Jenny Higgins has described Roscommon teammate Rochelle Mullaney as a “huge inspiration” after going public with her cancer battle.
Mullaney revealed last week that she was diagnosed with stage three cervical cancer in February and has been undergoing intense chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment.
Understandably, she has had to step back from the playing side of things but has maintained a presence around the Roscommon set-up at the request of manager Diane O’Hora, though says “my role isn’t really a role. I’m just kind of hanging around at training, doing the few drills and encouraging the girls from the sidelines”.
At 27, Mullaney is just a year older than Higgins, who said: “It really hits home because she started the season the same way as we all do, and then to get that devastating news… a lot of people could have really taken that hard, but she’s been at training with us and she’s still giving her all to the team in the way that she can.
“And with such a positive attitude, and so encouraging of all the girls – and still battling everything she’s been through. She’s an inspiration.
“I know even myself, when I’m complaining maybe about a wet night at training, I just look over to the sideline and I see her and I think, ‘Well, she’d give anything just to be on the pitch and be able to play’.”
Speaking at the unveiling of Glenveagh Homes as new sponsors of the LGFA’s Gaelic4Girls programme, Higgins pointed out how Mullaney discussing her illness publicly has raised awareness of the condition and will potentially save lives.
“She is a huge inspiration and she was very brave to come out the way she did. And the great news since is that a lot of girls – and I have got a lot of messages since from other people saying, ‘Oh my God, I have to get my smear test done, I have not got it done’.
“Her aim is to raise awareness and promote it. She is so inspirational; a really brave character and hopefully we will see her back on the pitch, it would be amazing to see.”
Meanwhile, although Higgins and Roscommon scored a 5-15 to 3-12 win over Down in Kiltoom in Division 3A of the League on Sunday, a bizarre goal from the visitors was the biggest talking point afterwards.
At the end of the first half water break, Down restarted play as soon as the referee blew the whistle but before the Roscommon team had returned to the field. It culminated in Natasha Ferris farcically finishing the ball to an empty net.
Higgins described it as a “kick in the teeth” but stopped short of declaring it unsporting by Down.
“It was really hot, so we may have taken an extra couple of seconds I suppose. But he allowed play to continue, and Down went ahead and got a goal in the back of the net.
“It was very bizarre, but fair play to our team - we responded really well and I think we went up and got our own score at the other end of the pitch.
“But you just had to get on with it at the time, it’s only now that the clip emerged and you can see how bizarre it really was. I’m not sure, it’s something that we’ll definitely have to look into.
“Is that actually a rule, can that actually be done? Obviously it is if the referee officiated it, but it’s fair to say it won’t happen to us again anyway.
“We learned for the second water break, we were the first team back out on the pitch just in case.”
She added: “I don't think you can blame Down realistically. It was a very important game for both teams. Down had lost previously so they really needed to win that game yesterday.
“They were just doing what the officials said to do so I definitely wouldn't hold any grudges against them in what they did.”
