McIntyre’s new balance has Tipp striding ahead
An inalienable truth about happy, healthy and thriving environments is that they don’t contain many energy suckers, if any, but are heavily populated by positive people. Denis Kelly and his Tipperary brains trust must count their blessings every day Clodagh McIntyre rocks up for training, not least when building up to today’s Very Camogie League Division 1A final against three-ina-row-chasing champions Galway.
The final at Croke Park is part of a historic triple-header with the Division 2A final, between Derry and Westmeath, and the Leinster SFC clash between Dublin and Meath.
Doctors have written far fewer effective prescriptions than what a course of chatting to McIntyre might cure. You can just imagine someone pulling into the Tipp camogie grounds at The Ragg after a tough day, not in the mood for anything.
Then McIntyre bounces through the door, oozing optimism. What should give us all hope is that there was a time when that sunny disposition tended to disappear in the build-up to games.
A bad injury was the catalyst, providing an opportunity to take a yoga teaching course in her final year studying physiotherapy. The physical and mental benefits of a yogic lifestyle are seen in every aspect of McIntyre’s life now, camogie included.
“I would advocate to everyone to try and find a yoga class,” she says.
“It ties in nicely with the physio side but in terms of a spiritual side, I definitely think it’s helped me in terms of how I prepare for matches.
“Usually I’d get really nervous and think the weight of the world is on my shoulder on match days but not anymore. I enjoy match days way more. I’m way more relaxed. I have a lot more trust in the process and have confidence in all the work I’ve done rather than worrying, ‘What if this happens?,’ ‘What if that happens?’
“I think that’s made me a bit of a better player. When I look back at videos before I’d be playing and my shoulders could be up to my ears and I’d be looking so tense whereas now I think I have a little bit more relaxation.”
Two months after celebrating her 23rd birthday, McIntyre feels she has a pretty good work-life balance now. She works at SportsPlus Physiotherapy’s new state-of-the-art premises in Nenagh, where she says she is learning every day from John Casey and Owen Higginbotham, former physios with
Tipp hurlers and footballers. A switch in playing roles has contributed to her new-found calmness too. McIntyre has played a starring role from half-back, her supreme athleticism and pace having an impact.
“Sometimes before a match, you might be getting a little bit anxious about having to score but when you get back in the backs, you don’t have to worry about that. If the opportunity arises, you take it and if it doesn’t, just keep the ball away from our own goal is the main objective.”
Being more relaxed should not be mistaken for not caring, however. For starters, being from Lorrha, on the border with Offaly and Galway, where she went to school, tends to accentuate county allegiances.
Then there is the in-house indoctrination. McIntyre’s father, Aidan is chairman of Lorrha, while her older brothers Eoin and Niall hurl. You might remember the four of them reached the final of ‘Ireland’s Fittest Family’ three ago. Her mother Pauline “gets jobs” related to club activity. Her uncle John played for Tipp and managed Offaly and Galway.
Ironically, her new weaponry was first unleashed on Galway, after the Premiers had lost to Waterford. They got their campaign back on the road with a brilliant win, inspired by Eimear McGrath’s hat-trick of goals.
“We had a good few injuries in the backs but to be honest, I’ve been really enjoying it,” she says. “I’m always wanting to push forward as the attacking is still deep-rooted but if there’s good communication, which we’ve put an emphasis on, you can play in any position on the field.”