A Colombian television reporter has been knocking about the Ireland camp since Lorena Bedoya injured Denise O’Sullivan’s shin in a World Cup warm-up on July 14th.
Probing for a reaction, our South American colleague keeps choosing the wrong tango partner, with Katie McCabe initially asked about the foul.
“We’re Irish, we don’t shy away from physicality. It is ingrained in us.”
Next, the reporter thought it was a good idea to approach Ethel and Robert Larkin outside Stadium Australia, wondering if their daughter featured in the unseen 20 minutes at Meakin Park.
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Bad move.
“They’re crazy,” laughed Abbie Larkin.
On Saturday the 18-year-old giggled through her first exposure to media, even supplying the unforgettable line of this World Cup.
Abbie, were you aware against The Matildas that you became the youngest person to play for Ireland at a major tournament?
“Erm. No. I got told after the match by the girls. They said something about Gary, and I hadn’t a clue who Gary was. I was like, ‘I don’t know who this is!’ I don’t know if that was a bad thing or not.”
Larkin bounced away as middle-aged reporters were transported back to USA 1994 when a 19-year-old Gary Kelly played against Norway in New Jersey.
Fearless and naturally gifted, Ireland manager Vera Pauw would be wise to start Larkin against Canada on Wednesday at the Perth Rectangular stadium. A straight swap for Marissa Sheva feels necessary for the game that will define Ireland’s first women’s World Cup. Nigeria, who Pauw’s side meet five days later back in Brisbane, look the strongest force in Group B.
Earlier, Larkin was asked where she sees herself in five years. This is a standard inquiry but most teenagers have no idea what will be doing at age 23. It is a lifetime away. Not Abbie.
“England is my dream, really. The WSL, that’s something I’d be looking forward to in the future.”
This captures the essence of the slogan, “can see, can be.” Larkin sees McCabe at Arsenal.
In 2018 the 20x20 campaign, launched by Sarah Colgan and Heather Thornton, aimed to boost the coverage of women’s sport in Ireland by 20 per cent by 2020.
At first glance, the marketing campaign failed. Male athletes and male journalists still dominate the sports media landscape. There is always a golf major that commands attention, an All-Ireland final, a rugby test match or big Evan Ferguson scoring for Brighton. Sometimes women’s faces still do not get a look in.
Professional men’s sport remains a conglomerate. The Brisbane barman barely kept a straight face when asked on Saturday to change one of four screens showing just two Rugby League and AFL games, so visiting reporters could watch USA v Vietnam. World Cup or not, the big boys dominate Down Under.
The ecosystem is evolving in Ireland. Old glass ceilings are being smashed as Ciara Mageean and Rhasidat Adeleke rewrite track records with a steely focus trained on the Paris 2024 podium. Leona Maguire’s iron play and Rachael Blackmore’s whip hand clear barriers at a ferocious clip. Katie Taylor and Kellie Harrington are boxing royalty. Meath footballer Vikki Wall is trying to pull off a Sonny Bill Williams code switch.
McCabe and O’Sullivan have joined this illustrious club and there is no reason why Larkin’s generation cannot increase the number of household names.
Ideally, this will bring more woman writers, broadcasters and editors into the industry.
Anything is possible if Pauw cuts off the defensive shackles in Perth and allows her players chase qualification for the knockout stages.
It is in them. See Larkin steaming off the bench against Australia to create McCabe’s 96th-minute chance.
Now and forever, Irish football teams are at their best when desperate and frazzled and living off adrenaline and instinct. Heather Payne saw Larkin making a late run, so she threaded a ball down the inside right channel for the Shamrock Rovers forward to pursue. “Ringsend Abbie” – there is already a song – glanced up and knew exactly what to do.
“I could hear Katie screaming. I was going down [the wing] and I just heard ‘let it go Abbie’ and I looked and she was there and I said, ‘I have to play it to her’ because she was in such a good position and I thought ‘this could be it’.”
When did you learn to lift your head and scan the pitch? “In underage camps with one of my former coaches, James Scott. It’s that awareness that you need to have when you are coming up through different levels, you kind of need to know where players are and you need to know what your next ball is going to be because you will never know how much time you will have. Especially playing against those Australian girls, they are quick, they won’t give you a second on the ball, so you need to make your decisions quicker and that is definitely developing me as a player.”
The Ireland camp are still annoyed about the reporting around O’Sullivan’s minor injury. Yesterday Louise Quinn was pictured in a moonboot boarding the six-hour flight across Australia. She is expected to play through an old ankle issue.
A separate distraction follows them from the east to west coast. Ruesha Littlejohn pointedly refused to shake hands with Australia’s Caitlin Foord before the opening game last Thursday and the Irish midfielder had to be pulled away from Katie McCabe’s Arsenal team-mate after the 1-0 defeat.
It was barely a story until Pauw answered a question about the incident on Saturday morning.
“I have one answer,” she said. “I am so proud of Ruesha, I am very proud of Ruesha. That is my only answer.”
This response made no sense as neither Littlejohn’s character nor performance has been criticised.
Sinead Farrelly’s attitude could do with permeating the entire squad. The classy NJ/NY Gotham midfielder pulled off a back heel against the Matidlas near the corner flag that allowed Payne clear the ball.
“I don’t respect where I am on the field,” said Farrelly. “I am just going to play how I am, even in our own box. To me, it was problem solving.
“It could have backfired but my brain does not think this way. That is me, playing instinctively and that is when I play my best.”
