Long serving Olivia Divilly focused on final push for glory with Galway
GALWAY forward Olivia Divilly took inspiration from her clubmate Annette Clarke growing up in Kilkerrin Clonberne. Clarke was captain of the Galway ladies football team when they won the Brendan Martin Cup for the only time in 2004. She will go down as one of the greatest footballers to ever play with Galway.
“It would have to be Annette Clarke, Annette captained Galway to the last All-Ireland final and also played with Kilkerrin Clonberne. Growing up watching her play and then in more recent years, having the opportunity to play alongside her has been so special. It has also been an opportunity to learn so much from her about commitment and what it takes both on and off the pitch,” Divilly told Tribune Sport.
Divilly plays alongside her sisters Siobhan and Niamh who have formed an impressive midfield partnership for the Tribeswomen this season.
“There’s a lot of sisters on the team, it is special and as a group we are so tight and close. We would do anything for each other just to get over the line and hopefully get a chance to lift the Brendan Martin Cup.”
After winning a fifth All-Ireland senior football title with Kilkerrin-Clonberne last December, Divilly said the extended break allowed her to recover physically while also helping to maintain her hunger ahead of the inter-county season.
“I’ve been quite fortunate, Daniel (Moynihan) gave us a break after the club All-Ireland, it was February before I was back playing, I didn’t do anything in January, put the legs up and enjoyed myself.
“Then when I came back in February, we were just straight back into it and you’re enjoying it. You’re competing to be one of the subs that comes on match day and then breaking onto the fifteen. There is such competition, we are enjoying every training session at the moment and we’re enjoying the lead up to the All-Ireland final.”
She has been part of the Galway panel since 2014 and the 30-year- old feels this is the strongest panel she has been part of.
“Even looking at the All-Ireland semi-final, you see the depth of the panel and the difference the girls who came on made. Shauna Hynes came on kicking four points in 15 minutes.
“Louise Ward coming on and making vital interceptions in the full back line, to have those girls to come on and have that depth in our panel means that once we are in contention coming down the home stretch. We know the calibre of players we have on the bench,” concluded Divilly.