By Daire Walsh 

Following a succession of injury set-backs over an elongated period of time, St Joseph’s forward Aoife Kealy was given a moment to cherish at Laois Hire O’Moore Park a few weeks ago.

Starting at left corner-forward, Kealy bagged a brace of goals – including a penalty – as Joseph’s secured an LOETB Ladies Intermediate Football Championship crown with a 3-7 to 1-11 victory over Graiguecullen. While this was sweet revenge for the Kellyville outfit after losing out to Shanahoe in last year’s decider, their 23-year-old attacker had gone through a significant personal battle on her way to become a county title winner.

After tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee at 15 years of age in 2016, Kealy suffered the same injury in her left knee two years later. Just shy of her 20th birthday in 2021, she tore the ACL in her right knee for a second time and required two operations as a result.

Yet she eventually returned to play a small part for Joseph’s in their 2023 campaign and went on from there to become a regular in the side during the current campaign.

“This was my first year I think since I was 14 playing a full season. I’m 23 now, so it has been a long time. I think we’ve had 14 matches this year and I was lucky enough to play in all of them, but to get back to be playing properly and be involved fully was a brilliant feeling. Capping it off with the championship was extra special,” Kealy acknowledged.

“It has been a long time coming, but I’m glad to be back there now and keep it going hopefully. I think in the space of five or six years, I tore my cruciate three times. I wasn’t back fully playing until last year because my last ACL, I had to have two operations on it.

“I didn’t get my full reconstruction until 2022. Last year I only got back, I think it was in June or July. Since I was 15, I’m kind of battling with the injuries and last year I was 22 then playing, so it was seven years of not really playing much.”

Despite how much on-field action she missed as a consequence of suffering three ACL injuries, Kealy’s love of the game was maintained throughout her various periods of rehabilitation. There are plenty of others like her that have suffered similar set-backs in recent years and she has some simple advice that can help them on their road to recovery.

“It’s a long process. You’re on crutches for a couple of weeks, then you can get going with your small exercises. I’d say to take it step by step and don’t rush back too quickly. It’s not easy, but I would say probably try to keep involved with the club, with the team.

“Have that support network around you, but I would say just take every stage step by step. Get the little milestones and then when it comes to it then, it will make it all much sweeter when you’ve done the hard work and you know that you’re capable of getting back to the full strength that you were previous to the injury.

“I think I was lucky. I always remained involved. I always went down to the trainings and went to the matches. It was easy that way to kind of push me on to get back, because the want to get back was always there.”

Certainly, Kealy’s contribution to the Joseph’s club – situated close to the Laois/Kildare border – isn’t solely confined to the playing field. In addition to operating the scoreboard for matches at their home ground with her brother, Aoife has also formed part of a minor management team within Joseph’s alongside her father Michael and a member of the adult backroom set-up.

In fact, virtually every game that Kealy plays in is a family affair of sorts as her mother Antoinette is regularly in attendance alongside her devoted grandparents, Andy and Esther Brennan.

“It’s a full family thing. It’s brilliant to be back playing and having them there cheering you on. The support would push you on even more. My grandparents were up there in the stand [for the intermediate final] and having the cup with them then was really nice. It’s nice to be able to share that time and the memories with them as well.

“Down at the club, me and my brother, we’re in charge of the scoreboard. Whenever there is a match on we’ll get the remotes and work the scoreboard. It’s a nice thing to have for the players on the pitch, to know the time and to know the scores. That’s a job that we get whenever there is a match on down in the pitch.”

The current Joseph’s side were well represented on the inter-county front in 2024 with Sinead Farrelly, Anna Moore, Emily Lacey and Ava Shanahan all being part of the Laois panel. Though injury obviously made it difficult for her to feature at the highest level of ladies football, Kealy did previously don the O’Moore jersey as an underage player.

“I did U12 and U14 was the last time I represented Laois. The injuries started then, but U14 we got to a Leinster final and I think we lost to Longford that day. That was the last time I ever played for Laois. The injuries took a toll then and kept me out for the seasons then.”

Although her form for Joseph’s might bring her into the reckoning for Laois at some point, Kealy has said her focus for now is primarily on club football. Her season with Joseph’s isn’t at an end just yet and next Saturday will see them welcoming Dublin intermediate winners O’Dwyers to their home pitch for a Leinster club championship fixture.

As she recalls a previous stint they enjoyed at provincial level, Kealy is hopeful that Joseph’s can make a big splash next weekend and potentially beyond.

“It has been a while since we competed in Leinster. Hopefully that will be another brilliant battle and we’ve home advantage, which is nice. When we won the junior a number of years ago, we played in Leinster. We got knocked out in the first round, but I think we’re probably a much more mature team now,” Kealy added.

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