All Quotes

"So, I'm happy because it makes me feel at peace knowing that I can make a mistake and they will correct me. Also, knowing it's comfortable that they are happy for me to be here and it's good."

"It's gonna mean the world, I really love presenting the country."

"It was also one of his dreams to see me playing abroad, he would be very proud and happy for me now. My dad was very supportive with my career and came to watch each and every game I played, coaching me here and there. I know I am where I am today because of him."

"It is every girl’s dream to take part in the biggest women’s football tournament on the African continent, and I am no different."

"In none of his writings to which I have had access, does there appear a disposition to judge too favourably of Chinese notions, but the reverse."

"Before ridding myself of the dust of the battlefield, I must send you an account of the death of your guide, philosopher, and dear friend, Major Willie Redmond. There is something very strange and weirdly fitting about it in all its circumstances—so fitting that if the good God had given him a choice of deaths he would hardly have dared to ask for a death so entirely according to his dearest wishes."

"The freedom of the world is at stake... Of course the idea of an arrogant Prussian imposing his will on Europe is simply intolerable. But who is to prevent him? Our soldiers; and never did soldiers fight in a more holier or patriotic cause. Irish soldiers at the present crisis are our truest patriots... Some say that they will shed the last drop of their blood if the Germans dare invade Ireland. When, say, Clonmel is being shelled from outside Dungarvan Bay they will begin to bestir themselves."

"Fr Michael Kelly. P.P. Cloneen and Killusty in 1805. Native of Moyglass parish, probably Curraghtarsna. Born 1735. C.C. in Killenaule for about six months in 1764. Was P.P. Cloneen and Killusty in 1792, but for how long before that is unknown. Died 16 Oct. 1805, aged 70; buried in the old cemetery of Cloneen. He was great-grand uncle of Canon Edmond Kelly, P.P. Killenaule 1937-55."

"We regret to record the death, which occured at a Dublin hospital of Very Rev. Edmond Canon Kelly, P.P. V.F., Killenaule and Moyglass. The late Canon Kelly was born at Newtown, New Inn, Caher in 1874. Having studied a Rockwell College, St. Patrick's College, Thurles, and Maynooth, he was ordained in June, 1900, at Maynooth, his Cashel classmates being the late Very Rev. W. Canon Fitzgerald, P.P., V.F. Ballingarry, and the late Very Rev. W. Canon O'Dwyer, P.P. Boherlahan. He served on the temporary mission in South Africa until May 1911. Returning to the archdiocese he was appointed C.C., Mullinahone, where he remained until he volunteered for service as chaplain in World War I. From April, 1915, till 1918 he was chaplain to the 16th Irish Division and was in frequent contact with Fr. William Doyle S.J. In 1916 he was at Loos salient at the Somme for the battle of Ginchy and under Messines ridge ; In 1917, at the 3rd battle of Ypres on Armistice day, 1918, he was at the Menin Gate near Ypres. After the war he continued as chaplain to the army until 1920 when he returned to the archdiocese again. He was re-appointed C.C. Mullinahone, and in 1922, became C.C., Tipperary. In 1934 he became P.P. Cappawhite, and in 1937 P.P. of Killenaule and Moyglass. A very zealous priest, Canon Kelly was held in affectionate veneration by the people of the parishes in which he ministered. The spiritual and temporal welfare of his flock was his only concern. In Killenaule parish he was responsible for the building of several new national schools—buildings that could be taken as a headline for any parish in the country. They stand as monuments to his initiative and energy. His keen interest in the education of youth was also reflected in the spread of vocational education. As a member of the South Tipperary Committee he was one of the most alert and painstaking representatives that committee ever had and his wisdom and experience will be sadly missed there- from. As a man, Canon Kelly was a grand character, straight in every As a man, Canon Kelly was a sense of the word—highly eficient and brocking no slovenliness. Yet he was kindly, hospital and generous and was blessed with a great sense of humour. Benetting one who had seen so much of human misery on the battlefields of World War I, he was particularly attentive to the sick and stricken. Eternal peace to his soul. He was brother of Mr Jeremiah Kelly, Ballingeary, Cahir, and had numerous nieces and nephews, including Mrs J. J. O'Connor (wife of Mr J.J. O'Connor, sollicitor Thurles, Mrs John Crean, do. ; the Fitzgerald, Kelly and Quirke families. At the Soleman Office and Requiem High Mass at Killenaule Church on Thursday, the celebrant was Rev. T. Morris D.D. St. Patrick's College. There were approximately one hundred priests officiating and there was an over-flow congregation of spiritual and temporal welfare of parishioners, relatives and friends."

"My dad was my support system, he would drive me to practice every day and he would have to drive back home an hour away, as I was in boarding school and they would not allow me to leave the premises alone."

"Education is very important. I know I love football and I know I can make a living out of it but things are different in South Africa, as we do not have a professional league here."

"I know there will come a stage when I won’t be able to play professional football."

"I need to have something to fall back on. Injuries occur sometimes and I should be ready if something like that happens. Not only will education help me in the future, but I can also apply the knowledge I gain while playing soccer; aspects such as injury prevention, rehabilitation, sport psychology among others."

"Sometimes, I feel like quitting but I have one goal; to finish this year even if it means crawling to the finish line."

"Through education, you can achieve your goals."

"Not everyone will represent their country at national level. Education is the best thing you can fall back on if things don’t work out the way you want them to. Let’s get that qualification!"

"I have learnt a lot from it, from playing against the best players in the world. It is an experience that no one can take away from me."

"The smiles they put on my face that day… it hit me that they needed us more. I realised that when I made it, I had to go back and help. I want to show people who think they have boundaries that there are no limits."

"The first thing you need as a footballer is a ball. Then you need shoes. If you have that, you’ve got the confidence to play. That changes everything."

"It all starts with development. The earlier kids have access to proper gear and training, the better their chances of making it. If brands invest now, they’re not only changing lives, they’re strengthening our national teams, our leagues, our future."

"I’ve made it out of an under-resourced area, and they can too. The impossible is nothing."

"Imagine what the national team could achieve if women’s football was fully professional. It would change everything."

"It’s important to remember where you come from and to use your success to uplift others. I want these young players to know that their dreams are valid. They must know that with hard work and dedication, they can achieve anything."

"I know that I love football and can sustain myself by making a living out of it but circumstances might change – like getting an injury and obviously reaching a stage where I won't be able to play professional football and I need something to fall back on, in this case, it's my education. It also helps me apply the knowledge that I have while playing the game: aspects such as prevention of injury, sport psychology, etc."

"The partnership with adidas allows me to dream big about my goals and aspirations. I can fully concentrate on my performance without stressing about boots and bras that will help me to perform extremely well."

"Sponsorships go beyond just tangible things. I have access to a team of experts to help me optimise my training and nutrition to ensure that I perform at my best."

"This is a big win, not only for me but for other sportswomen as well from disadvantaged areas. Let's celebrate and pave the way for the next generation of athletes by also giving back to the communities we come from."

"Being a radiologist helped me because I knew that if I gave myself enough time to recover, there'd be less chance of me getting injured again."

"Had I not quit my job, I wouldn't be here because I was working in the deep rural areas. It was very hard to train. I was training with the boys."

"Not everyone gets a chance to play at the highest level of sport, especially when you are from a rural area like where I come from."

"I know that one day it will also pay off and that once I am retired from football, I have something to fall back on."

"I always make sure no day passes without me not going to the library. I have to always ensure I am ahead with my studying and finish my assignments very early."

"What you put in is what you get out."

"I think for me we need people to come and watch our games."

"I think it's because most females, they all want to go into coaching actually and I think they also don't realise that they are some other branches that you can go into and I think this one of them and that's where I saw that there was a gap and there was a lot of opportunities."

"So, there's a lot more than just being a coach, there's a lot you can do in football and contribute to the game."

"I was always involved in sport. I used to be the only girl at school or back home playing with the boys. At school I tried all sports that were available, but I enjoyed football more than anything"

"Football is not just about becoming a great player it’s also about becoming a great person."

"We need people to invest in women’s football. The team managed to qualify without a professional league. We need a professional league so that players can be committed to the game and the national team needs to play very international break against the best teams, get exposure and play abroad."

"Extremely difficult, I'm gonna be honest, we all know as athletes, it's very, very difficult to come back from an injury. For the most part, it knocks down the mental side of things but I had to be tough on myself and be like, you gotta get back into the game, that's what I love to do."

"Personally, it has been talked about for so many years that women's football needs to be professionalised, but at this point, I am going to reserve my comments and will only believe it when I see it practically happening. I've heard it mentioned so many times that I don't believe anything they say about the intention anymore."

"Indeed, as female footballers, we do value education highly because it's simple: We are not paid enough to make a living out of the game, whereas our male counterparts can play, say, for 10 or even five years and make enough money in order to make a living if they use their funds properly. So, there is a huge gap in terms of we know that we are not being paid well and the money that we make cannot sustain us for the rest of our lives or for a longer period of time, so we opt to navigate towards education. That is so that we are able to secure full-time jobs on the side, or even after football. We need that more than our male counterparts."

"I own it because it gives me so much pride in being a woman in a space mostly deemed as a men's sport."

"Oh, I love those people. They treat me like a human being – like a girl. Let me tell you when we go and do shoots, they just hire a whole makeup crew to pamper me and I love that."

"I love the face beats, lipsticks, eyelashes – just everything about it. I love everything about it. You know what, Puma, let’s just end it there because I can just go on and on about Puma!"

"Life has been amazing, spending time with my family and that’s what I’ve been longing for many years, as you know as a professional athlete you travel a lot ... you don’t get time to sit down. I don’t know if players talk about it, I’m taking time to take care of my mental health."

"When I talk about mental health, I’m not saying I wanted to kill myself. You get tired as a person, that’s why there is sick leave, and people go on vacations, I needed that."

"There are many things that go on that people from the outside don’t understand, but as a person I understand myself, I know how I operate, I know when I need a break, I know when I’m having a breakdown, I know when my body says 'no' and when it says 'yes', so I have to listen to it."

"Before achieving everything that we achieved, we set goals and said this is what we want at this time. And we achieved everything, every goal that was set."

"Development is key. 100%."