Today I raise a toast of Cava to the Ireland hockey women’s team that has qualified for the Olympic Games next year.
I celebrate with Cava because it’s the champagne of Spain where I pen this tribute to a remarkable group of women who have qualified to meet the best in the world when less than two years ago few in Ireland cared little about hockey or bothered to understand what a wonderful, intricate, game it is.
Then, seemingly emerging from nowhere and with very little cash backing, Ireland developed an amazing women’s hockey squad that for a brief time in August last year was officially the second-best team on the planet until they were beaten by The Netherlands in a world final.
I first saw them in Spain – another reason for the Cava - when they played a tiny tournament here last February.
With funding still tight, despite promises by the government following the magnificent world championship performances, they travelled on the cheapo by Ryanair.
They were super-stars, but they didn’t have super-egos. There was no demand, like some multi—million earning soccer stars we know, for first-class flight seats.
They were very unassuming women, and only that one of them sat beside me and I spotted a little Irish arm-crest on her clothing, I might have remained ignorant of who or what they were.
That’s how I met them for the first time, and I travelled to watch them play India in a thriller in a little inland town called Santomera which has sports facilities that would put most Irish towns to shame.
I became an avid fan!
I’m sorry I wasn’t at Energia Park to watch what has been described as a nail-biting penalty shoot-out against Canada.
Goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran seems to have been the super-hero among a team of heroes.
She was goalkeeper of the tournament in the world cup last year and has since been snapped up by Dutch team Kampong.
It’s been a great weekend for Irish women sports stars.
Katie Taylor, who added a second pro world weight title to her magnificent list of achievements, has been an ace example to all Ireland’s youth.
After the Tokyo Olympics, my bet is that Ayeisha McFerran will be Ireland’s next number one woman sports star.
Her home town made biscuits to look like her after the world contest last year.
How I look forward the 23-year-old blonde from Larne celebrating an Olympic medal with a toot on the flute that she plays so well and few steps of a jig or a reel that she learned at Irish dances over nine years.
I just know I’m going to have to upgrade my quality of Cava for that honour – especially if I sip it with an Ayeisha lookalike biscuit.
