Ayesha Roche: A Kerry Heart at Croke Park, Calling on Fans to Back the Kingdom's Women

There is a quiet dignity in the way Ayesha Roche speaks about sport. It is not just about winning or losing. It is about being part of something bigger, something that binds a community together. Last Sunday, as 82,300 people filled Croke Park to watch Mayo finally end a 75-year wait for an All-Ireland senior men's football title, Roche felt that connection deeply. Even as a Kerry woman, watching her county fall to a 1-20 to 1-17 defeat, she stayed. She stayed for the presentation, for the speeches, for the joy of the Mayo supporters. And she wants Kerry fans to do the same this weekend for the women's team.

The Spirit of the GAA: More Than Just a Result

Roche, a former Kerry ladies footballer, knows the pain of defeat and the thrill of victory. But she also knows the power of showing up. 'Do you know what, doesn't it show the absolute strength of sport at the same time,' she said, reflecting on the atmosphere at Croke Park. 'It was absolutely outrageous. Obviously I'm from Kerry, so I'd be a bit disappointed, but at the same time it was outrageous to just be at it. You're there with making history being at the game.'

Her husband, she recalled, kept saying the same thing: 'I know you're disappointed, but this is outrageous!' The sight of Kerry fans staying for nearly the entire presentation, the speech and everything, was something she had never seen before. 'Croke Park was still full for ages afterwards. You never see that.'

Why This Weekend Matters for Kerry's Women

This Saturday, the Kerry ladies football team faces Galway in the TG4 All-Ireland final at Croke Park. For Roche, it is a chance for the county to build on the momentum of their 2024 triumph, when they bridged a 31-year gap to claim the Brendan Martin Cup. She knows many of the players personally. Deirdre Kearney, Mary O'Connell, Aoife Barrett, Megan O'Connor and Jadyn Lucey all play for her former club, Na Gaeil. Eilis and Brid O'Connor, sisters of Kerry men's footballer Diarmuid, are also part of the squad.

'It would be absolutely massive,' Roche said of a potential victory. 'Because everyone thinks 'oh Kerry men'. They often associate and they assume that the women's team are as strong or doing as well as the men's team. That Kerry ladies team, when they finally won after losing the two finals along the way, it was massive.'

She added: 'I hadn't ever seen a Kerry ladies team win an All-Ireland ladies until that one in 2024. Now you're literally seeing girls that you would have played with for years on the biggest day. You just hope that people do get behind them and back them. It definitely helps in terms of what is on offer to people whenever you're doing well. It's no different to the men's games.'

From Rugby to Football: A Journey of Passion

Roche's own journey in sport is a testament to the richness of Irish athletic life. She played rugby for Tralee in the Women's All-Ireland League and lined out for the Munster senior women's team. But an injury nearly cost her a place in a club final with Na Gaeil in 2013, a game she went on to win. 'Rugby was always kind of actually my main sport,' she explained. 'That's why I would have played that AIL game over not being too worried about the football.'

After struggling with injuries in rugby, she returned to football and found herself playing for Westmeath in the All-Ireland intermediate final in 2020. That game, played behind closed doors due to the pandemic, was a bittersweet experience. 'You're from Kerry, you dream of those Croke Park days from when you're only a child. The fact it was just empty, it was a very different experience. It's great to have experienced that, but it was probably very different to the Croke Park I would have imagined.'

A Call to the Kingdom

Now, as she prepares for motherhood, Roche is urging Kerry supporters to fill Croke Park and roar for the women in green and gold. 'You just hope that people do get behind them and back them,' she said. 'It definitely helps in terms of what is on offer to people whenever you're doing well. It's no different to the men's games.'

In a world where sport can sometimes feel divided, Roche's message is one of unity and hope. It is a reminder that the GAA is not just about the men's game. It is about every player, every supporter, every community. And this weekend, the Kingdom has a chance to show what that really means.

Photo: RTE.ie