Sinead Burke – Marooned in Armagh

By Shaun Casey

THE scramble for All-Ireland final tickets has surrounded Galway and Armagh for the past few weeks and that’ll only ease up now as the clock ticks towards Sunday. For Sinead Burke, a Galway girl residing in the Orchard County, she has got to experience both sides of it.

A former Galway ladies footballer, the Oughterard native experienced an extremely successful career in the maroon and white, picking up two All-Star awards and captaining her county to a Division Two league title in 2014.

Burke won nine Connacht Championship medals and a Division One title, during a county career which started back in 2007 and success followed her up north once she linked up with Armagh Harps.

In 2020, the Harps landed their first Senior Championship crown in 22 years. That wasn’t enough for Burke however and the teak-tough defender helped the Harps defend their title the following season and they remain one of the big hitters in Armagh ladies football.

“Everyone’s looking for tickets in Galway and in Armagh, but the craic is good,” said Burke, looking ahead to the All-Ireland final. “I messaged into the Harps’ WhatsApp group to see were there any special tickets for Galway ones and all that is a bit of craic.

“The phone has been ringing for tickets, wondering are there any more up around these parts, but it’s just so hard to know until you get closer to the game. You may be promised a ticket here, there, and everywhere, and hopefully we’ll manage to get one.”

Making the decision to retire from the intercounty scene wasn’t easy but once she opted to move to Armagh, there was only one choice. “I was a primary school teacher at home when I was playing football for Galway, and my friend actually moved to Armagh for love.

“I met my husband in Galway – he was actually playing rugby at the time for Connacht, and he was living with one of my friends. We met mutually through one of my friends, and the rest is history.

“He convinced me that Armagh has lovely green fields, so we moved up and I’m here now six years. The time has flown in. We’ve a little girl now and we built a house together. I met a lot of new friends around here so it’s all good at the minute.”

Her husband, Willie Faloon, is a rugby union coach and former player. He enjoyed playing spells with Ulster and Connacht and is currently head coach at Armagh Rugby Club and involved with the Ireland u-20 setup.

“He’s rugby mad, he’s actually away touring with the Irish u-20s at the minute,” Burke explained. “He got a contract with Ulster, and he’s been coaching there since, and now he’s with the Ireland u-20s.

“It’s been a rollercoaster but both of us love sport and know what it takes to be involved at that level so it’s a good balance between the two of us.”

On her decision to join up with Armagh Harps, Sinead said, “I joined Armagh Harps, and that was a great way to meet girls with a common interest. You just meet so many people in the GAA, and, on top of that, everyone is mad about it.

“I found it really easy to find friends with common interests. There’s girls that I probably will be chatting to now for the rest of my life in Armagh, so it was a lovely way to get into that community and get in with the girls at the Harps as well.

“We’ve had a couple of successes too, so it’s been a nice addition to moving up to Armagh and not knowing a whole lot of people, it was a good transition.”

While the landscape might be a little different, Galway’s passion for Gaelic games is mirrored in Armagh and both counties are “football mad”. While hurling has plenty of followers out west, it was always football in the Burke household.

“Where I’m from in Galway, there wouldn’t be much hurling,” she added. “We were always football-mad and my mum and dad are actually both Mayo people, so from a very young age we were brought to football games, and all of us loved it.

“My dad played until God knows what age he was. He was playing with boys in my year at school, so it’s fair to say he was playing for a very long time. We just loved it, we loved being on the sidelines, loved watching games, and it holds such a special place in my heart.

“I knew that when I moved up to Armagh, I wanted to keep that going. Even though it was in a different county, it’s a similar background in the sense it’s also a football-mad county.”

She continued: “The travelling to the game, the excitement, the nerves, the build-up, all of that, we just love it. I was saying when we were going to Croke Park for the semi-finals, packing the sandwiches, getting the tea, it’s all a big routine, and that is something special.”

The two counties involved in this year’s All-Ireland final clearly have a special place in Burke’s heart, but despite the location of her address, Burke has an invested interest in this current Galway team.

Back home, Matthew Tierney is a close neighbour and a friend of the family while Burke’s sister Aoife is currently engaged to Galway stalwart Johnny Heaney.

“I’d have been down in Tierneys’ house, and they’d be up with ours, we’d know them very well,” Burke recalls.

“My sister’s fiancé is Johnny Heaney, so for and I’ve lost count of how long he’s been on the panel, but we’ve been following him the whole time. He’s part of our family, so there’s extra added meaning now to it. We see him and how much he puts into it and Aoife watches maybe just half a game, because the nerves get the better of her. She knows how much Johnny puts into it.

“Maigh Cuilinn is not too far away from my home place either. Galway captain Seán Kelly and his brothers Eoghan and Paul are on the panel. I know a couple of the boys through Johnny, and from seeing them around over the years.

“With Johnny being part of the family, there’s definitely a vested interest. There’s a lot more at stake when you know someone quite personally. It’s great to have a following, and great to have someone that you know there.”

While Burke has a foot in both camps, home is where the heart is and despite living in the Orchard County, her loyalties will always be out west.

“ ‘m a Galway girl at heart, and I’m going to have to say I wish and hope that Galway will win.

“At the same time, it’s going to go down to the day itself, as we saw on the last couple of games that Galway have played Armagh, it’s been ever so close.

“If Galway can hopefully remain injury free and the boys that came off the last day can stay on the field, it’s going to be a really thrilling battle that I’m really looking forward to, and I think it’s going to make for a great All-Ireland final.

“The teams haven’t won it in so long, and the Galway crowds and the Armagh crowds are just going to be going mad. I’m hoping it’ll all lead to a great day, but I’m going for a Galway win.”