Galway midfielder Niamh Divilly sets the tone with driving runs
NIAMH Divilly’s development in the Galway senior ladies football team in recent seasons has seen her quickly become one of the key players for Daniel Moynihan’s charges.
Straight from the throw-in, Divilly won the ball, drove forward and set up her clubmate Eva Noone for the opening point of the game during Galway’s win over Armagh in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Her ability to break lines, along with her sister Siobhan, has provided Galway with a physical partnership in midfield. Niamh’s ability to get up and down the pitch was something the Ulster side couldn’t handle on Saturday in Longford.
Galway's panel also boasts a remarkable family connection, with four sets of sisters involved: Niamh, Siobhán and Olivia Divilly, Hannah, Eva and Lynsey Noone, Louise and Nicola Ward, and Chellene and Andrea Trill.
“We had a really good league campaign and we carried that in. You get more confidence every game you win and you get more confidence in yourself. I think that’s reflecting now in our performances,” she said.
Divilly was proud of the performance her side delivered and paid tribute to the displays of Kate Geraghty, Bronagh Quinn and Sarah Ní Loingsigh who held the Armagh full forward line to one point from play.
“I think that was our goal, when they came down and got a score, we were to get the next score and hold the ball. We did that, we didn’t allow anyone to dominate or any position to be dominated, I’m so proud of the performance we put in today.
“The girls in that full back line, they were exceptional today, they took out the big threats in Armagh. Then it gave license to myself and the half back line and half forward line to really run at them and take control. From one to fifteen and the girls that came on, it was just really a performance everywhere,” added the 20-year-old.
Divilly has been steadily adding to her medal collection since December, claiming another All-Ireland club title with Kilkerrin-Clonberne, an O'Connor Cup with TU Dublin and a Connacht Championship with Galway. She will now be hoping to complete an unforgettable run by helping Galway lift the Brendan Martin Cup on the first weekend of August.
It came as no surprise to Divilly that ten different Galway players got their names on the scoresheet in last weekend's semi-final win over Armagh. “In training, the backs and forwards and everyone practices shooting. It makes it really hard for a team to close anybody off, when everyone is scoring from every position,” she added.