Legacy of Rebel royalty inspires new-look Cork to make their own history
WHAT would Beyonce do?
That popular young women’s catchphrase even has its own hashtag (#WWBD) that is jokingly used to summon up some fearlessness and empowerment in the face of obstacles.
Cork footballer Roisín Phelan has a delightful variation on it.
Her guiding football principle is simply: ‘What would Angela do?
That’s Angela Walsh, a totem among fellow giants in a Cork defence who bestrode ladies Gaelic football for well over a decade.
Their defence was truly stacked with players like Rena Buckley, Briege Corkery, Geraldine O’Flynn, Bríd Stack and Deirdre O’Reilly.
They weren’t just iconic footballers but willing mentors, happy to teach Phelan the tricks of their trade when she joined them as a wide-eyed teenager seven years ago.
Walsh, above all, was her ‘Queen Bey’ and still is.
Life off the pitch for the Aghada defender has been hectic in the past halfdecade.
A five-year dentistry degree in UCC was challenging, especially as the last two years were based in a hospital offcampus.
That meant early-morning lectures before attending her allocated client list from 8.30am-5.0pm and then dashing off to train and study.
Phelan only graduated last May and her first full-time job is in a dentistry practice split between Tullamore and Carlow, yet she counts herself lucky not to be rostered for weekends yet and to be allowed away early every Wednesday/ Friday for inter-county training.
The past few years have also brought upheaval for the Rebelettes.
Pipping the Dubs in 2016 brought their 11th All-Ireland in 12 years but many legends, including manager Eamonn Ryan, had already quietly stepped into the wings.
Their understudies don’t have the same ‘Invincibles’ tag but many, like Phelan, have learned at the feet of the greats.
Jerome Sheehan, a teacher in the local Scoil Íosogáin primary, was the one who encouraged her to try all sports and she played schoolgirl soccer for Midleton and Cork until GAA became her sole focus. She already had good genes.
Her grandfather Pat Phelan played senior hurling for Limerick and her brother Diarmaid captained the Cork minor footballers this summer.
Phelan is only 24 but is now a relative veteran in this young Cork squad with five All-Ireland senior and five NFL medals already tucked away.
She was still a minor and just 18 when she got called up in 2012.
Training that first night was a straight, internal A v B game and she was dispatched to mark Valerie Mulcahy. Talk about a baptism of fire.
But there were other newbies too like Jennifer Barry and current centre-back Shauna Kelly and the older players “all knew your name and were conscious to use it, to make you feel you welcome”.
She was on Cork’s extended panel for that year’s All-Ireland final, came off the bench a year later and started in 2014 in that famous 11-point comeback to beat the Dubs.
Now she is Cork’s full-back and her apprenticeship beside Walsh was all she dreamed it would be.
“Angela was such a great comfort to have beside you, even confidence-wise, knowing you could absolutely go to every ball full-heartedly. We had so many pillars around us that if you messed up there was always someone there covering your back.”
Phelan never actually experienced defeat in an All-Ireland series until last year’s semi-final loss to Mayo, a game that could prove seminal for this team.
“We played Donegal in a league final and beat them in a good match but just didn’t get up for the Munster Championship.
“We didn’t make the Munster final for the first time in a long time so came through the qualifiers. Mayo played us well that day and put three goals past us that will haunt me.
“Nothing’s been taken for granted this year. Every training session, every ball, every match is being attacked much harder because we remember the pain of last year.”
Ephie Fitzgerald’s team may not be filled with household names now but Phelan, Martina O’Brien, the O’Sullivans (Doireann, Ciara and Áine), Orla Finn and Eimear Scally were all here and beat Dublin in 2016.
“It did hit me recently that a lot of this team have never played in Croke Park before but that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Phelan stresses.
“Players like Melissa Duggan, Saoirse Noonan and Emma Spillane bring great drive and energy to us and they’re fearless. I notice that I actually get more nervous as the years go on,” she admits.
On the onerous task of playing fullback, she says: “Really it’s about backing yourself. Your gut instinct is usually the right one. If you think you should be in a certain position you probably should. It’s that half a second or less when you react, that’s the vital thing.”
This Cork team are looking to make their own name now but they haven’t far to look for inspiration. Whenever Phelan is in doubt that’s simply: “What would Angela do?”