By Mark McGoldrick

Áine Haren never set out on a journey towards an All-Ireland final.

When the Kinawley woman first joined the Fermanagh panel in 2024, it was simply an opportunity to experience inter-county football, work with quality coaches and test herself in a higher-level environment.

Three seasons later, the 39-year-old lecturer is preparing to walk onto the Croke Park turf as the goalkeeper of a Fermanagh side chasing All-Ireland glory.

It is a journey that perhaps even Haren herself could not have imagined, but one that perfectly reflects the player she has always been – adaptable, selfless and willing to put the team first.

“I came in first and it was an opportunity that came up as cover,” Haren said.

“I thought it was a good chance to get exposure to a higher level of training, to good goalkeeping coaching and a real professional set-up.

“I can’t fault it. Ladies football needs to keep pushing on and driving on and it has opened my eyes to what is available.”

Now the oldest member of the Erne ladies squad, Haren’s role has changed dramatically.

A player who has lined out in almost every position during a successful career with Kinawley, she has found a new home between the posts.

Despite the pressure that comes with being a goalkeeper, Haren insists she has never felt alone.

“It can be a lonely position at times,” she smiled, “but I’m never on my own.”

Those words capture the identity of this Fermanagh team.

Their run to Sunday’s TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship final against Roscommon has been built not on one individual, but on a group that believes every player has a part to play.

“There are some days you go out and you want to redo things but, to be honest, I’m the last line of defence and the girls always back me up,” said Haren.

“I’m not doing it by myself ever.”

Resilient group

That togetherness has grown throughout a season where Fermanagh have steadily found their rhythm.

The league campaign ended with disappointment, but Haren believes those early struggles helped lay the foundations for the progress that followed.

“We were disappointed with the league because, had a couple of results gone our way, we’d have been pushing for promotion and I think that would have surprised a lot of people,” she said.

“I think we got started a wee bit late and it’s taken us some time to build, but we have momentum now.

“We’ve really pushed on and I think the team is ready to have a go.”

That belief has come from the standards created within the group.

“There’s some really knowledgeable girls on the squad and we’re learning from each other every week we go out and train and play,” Haren explained.

“It has helped create this bond. The best footballers in the county are on the squad and if you can’t learn from them, you’ve no hope.”

While Eimear Smyth’s scoring ability has understandably attracted attention, Haren is quick to point out that Fermanagh’s success has been built on far more than one player.

“Eimear is phenomenal and amazing and she puts the ball over the bar, but Eimear is the first to admit that she’s not the one getting the ball to her or making those hard runs,” Haren pointed out.

“It needs to be the whole 15, plus the four or five subs that come on and then the girls on the line. It really is a collective effort and everyone buying into it and pushing each other on.”

That collective effort has brought Fermanagh to the biggest day in ladies football.

Lessons learned

After defeating Down in a dramatic semi-final, the Erne ladies have had three weeks to prepare for the occasion, with Haren saying the build-up to the game has been ‘really exciting’

“After the semi-final we were able to relax a wee bit, take it all in and enjoy it. There’s a great buzz and plenty to look forward to,” she said.

Haren knows exactly what awaits on Sunday. She travelled to Croke Park last year as a spectator and witnessed the scale of the occasion.

“It’s a great showpiece for ladies football. A few of us went up to Dublin last year and it’s a great day for ladies football and ladies sport to see the talent that is on display,” the Erne goalkeeper said.

For Haren, though, the occasion is not just about the 60 minutes on the pitch.

It is about the people she has met, the friendships built and the lessons learned along the way.

“That’s the thing with county football, you get to meet new people and some people you might not normally have the opportunity to meet,” Haren explained.

“You have that chance to play with them and then you learn about yourself and how you can improve.

“There’s more to life than winning and losing too. The friendship and togetherness sometimes is more important than kicking the leather ball around.”

That mindset has been at the heart of her career.

Whether playing centre half-forward, midfield, defence or goalkeeper, Haren has always been prepared to put the team first.

“At this stage I’ve probably played everywhere,” she laughed.

“The year we won Ulster I was centre half-forward and I’ve also played in midfield and in the backs. I go where I’m told.

“I love playing football and if I can do something for a team, I’ll do my best there no matter where the manager puts me.”

Ready to rock

Now, standing between Fermanagh and history is Roscommon, a side they drew with during the league campaign in February.

But Haren knows that result belongs firmly in the past.

“Both teams could have won it on the day.

“That was in February and we are a completely different team and so are they,” added the Erne shot-stopper.

“We’ve got nothing to lose. That’s the bottom line.

“We’re going to Croke Park to give everything we can, show up and really take our chance. It’s there for the taking.”

If Fermanagh are to seize that opportunity, the support from the stands could prove vital.

The ‘roar’ that carried them through the closing stages against Down left a lasting impression with the Erne panel.

“The girls were out on their last legs but the roar from the crowd was something we hadn’t heard all year. It gave us the extra drive,” Haren concluded.