Five minutes with – Donegal’s Eilish Ward

Name: | Eilish Ward |
Age: | 24
Occupation: | Gymnastics Development Officer

Teams played for:

St. Naul’s and Donegal

If you were throwing a party and you could invite anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would you ask around?

Florence Welch and Stevie Nicks for the tunes. Connie McGroarty and Noel Jordan for the arguments!

Where do you like to go out to celebrate after a big victory?

Usually the first place we meet, but The Rock was fantastic after last year’s Ulster final.

If you weren’t playing GAA what would you be at?

Hopefully lying on a beach somewhere.

What’s the worst pitch you’ve ever played on?

Drumboe is the worst hands down. There’s probably sheep on it at the moment!

Which character in any film are you most like?

Probably Harry Potter with my glasses.

Any odd items in your kit bag?

Nothing really.

What’s your preferred brand of gear?

The free kind! Adidas boots, Briga gloves.

Who’s the biggest joker in the teams you play for?

Kate Keaney is usually my partner in crime. Ger is another one who’s
usually up to no good!

Which team mate has the best looking other half?

Aisleen Cunningham always reckons she’s with one of the county lads, so probably her!

Who is the worst trainer?

Aisleen again! First out of the blocks and last back into them!

Who spends most time in front of the mirror in the dressing room?

Grainne Houston definitely takes this one. Yvonne has been known to give make-up lessons from time to time also.

Who’s the best/worst person to share a room with on away trips?

Karen Guthrie would be the worst, she doesn’t like to hear you breathing. Going to have to say Dee Foley or Ciara Hegs as I lived with them in college.

Who’s the best/worst person to sit beside on the team bus?

Again, Karen Guthrie or Katy Herron would be the worst, always listening to shit love songs.

Who has the best and who has the worst diet on the team, and what does it include?

Niamh Hegs used to survive on sausages so that was pretty bad. Laura Gallagher would also have a questionable “athlete’s” diet. Kate and Ciara are fairly good.

Toughest opponent you have faced?

Sinead Goldrick from Dublin is probably the toughest.

Best or worst quote you’ve heard, either from a manager, player, opponent?

I always remember Nicola Lacey before a semi-final against a noticeably tall Glenfin team saying “the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Toner’s “Hunger, Heart, Belief, Desire” has always been a good one too.

Best manager you’ve ever played under?

Charlie Keeney or Kenny Griffen in terms of influence on me personally.

Best ever performance?

8-3 in the Division 5 Cumann na Bunscoil final 2003. It’s been downhill ever since!

One to forget?

Last year’s League final is still very raw. Or else the u16 All-Ireland v Cork in 2007.

When you were playing in the back garden, who did you pretend to be?

Usually Colm Cooper. If Davy McLaughlin’s reading, that’s where the faultless left foot came from!

If there was a transfer market who’d be in and who’d be out of the team?

I’d pay good money to keep Aoife Mac in Australia! In would probably be the Ward twins from Galway, great last name and 2 for the price of 1.

Eilish Ward (Right)