the greats of the game was one of the team’s mascots for the fourth time in Croke Park. She is the oldest daughter of Michael Ryan.

To win the 1994 All-Ireland Final, Waterford beat Kerry in the Munster Final in Dungarvan on a 1-16 to 2-2 score line and in the All-Ireland semi final beat Laois 1-14 to 3-7 again in Dungarvan.

Six players scored for Waterford in the three championship games that they played. Marie Crotty was top scorer with 0-16. Áine Wall 2-9 and Catriona Casey 2-2 were the players to raise green flags across the three games. Claire Ryan 0-6. Fiona Crotty 0-4 and Geraldine O’Ryan 0-3 were Waterford’s other scorers.

 

Waterford Clubs in 1994: Abbeyside/Ballinacourty; Ballymacarbry, Brickey Rangers; Clashmore; Cappoquin; Clonea/Rathgormack; Dunhill/Fenor; Dungarvan; Kilrossanty; Kill; Kilmacthomas; Na Déise; Old Parish; St. Colman’s; St. Garvan’s; St. Oliver’s; St. Patrick’s. (Clubs as listed in All-Ireland Final Programme).