From Six Nations, Olympics and World Cups to the Dubs
HANNAH’S READY FOR HER ALL-IRELAND TILT
FRESH from being crowned league winners Dublin Ladies kick off their All-ireland Championship assault this weekend against Tyrone.
Amazingly their 2021 Division One league win is only their second league title ever.
Player of the Match in that league final was recently returned star Hannah Tyrrell.
Tyrrell left the Dublin set up in 2014 to sign a professional contract to play with the Ireland Women’s Rugby Seven’s Team and only recently decided to hang up her rugby boots for another adventure in the blue jersey.
An adventure she hopes will lead her to an All-ireland medal in the coming months.
“For me personally, it was great to actually start the final having only joined back in with the group so recently,” reflected Tyrrell ahead of this weekend’s game against Tyrone.
“It has definitely been tough for sure. I’m changing back over from a completely different sport. it’s been a complete learning experience for me. The game has changed so much since I have been in last.
“Thankfully I’ve had so much help from the girls. Especially the older girls, Lyndsey Davey, Siobhan Mcgrath, Sinead Aherne, they’ve really helped me along so much.”
Since signing her first pro rugby contract in 2014 Tyrrell has been involved in the Six Nations, a Rugby World Cup and an Olympic qualification campaign.
With such an impressive CV and having achieved so much by the age of thirty Tyrrell could have been forgiven for hanging up her sporting boots for good.
But the pull of possibly adding a senior All-ireland medal to that collection was too strong and she is now enjoying her football more than ever.
“I always had ambitions to come back and to do whatever I could to get back involved with Dublin. The aim was and is to win an All-ireland medal but nothing is guaranteed in life.”
Tyrrell is now back with a renewed confidence that she has what it takes to go all the way in the blue jersey.
“For me the biggest thing is that I’ve matured an awful lot. I know my body a lot better, I know my limits, I know much better the time my body needs to recover after every game.
“The biggest difference for me is knowing my body’s capabilities and knowing how to look after myself off the pitch, this in turn should increase my longevity on the pitch.”