Christy O'Connor Talking Points: Tyrrell goes out with a bang as Canavan All-Ireland dynasty continues
ALL ROUND ATHLETE: Dublin's Hannah Tyrrell hangs up her boots not completely on her own terms as she picks up a knee injury which forced her off the pitch. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady
With six minutes remaining in yesterday’s All-Ireland senior final, Hannah Tyrrell went to ground after twisting her knee, her hand signal immediately indicating the seriousness of the injury, her body language confirming the distress and pain Tyrrell was in.
The medical car arrived onto the pitch to stretcher her off but Tyrrell got to her feet and limped off to a standing ovation, applauding the crowd in return as she neared the sideline. For her last game in Croke Park, Tyrrell wanted to leave the place on her feet, to go out on her terms.
As soon as the hooter sounded, the TV cameras flashed to Tyrrell, who became the natural focal point for everyone and anyone with a passing interest who knew that this was the swansong of one of the most impressive female athletes of modern times.
The injury was the only black cloud on the clear blue sky of a majestic Dublin performance but Tyrrell had still done what she had come back to achieve.
At the outset of the 2024 season, Tyrrell had decided that it would be her last championship campaign. Her mind was made up. And then, all of a sudden, it wasn’t. After the way the season ended with a one-point defeat to Galway after extra-time in the All-Ireland quarter-final, the decision didn’t sit well with Tyrrell. So she reversed it.
After spending Christmas in Australia, Tyrrell met with the new Dublin managers, Paul Casey and Derek Murray, in a coffee shop in January. By February, Tyrrell was back in the squad. “It was one of the most important meetings we had,” said Murray in his post-match TV interview. “To get her back into the group was huge.”
In a remarkable sporting life, Tyrrell has always managed to find time for more, to keep pushing the boundaries of sporting excellence across multiple codes; soccer, rugby and ladies football. In 2011, she won an FAI Women’s Cup medal with St Catherine’s LFC.
After flitting between Shamrock Rovers and the Dublin ladies team for a few years, making her debut with Dublin in 2013, Tyrrell took up rugby on a whim and soon found herself being fast-tracked to a full-time Ireland contract in 2014. Within 12 months, Tyrrell had won a Six Nations medal with Ireland in 2015.
She also played sevens rugby, making 103 appearances for Ireland in the World Series, playing at the 2018 sevens World Cup. After announcing her retirement from rugby in 2021, Tyrrell returned to football, winning an All-Ireland in 2023.
It looked like it would be her only All-Ireland after last year’s disappointment but Tyrrell didn’t want to walk away with serious business still to be attended to. It almost ended in heartbreak once more against Galway. Dublin trailed with just 43 seconds left in the semi-final two weeks ago when Tyrrell nailed a clinker of an equalising free to take the match to extra-time.
The late injury may have put a slight dampener on an electric afternoon but, however serious it is, at least Tyrrell had already made peace with her last day in a Dublin jersey.
Back in May, Peter Canavan was pictured at the Ulster Intermediate semi-final between Tyrone and Down in Dungannon with his granddaughter and son-in-law Peter Harte, who is married to Cavanan’s daughter, Áine. They were all there to support Canavan’s other daughter Claire.
Although Canavan’s sons, Darragh and Ruairí, are two of the best players in Tyrone, and two of the most talented forwards in the country, his daughters have also donned the Tyrone jersey with distinction. Áine won an All-Ireland Intermediate title against Meath in 2018, having also lined out in the 2017 All-Ireland final against Tipperary. Áine’s younger sister Claire was part of the side that defeated Laois in yesterday’s All-Ireland Intermediate final.
In the history of the GAA, 61 sons have followed the same pathway as their fathers to win an All-Ireland senior medal but Darragh is one of just four players from Ulster to have done so, alongside Donegal’s Mark McHugh (son of Martin), Down’s James McCartan (son of Jim) and Mark McCartan (son of Dan).
However, the Canavan family are surely unique in the history of the GAA as all of Peter Canavan’s four children have now won All-Ireland medals, with Ruairí having won an All-Ireland U21 title in 2022.
They are lucky to have had one of the most talented players of all time to offer support, advice and guidance, but Peter joked in an interview to RTÉ a few years back of how his sons were also shaped by his daughters. “The two girls are older and it’s fair to say they would have bullied the two boys,” he said. “There’s no doubt about that.”
Darragh and Ruairí also first learned from one of their sisters in the back garden of how to evade the habits of defenders. Unlike Darragh and Ruairí, and Áine, Claire Canavan is a defender, having lined out at wing-back yesterday.
Entering the final quarter in yesterday’s All-Ireland Junior final, Louth’s Eimear Byrne handpassed a ball back to Kate Flood who lofted a massive point from distance to push Louth two ahead. It was one of the best points of the entire afternoon but it was no surprise that it came from Flood, who ended the game as Louth’s top scorer from play with 0-4.
The St Patrick’s player showed all of her experience to steer her county to the title because yesterday was Flood’s seventh All-Ireland Junior final appearance. Having been part of the sides that lost finals to Limerick and Antrim in 2010 and 2012 respectively, Flood drove Louth to the title in 2015 against Scotland.
Flood tasted heartbreak again in the 2018 decider against Limerick but she bounced back to score 1-8 in the 2019 final win against Fermanagh. The pattern has been continually repeated. After losing last year’s final to Fermanagh, Flood and Louth rebounded off the ropes again yesterday to defeat Antrim.
Flood has been showcasing her brilliance for over a decade with Louth, but her talents haven’t been restricted to just one sport either. As well as representing Ireland at soccer from U15 up to U19, Flood also enjoyed considerable success at club level with Raheny United in Dublin — playing alongside fellow Louth native and current Ireland senior international Megan Campbell. Flood also won the Northern Ireland Women’s Premier League with Newry City in 2015. In the spring of 2020, Flood played seven games with Freemantle in the AFLW.
The whole county though, are just thankful that Flood stuck with her first love.
In her acceptance speech after yesterday’s All-Ireland Junior final, Louth captain Áine Breen paid tribute to the Antrim side they had just beaten. “It’s not easy to take such a loss,” said Breen. “Especially with the brilliant year you have had.”
An excellent year for Antrim ended in massive disappointment as they missed out on the chance to complete a perfect season. Prior to yesterday, Antrim had been untouchable, having won all 16 of their 16 games. After claiming the Division 4 league title and the Ulster Junior championship, Antrim beat Carlow, London, Longford and Sligo en route to yesterday’s match.
In the biggest game of all though, Antrim came up just short.
