It’s been six years since Donagh and Fermanagh goalkeeper Roisin Gleeson felt her career was over, from training four nights a week at the height of her career to hardly being able to lift a pen or indeed drive a car.
Ulcerative colitis was diagnosed after lots of tests and Roisin spent over three months on the sidelines recovering. Tablets maintain her involvement now but in these strange time hanging the boots up for a few weeks will not be an issue for her, there will be football again and she will be back with her players at club and county.
Gleeson admits the shutdown has been a shock to the system for her and the Fermanagh squad, an 11 year stint spent between the sticks for the St Patrick’s player came to a shuddering halt sadly for a second time, but had to adapt pretty quickly,
“Priorities shifted very quickly lately” she admitted.
“With regards football once the news broke from the GAA on March 12th all group activity seized. So this in itself is a major change but we have had to get on with things, albeit in a different way”
On the plus side the youthful Erne squad that has linked up with some great warriors in the green jersey like Gleeson are all in “excellent form,” she says, but while things are different, there is positive news,
“Absolutely changed times, we are lucky to report that everyone is safe and well, that’s great news”
In all her years as the number one in the county, Fermanagh plied their trade in division four, promotion last term almost exactly a year ago now indeed with a win over Antrim saw them move up to the third tier. As the league was halted the 32 year old and her team mates will remain their next year,
“Yes we remain in division 3 and as a team when we met up before the 2020 season kicked off this was an aim that we had set out,” again like her manager Jonny Garrity, Roisin points to the positive although she would have preferred to won the remaining games.
“Not the way we would have liked for the league to have panned out for sure but we have gained experience against intermediate teams and lessons have been learnt , things we can bring with us in to the Championship.”
The Championship remains very much a topic of discussion but Gleeson says the focus is very much on that although there’s uncertainty,
“We face into the unknown whether this will go ahead but as a team we will be looking forward to further updates from GAA HQ.”
Like all teams, Fermanagh players are now working on their own but that has not stopped contact and that admits Roisin has been important ,.
“We are in daily contact with each other via social media, when you’re used to training and playing alongside girls on a nightly basis then it’s good for us to all stay in contact and ensure everyone is keeping well.”
Roisin also paid tribute to the management team,
“The management have been extremely encouraging and in constant contact, the mindset is in a good place.”
Club football and perhaps a new look junior football championship will take centre stage, at some stage this Summer but while there will be a lot of work to do to get football played, the fact football will return is a massive boost admitted Roisin,
“Different times for both club and county for sure, but like everything we can look forward to better times when training and games are coming thick and fast, I suppose to say back to life as we knew it before this.”