Mixed Bag
A mixed bag of stories, sports and laughter
Mixed Bag
Mixed Bag with Melissa O'Kane
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Deniese chats to Athlone Town player Melissa O'Kane. GAA, Women's LOI, college, Center Parks were all talked about.
Mixed Bag is proudly sponsored by Refined Barbershop Main Street runners. You can find Refined Barbershop on Instagram, and a big thank you to owner DataBag. Hello and welcome to Mixed Bag, the podcast hosted by myself, Jason Clarity, and Frank Brown. Every episode we'll bring handed conversations with sports stars and personalities. A mixed bag of stories, sports, and laughter away. A girl of Gaelic footballer for soccer joined Atlone Town in 2021 before a move to new club Shamark Rovers in 2023. Now back with Atlone Town, it's Melissa O'Kane. And Melissa, I think I've started a bit of a trend. The other day I had Liam Tierney on, obviously his brother is a referee. Now I have you on, and your uncle Hugh O'Kane is a referee. How are things with you? Your season has started anyway, and doing well so far.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we're not doing too bad. We're second in the league at the minute, so hopefully we're looking to push on and get first, but we're happy enough at where we are at the minute.
SPEAKER_00I mentioned you swapping Gaelic football for soccer, and you know there was a good few years there with Longford and then your school, you won the All Ireland with the juveniles with Longford, you won an All Ireland with your secondary school, Bally Man Convent. Was it difficult to make that decision? I know you were playing for your local soccer side, but was it difficult to say, do you know what I'm just gonna give up Gaelic and I'm gonna concentrate on soccer?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think it was a very difficult decision for me to be honest, because Longford's probably not the biggest soccer county. There's a lot more Gaelic going on, especially where I'm from in Longford. So I think it was more of a Gaelic route at the start, and I think a few people couldn't understand why maybe I chose the soccer, but honestly I haven't looked back since I made the decision.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because when you look through it now, and especially with the women's league, there are girls that have done both. And even now there's still girls there that that have played both and are playing both.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and honestly, fair juice to them. I don't know how they're managing to balance the both of them because it's such a big commitment. But I think for me it was just especially when I moved to Shamlock Rover, it's it moved on to professional contract, which means you can't play both, and it just meant I was given like my full commitment to soccer.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I suppose that kind of if you needed your mind made up, that made it up for you.
SPEAKER_01Yes, pretty much.
SPEAKER_00For someone like you, and as you said, from Longford, not the b the biggest soccer county, to get that opportunity because you mentioned Shamrock Rovers to anyone, and it doesn't matter if you have just a limited knowledge of soccer, to mention Shamrock Rovers to anyone, they they will know about Shamrock Rovers. When you were asked and when you were approached to come and play with them when they set up um a few years ago, it must have been a huge occasion, it must have been a huge thing for you.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it definitely was, it was absolutely massive for me to be honest. I think it was Jason Carey at the time who contacted me and it was obviously the first year that rovers were putting in a women's team into the league, and I was only 19, I think, at the time coming from that loan, and I was just like, This is a huge opportunity that like any girl in Ireland would jump at, like, even from talking to people and they'd be like, Oh, I heard you play soccer, and they'd be like saying, Who do you play with? And you'd say, Oh, Shawn Covers. And even if they didn't have the slightest clue about it, they all of them knew who Shaman Govers were.
SPEAKER_00And obviously, your manager there was uh Collie O'Neill, a guy that done magnificent things with the UCD when he was there. Um, how did you find Collie?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I really liked working under Collie. He brought in a really professional environment into our group, which I thought was really nice to see in the women's league as it is growing now. So we made sure that everything in the club was on par with the men's team and we were treated exactly the same.
SPEAKER_00That's brilliant when you do see that because for so many years that's all that the women wanted. And you look at it even when you go to the LGFA, and now you see how it's been marketed and the Leinster ladies' final, the senior final is on before the men's on Sunday, and there's games in Crow Park, and they're becoming more and more like that. They're double headers with men's games. So that's but you'd like to get a level playing field in some ways, pardon the pun.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I definitely think so. And I think like you said, it's not we're not expecting everything like there's obviously going to be massive differences between them. But like even simple things such as like the same training grounds or the same availability of like facilities and like the gear the same with our initials or numbers or even names in our jerseys is a massive thing as well. So everything was just like a step up from what we had kind of.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but even when you think of it with schools games or underage games for Longford, you could be putting no respect to to the grounds and to the counties, but put in far-fetched places and um club grounds where I'm not getting the same publicity, and as I said to so many people, the best game I have seen in a long number of years was a junior all Ireland this year, down in El Finn. Myself and Desi Dolan had the pleasure of commentating on it, and the football on show there was absolutely it was like football the way football should be played. And it didn't matter that these were and I and I hate that, and a friend of mine doesn't call them female soccer players or women soccer players, he just calls them soccer players. And I think that's what we have to start doing is calling them footballers or soccer players.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I definitely think there's a stigma around it of like saying women soccer players or anything like that, but I think trying to beat that and trying to, like you said, put it on an equal playing field, it's going in the right direction now.
SPEAKER_00Sure, even for myself, when I started off, and even now, I know there's more and more women covering games, but it was always like you're a woman, you're covering soccer, you're covering Gaelic, and I'm kinda going, Well, yeah, I am a woman. And there's you know, it doesn't like my mum always said to me that you don't need a certain piece of equipment to write a match report, you just need a p a pen and and a laptop. But as you said, you know, I think we are slowly moving there. And even you're looking at the rugby, the crowds that are going to go to the Ireland game this weekend.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely. And we actually played Cliftonville up in Belfast last weekend, so we stayed up there the weekend previous, and even the crowd that was walking around Belfast in Ireland jerseys was like unreal to see of how much support they're getting as well.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because everyone talks about Ireland and a friend of mine texts me and they're on about oh, Ireland not making a World Cup and it's so many years, and they were like, But we did the women's world cup, and people forget about that.
SPEAKER_01I know, and they're quick to call people out on it online as well, which is great to see. And it wasn't just women reminding people, it was everyone.
SPEAKER_00For you, you're still a young girl. It must be great to have those players around you at loan, and then also looking up to the likes of uh Denise Sullivan and Katie McCabe, those players that are now household names.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think it is actually mental now. Obviously, obviously when I was younger there wouldn't have been as much coverage about women's soccer players and like you wouldn't have had idols that you can look up to now. So I think that the women's sport the way it's going is great for everyone like learning in the game and like you can idolise who there is and there's a pathway there that you can see clearly, like Katie McCabe going from shells and playing in this league to now playing for Arsenal and Ireland. Like you need to be able to see those pathways, be able to believe you're able to do it.
SPEAKER_00And also I remember your uncle telling me that um not just you, you're not the big football star. Sorry, Melissa, or soccer star in the family, that you have a cousin people might have heard of, Tyler Toland.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I'm not sure how close of a cousin relation it is, but it's definitely there.
SPEAKER_00They're cousins. I use the same um now, he's my first cousin's son, Ryan, he's playing with Pats now. They're your cousins, they're family. Go on.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and Highly's above out in England playing, and I'll see in the other setup as well.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so it it must be nice. Speaking of the Ireland setup, you had a chance at underage to play for Ireland for every young person, whatever about playing for your local club, and especially when you're playing soccer, that dream to put on that green jersey and then to actually live it out.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's just a real experience, to be honest with you. Even like getting the opportunity to be in those camps and environments. And even training is just such an experience in itself. Never mind getting to go on the jersey and play for your country. Like it's just an out-of-body experience kind of.
SPEAKER_00When you first started playing off, like you just imagine this little one running around our you know, with a football in her hand and your parents were very much a driving force behind you. Was it something that you wanted to do or did you think of it? I know that when I was young, I actually wanted to be a manager of Liverpool. That was my dream. I know, hilarious. I'd probably do better than slot at the moment. But um when you do think of that, did you want to play for somebody or was it, you know, something in the back of your mind or uh no, I don't think it ever really started out as like an ambition to play for anybody.
SPEAKER_01I just played because I enjoyed both the social aspect of it and I enjoyed playing the game. That was honestly what it was for. Like I think I just went to the trainings and asked my parents to play the sport because I wanted to get out and I enjoy being outside and playing sports.
SPEAKER_00Obviously, the soccer and the gaelic. I'm sure there are other sports you've tried your hand at.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think I've tried nearly everything to be honest. Going there was a time I was playing Camovian basketball and athletics as well, so there's a fair few sports going on at the one time.
SPEAKER_00So Keen McPhillips, you know, you could have been a rival to him, is that it? With the athletes.
SPEAKER_01I'm not gonna go that far, but Keen was in our athletics club years ago, so we'll say I knew him from there as well.
SPEAKER_00But isn't it great now for young children to look up to? Like I I look at uh people here in Granard and the youngsters in Granard looking up to the Darren Gallagher's and and people like Dan, and I'm sure there are people around Arda now, little girls with a football in their hands and not wanting to be the next Kelly Mickey, but wanting to be the next Melissa O'Kain. It must be lovely to have someone from your locality that you can look up to.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I definitely think it is. Like even when I was still at Rovers, I think it was the first year there, we came back and we played Atlone in Atlone, and I think it was under 12 or 13th at the time from the Lamford League. The girls' team came over and they were like supporting me, which I thought was absolutely unbelievable. And I have this sport there in the stand and like they all came up to me after and were talking to me and like saying how they were learning so much from me, and like honestly, that's just amazing for me. It's uh that like the girls know the pathways there and they can like achieve their dreams as well.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because you're still so young. Like I'm there going, like, what age did this girl start playing football? And what age do I remember you bursting on the scene when you were playing for Grattans and then Bally Man and then the county? Like, you seem to be around forever. Do you feel you've been around forever?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I definitely do feel like it's been a while now, even like since the Gaelic days, I think I was saying like for Gradens at the senior age years when I was quite young. So it does feel like it's been quite a while since then, even.
SPEAKER_00For someone to play uh any sport, you know, it's always good. But you got the chance as well to play with your sister.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's definitely a weird one. I I'd say it's better off now the way we are. We're probably each other in training.
SPEAKER_00Really? Would you be no? Both of you would you be competitive?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we'd both be quite competitive, especially since I was a when we were playing Gaylus together, I was a forward and she was a back. We all would end up beside each other in training or something. We'd be killing each other.
SPEAKER_00And now there was obviously as well, but ones that said out then would have been the low ones as well. Would they have been competitive as well?
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah, definitely. I think they avoided each other more because Quivo's kind of the midfielder.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, they were kind of far further up the field, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but definitely anything that any bit of running or anything like that, they'd definitely be competitive as well.
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh. Uh yeah, and that's what like your mum's a twin as well, so would that probably have stemmed from I suppose it's always that little bit of competition though, in a family, but I'm just kind of wondering um with your mum as well.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think she even would be as well a little bit, even like comparisons to the twin and anything like that, like there will be a competitiveness there as well.
SPEAKER_00I remember when you were in the All Ireland final with Bally Mahan, she messaged me looking for a few people to um make a voice note or a video to wish you the best of luck. People around the county, and it was lovely, and I was like, Oh my gosh, you know, I felt privileged for her to ask me to do that as well.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, she's very mum, very involved in everything that I've ever been doing as a sport, and I have a lot of the voice thanks for that. Driven me everywhere across the country as in, giving me all the support I've needed.
SPEAKER_00Well, that's it, you know, behind every successful person there is always a mum or a dad or a guardian that give up so much of their time to to bring them everywhere. But sure, look at even before you were around I remember your mum r remember your mum at matches, so she always had that interest.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely. And I think I've heard stories about her when she was grown up saying coming on the other.
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah. Are we are we are we allowed to mention them?
SPEAKER_01I'm not sure. She hasn't said much about it, so I'd say there's a few secret stories now.
SPEAKER_00Oh the oh it's like that. Because normally if there's stories and they don't really react to it, like if she was defensive, then you'd say, Oh, maybe it's not, but the fact that she's not saying much about it, then it could be true. So who then takes after your ma'am then, Rebecca or you?
SPEAKER_01Uh I say a little bit of both of us, to be honest. We're probably both get our stubbornness on the pitch from her.
SPEAKER_00Not from your uncle Hugh, no.
SPEAKER_01No, we won't give him that anyway.
SPEAKER_00Maybe in years to come now, would you take up uh a whistle?
SPEAKER_01I don't know. I don't know if I'd fancy that now. Yeah. I'm playing myself and how you can react to referee and not intentionally, but you still get reactions. I don't know if I'd fancy it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, how do you find you were playing Gaelic football for so long and you're playing s underage soccer, but how did you find from everything from the officials and all that, moving from Arde United to Atlone Town, you know, this was a a new club in the Women's League of Ireland?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I it's obviously such a big step up that you're not used to because you're going from playing on pitches that are around the country that are in good nick, but obviously not to the same quality as the League of Ireland clubs, and then you're having uh three officials, so you're two lines on an array in most underneath games, whereas you just have one. It's a lot different to get used to, especially like off sides might be the dodger in the other games, but you adjust quickly. They make sure you adjust quickly anyway.
SPEAKER_00Someone said to me weeks ago about never wanting VAR in the League of Ireland, and now after the whole controversy with Celtic, aren't we blessed that we don't have VAR in the League of Ireland?
SPEAKER_01I know, I don't think it would do much to go in the League of Ireland now. I think there'd be far too much controversy with it.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. There has been a few now crossing the divide. Not many with the ladies, but definitely with with men crossing that divide over the Shannon to Atlone. In terms of what, sir? From being Longford.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there hasn't been much really, obviously 'cause Lomford is just Lomford ladies, the Lomford Town senior setup is just new. Yeah. There's not much of the rivalry there yet. So I think it's fine at the minute. Obviously we have like girls like Michaela Hans playing for us as well, and yeah, it seems that a lot of the Lomford girls, once they like got to the League of Ireland stage, they kinda moved over to Atlone to Progress because the Lomford setup wasn't there quite yet. But I feel like as Lomford obviously have their development team now, it was gonna progress in the next few years.
SPEAKER_00Isn't it mad when you look at Michaela and you mentioned Michaela, I actually forgot about Michaela, she would have obviously played with with Grattans and then a little bit like yourself.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and obviously she makes me feel very old now because she was only I think she was about under twelve or less than I was in Grottin's playing, but it was the same with me and Martha in Rovers actually. So she was always training in the academy side of it and up like for a few first team trainings in rovers about so I seen both of them on the training field.
SPEAKER_00You're talking about you feeling old. Melissa, I was there when you won that All Ireland Junior. You're only a baby, and look and look at you now. Rovers, when you do look back at Shamark Rovers and as you said, having that full-time professionalism and that gave you the opportunity. But also when you think of players that you have there, the Anyo Garmans, the Stephanie Roaches, like no matter how many years you're playing football, having the chance to play with those type of players must have been brilliant.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah, it was absolutely unbelievable. Like even like ideal playing with them is absolutely crazy. Like at the time I remember, like obviously Steph and Onyo, like two household names in terms of who you would know in the women's game, like Steph for her goal that was nominated for post-grass and that's been like it's outrageous. But I think I think I've spoken it before that they were almost the most welcoming to the dressing room, and like they do absolutely anything for you, and like they're so like good at explaining things for you and helping you improve as a player, which is obviously needed in the dressing room as well, because we had such a young group as well. So they were really good at coaching like aspects into our game.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because you look at Stephanie and we were lucky that her now husband Dean Zambro was down with Longford Town and Dean was captain, and Stephanie was this big player, you know, to everyone. We knew who Stephanie Rhodes was when she was come down to Longford, and oh my gosh, like the most laid-back person. So I could only imagine when she was like that when she was out and about and being just the ordinary ste I could just imagine then what she was like as a player, obviously very professional, but also as you said, very welcoming. I could just get it from the way she used to mix with the Longford hand supporters.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, like she's completely down to earth and she would genuinely do anything for you. Like that massive respect for Stephanie. And like even as a manager last year, she was unbelievable coming into that role after as interim. She was just so easy to talk to and like she'd understand everything from any point of view as well.
SPEAKER_00Unfortunately for you, when you left Shermack Rovers, you missed out on the chance with Atlone playing in Europe and that, but I'm sure you're looking forward to getting another chance to go into Europe with Clone Town.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely. I think that was one of the main reasons for me coming back to Atlantown. Obviously they've selected off a massive gear on the women's side with obviously winning the double last year and they're like unbelievable running Europe as well. So the getting the chance to play in Europe was one of the massive reasons to come back to Atlone and it should be really exciting.
SPEAKER_00When you look at the crowds as well, I think for a lot of the games, sellouts and they're probably getting more than the men's team were getting at games.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely. I think last year obviously Atlone men weren't doing too well, so the women's side took in a lot of supporters and they were getting like really good crowds into their matches, but like you said, like the European games that they had at home, I think it was sold out and like that's unbelievable for them. And like you can see the photos in the support and everything it means when you have a decent crowd behind you, it gives them so much more like power in the game and it just lifts you while you're playing.
SPEAKER_00Obviously, times have changed since you were there last, a new manager. How were you finding things there from when you were there last to now?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's a lot different. Obviously, Atlone was only I think when I was there, it was the second and third season in the league. So obviously everything was very new and like the players was only building a squad. Whereas now, like there's a lot more girls in and there's some girls in from America as well to help benefit the team, which I think is great for the league and like promotion of the league and also like it's different aspects of the game into the league. Like the Americans have a completely different way of playing the game and they're integrating that into our game as well. So it's a lot different, but it's I'm enjoying it a lot.
SPEAKER_00It's amazing how much support they do bring when you have someone f especially from America, because I remember um Patrick Hickey when he came over, he played for Athlone, then went to go away and now is with Bose. And I remember there was a massive gang one time when I was in at um an El Clasico. The amount of Americans that were there watching him play, are you finding that you have new fans now?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely. And like some of the girls' parents or like family will be over every so often, or even just friends from college will be coming over and they'll bring a little group of them over to watch the games as well. And even with them, there's a lot of financial support that comes from it as well, from like American companies or like their universities, so that really helps the club as well.
SPEAKER_00The thing about it is as well, women's soccer is massive over in America. Like when you think of the opportunities that you do get for scholarships and that. So if you've got girls over their hair planning in Ireland, talk about okay, the weather's not great, but the people are brilliant, teammates are brilliant, it can only serve well for the league itself.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, completely. Like I think Maddie Gibson has been there, she must be there four or five years now. And like Dana Sherris came back, and there's been more lifestyle who have maybe gone for a year and came back because they realise they really enjoy playing in Ireland and the league is of a good quality and obviously the lifestyle is good as well.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I was gonna say, I'm waiting for you to say, oh the weather is beautiful, but you look at the Midlands. You don't need weather when you live in the Midlands, do you? When when you do think of it now and when you start off playing for RD United and you're talking about the little grounds that you want to play it in, now you do get the chance to go to the M and DC parks, the Daily Mount Park, that you go to the grounds of of the men's teams.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely, I think it is like unbelievable. Uh you've gone from like one extreme to the next and like even playing in Talla Stadium for so long, like Talla is an unbelievable ground. And that's where like the Irish women team teams plays as well, and play some of their games anyway. But like it is just unbelievable to think of that you're going from either in like a field in the middle of nowhere to playing in these big stadiums.
SPEAKER_00We mentioned obviously your love for Atlogan and I'm sure that if I said to you your favourite ground or that at the Atlanton Town Stadium, obviously would be up there. But when you do have ground, obviously you mentioned Talla. Would Talla be the best stadium that you have played in?
SPEAKER_01I'd say so. Like even Talla is in great next the whole year round. I actually do really enjoy playing on Atlone. I quite like that compared to most people in the league, they might give out about it. But I actually really enjoy playing on that one as well. Yeah, I think it's just a very like lovely pitch to play on in terms of it big and it's a good thing.
SPEAKER_00See, it's better than Yeah, and it is better than the reason why Derry are getting rid of the pitch up with the Ryan McBride because there's so many injuries and and it wasn't good and Oriol Park was the same. But whatever at Lawn done and the same with Bray Wanderers, those pitches seem to be a lot better.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they definitely are. Like like you said, there's no Not many injuries on it, like you're obviously gonna get the odd few, but like not causing injuries as such. And like it is kept in good nick, and it's been in a few years now as well, and it's still in good condition, so I actually really enjoy playing on it low.
SPEAKER_00Really? So you much prefer it than a mucky, shitty, grassy pitch, yeah. And you have played in and you have played in a lot of them between the soccer and the Gaelic, haven't you, really?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely. There's been a few.
SPEAKER_00You were talking about about sports. Is there one sport that you would like to have tried your hand at and happened and you were saying, Oh gosh, no one I'd love to do that?
SPEAKER_01Oh uh I'm not sure. I'd probably go with just like seeing out the gaelic football and where it would have taken me, or even camoge, I quite enjoy playing camogie as well. So, like either of them and seeing where it would have taken me.
SPEAKER_00Isn't it amazing though, when you think of it with with Longford, that we don't have that even hurling at the moment, and your uncle would be very much into pushing the hurling, and I've always had a great time for the the hurling people in the county. That comoge isn't there. Like when I was young, my aunt played Camogi in Knookware and Granard, and I thought I might get the chance to play it. I would have used the hurley as a weapon, but and yet it wasn't there. But now they have the two schools now have combined the tech and the secondary, and the hurling team and the the one um a competition this year that we don't get the chance in Longford, she said even for the soccer, but that you don't get the chance um camoe because I'm sure you would have loved to have put on the the blue and gold and represented Longford at Camoge.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely. Like even when I think it was on I was probably seven or eighth, there was a camoe team in Slashers and it ran for a good few years, but I don't I'm not sure if it's still going now or if it's not. But then Rebecca actually plays Camoge at the minute for Jim Rainy and Westmead because there's no camoe team in Longford.
SPEAKER_00Ella Reilly from Edwardstown is the same, yeah. Or Mostrom is the same, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I think it is sad to see, and like obviously maybe we don't have the facilities for that at the minute, but like I remember Camoge is some of the best memories I have. Like it is great forward and it's great after that.
SPEAKER_00So it's not funny now, you know, you would be proud Longford people and Jess you play for at Lone Town and your sister now playing Camoge for a West Me team, mad.
SPEAKER_01I know, we might as well maybe cross the board again.
SPEAKER_00Was it a tough decision though for you to make, you know, you enjoyed or was it a case that Gaelic football was something that you enjoyed doing more of a hobby and you realised you might have a better chance for progressing with the soccer? Was it a tough choice to decide to give up the G8 to Gaelic football?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I definitely think it was a tough decision at the time because I think Gaelic football it means more to you in terms of like with your parish and like you know everyone playing and like they're all supporting you always. But I think it came down to the thing of like what can I make the most of and potentially get a career out of. And then I was always told when I was younger they'll look after you better and soccer as well, unfortunately, that like if you get injured or something, there's a better process to go through medically as well. So I think that was always in the back of my head that I could make somewhat of a career out of it. So that's why I chose football.
SPEAKER_00Will we get a chance though in years to come now that uh the Ida ladies are there and doing well and have uh a championship, you know, would you uh the green and uh gold?
SPEAKER_01I can't say I haven't thought about it to be honest, and that I'm not jealous that I'm not out playing with them because they are doing so well and like it's fantastic to see, especially since I ladies like they didn't have a club and actually and it's it's not that new anymore, but it's still relatively new in terms of all the teams in the county. But I'm not gonna rule it out anyway.
SPEAKER_00Mm, you call them an exclusive, but hasn't it grown? You know, we talk about the soccer, but even the ladies' football, like myself, um Granard, we have uh a a junior team now, a s a senior team in Granard and clubs now, there's so many clubs and uh the Gaelic for Mothers and others as well has proven to be so popular.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it is great to see. Like there's so many initiatives now to get like women playing sport and even like more teams in the county as well. Like as you said, when like I was younger and growing up, there wasn't the the women's team in Irda. So like that's why I was playing with Groddons or like the girls' team hadn't been set up yet, so there was no senior team. So it's great to see that there's more clubs being set up around and that there is great interest in it as well.
SPEAKER_00I know you've years ahead of you and you're gonna have a great soccer career. Please God. Would you like to maybe go into management? Do you look at your former teammates and we had her on the podcast before Laurie Ryan, she's now with uh Treaty United, I suppose, as well. I know Laurie had taken a a year out of soccer, but to have her around would have been very good. But she's now down with Treaty United.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think Laurie's done absolutely great for herself having the managerial role in Treaty now. And we're playing them at the weekend, so I hope she's not doing too well as well. But uh I'd like to go into a coaching role, I think, maybe not the managerial role, but I definitely like to stay involved and stay coaching and help them whatever way I could.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I'd prefer the manager role because I like kind of managing things, the coaching part of that. I wouldn't. I've done my foundation course and because I enjoyed it, I prefer kind of doing d the management things, but I'm sure you kind of prefer to get in there and get involved, is that it?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think I'd prefer to kind of help them like the basics onwards and help them that kind of way. And I'm doing teaching as well in college, so maybe it comes from that.
SPEAKER_00How are you finding the balance between I suppose was it harder if you had to stay on playing Gaelic football and having to come back down for training? Is it easier when you're playing the soccer or is it just as hard?
SPEAKER_01It's not too bad. I've kind of gotten used to it at this race, but it was a little bit hard at start. So I'd be in college for uh college in Dublin and we're travelling down for training. Sri Natalie, Chatlone. So it's not too bad because there's four of us in the car, so we kind of shared it. So it was very manageable, but I was kinda used to it, thank God, from obviously playing for rovers and being at home for the summer, so I'm used to the travelling aspect of it.
SPEAKER_00How are you finding college, the joys of it?
SPEAKER_01I'm actually really enjoying it, yeah. Um not everyone might agree, but I'm three years in and I'm still here, so I can't complain.
SPEAKER_00Well that's it. You must be doing something right and they must be doing something right. What do you want to do when you get your degree?
SPEAKER_01I haven't planned it out entirely to be honest with you. So I'm doing primary teaching, so ideally I'd like to get a job up in Dublin and maybe move up there or somewhere in between that I could say playing with at loan as well.
SPEAKER_00Right. Uh as soon as you get it, uh if Robert Trier or anyone's around, we'll be giving them a ring, you know, to make sure you get a job around Mullingar at Lona area. But um yeah, because primary school secondary is kind of a a little bit more relaxed in some way, whereas primary you have so much to condense in there, but is that what you wanted to do?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so when I was like in secondary school myself, I wasn't entirely sure what I want to do. I kind of went through the whole everyone, every athlete's idea of doing sport science or physiotherapy, but I kind of decided it wasn't for me and I'd rather like become a teacher. And I chose primary because I thought it was more hands-on and I enjoyed working with like the younger age group.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and and it's also tougher as well because you have to have a very good knowledge of of Irish as well.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well, I love the way you go, and nothing, but I have a good, very baseline of Irish to be fair, and that's only from when I was in primary school, so I can thank my teachers for that.
SPEAKER_00Isn't it funny? We had a an a nun for fifth and sixth class in Granad and she was a a tough teacher, but I always said that the Irish I learned in those two years with her brought me through secondary school. But I think we have to kind of yeah, we have to though find a better way. Now I have a little nephew uh in Manhattan, he's at the Gale School, but um it's lovely and to hear him speaking and we say things to him in our and it's bringing back my Irish, but we have to kind of make it more enjoyable to teach it because it is our native language.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I definitely agree. I think there's such a negative like aspect of Irish, and like everyone kind of associates it with you have to learn it and you don't have an option. Yeah. I think that's such a unfortunate thing because it is such a beautiful language to learn, and like I think we need to rebuild it in terms of like making it fun and like them wanting to learn it.
SPEAKER_00Speaking of Irish, you think of how the ladies' game, the women's game in this country has been exposed and the exposure they get from a certain TV station, and that's TG Carr.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and they've been absolutely unreal in terms of like promoting games. There's always nearly one a month or so on the TV and at Afghia Girls City. Like it's once again just building the community and like showing that pathway there is for girls in the country.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I was just saying uh um we were very lucky that we had the head of sport on on our very last podcast last season, and I think he still gets this full when he hears what people say about it. And like when we went through lockdown, I loved the fact that they were showing the old games and uh Laker Gale for me was probably one of the b the best shows around. I love it because you get to see the story behind the footballer, the player, the the personality, whoever it is.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely. And like they've been a massive benefit for the league and even for like Gaelic football as well. There's always like new games on that as well. So I think it's like they're massive for the women's board in Ireland. They're definitely helping it lows as well.
SPEAKER_00So what age group then would you like to teach? Is there a particular age?
SPEAKER_01Uh I haven't really decided to be honest with you. I've had the range with the age group both on placement and stubbing. So I think I'm somewhere in the middle ground where they're not too young but not old enough.
SPEAKER_00Then see you might do talking about So you might do teaching and then like do what a lot of them said, you know what, I'm gonna have a great time during summer and I'm gonna go travel on or is it you just you're glad that you would have the soccer during the summer so you won't get that buzz that you want to go off travelling, is that it?
SPEAKER_01I mean in ideal world we'd have both, but unfortunately Yeah, why like summer soccer?
SPEAKER_00Forget about it. You know, give us Gabsbury during the summer and soccer was the winter, you know, there was nothing better than freezing your arse off watching Longford Town play, but you're lucky and you could have had your summers to yourself.
SPEAKER_01I know, I can't say I love having the football in the summer now, but it is so it is, and we kind of just get on with it. But it would be far more ideal if we had our summers off as well.
SPEAKER_00If you had a chance and someone said to you, look at you have a chance to go and play somewhere abroad, where would you like to play? I suppose England would be the but then when you look at it around the continent now, and obviously over in Australia it's so popular, America. Is there somewhere that you would say, Do you know what I'd love to try my hand there?
SPEAKER_01Uh I think England would be the obvious answer, just uh obviously the quality that there is in England, but if it has to be somewhere a bit more bizarre, I'd probably go Australia just for like the climate and the lifestyle over there.
SPEAKER_00And half of Ireland is over there anyway, so.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, pretty much.
SPEAKER_00It's mad to see, but you know, you do mention England and there are so many girls, and so many girls that came through the league. I'm just thinking of someone that I messaged the other night, uh Sersha Noonan. Very lucky that we had Sersha on pod as well, and she is doing something that I would love to do is put on those uh green well, you've done it, but you've done the green and white hoops of Shamar Grobers, but she is a green and white hoop of um Celtic and she's one player that you know worked hard. Gaelic football like yourself, so you could be the next Sersha Noonan.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely. I remember her when she's playing with Shells. I think she's nearly a dual player playing with Court as well. Yeah, and she was playing Shells nearly up until she left, I'd say I'm playing with Court, and she's doing unbelievable over in Celtic and like it's in the Ireland setup, so it's definitely something I'd aim toward, but I'd like to get my college out of the way and just have that story at first.
SPEAKER_00That is something that is very important though. I remember John O'Shea saying it about even finishing his leaving cert. Dara Sheridan, who used to play for Longburg Town, set up a course for players that didn't do their leaving cert, came back to Ireland, didn't have anything because obviously they went England at a young age. It's so important and it's great that you had the chance that you can play both to get that education, no disrespect to people that didn't do it, but to have something that, God forbid, you need to fall back on or have.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I think there's a big difference between the men's and the women's game in terms of like the boys will probably get away with you and their leading title and then they can go abroad and they can make somewhat of a lifestyle out of it, whether they're not in the big leagues in England, but if they're still affording a lifestyle over there, whereas the four team we don't have that luxury with the women's at the minute. If you're not in the highest leagues, you're probably not being able to afford it. So I think it was definitely something I aim towards to get my education because I've seen the importance of it and just in case anything happened that I had to like stop playing, I'd have my education anyway.
SPEAKER_00And I know that your ma'am would be one person she wouldn't put pressure on you, but she would tell you, you know, just do it, and she'd be the one that would be hundred percent behind you to do something like that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely. Like as you said, there's never any pressure on going to college or anything like that, or getting my education, but she was just like reminding me of like the possibilities of what's it.
SPEAKER_00Typical mammies, yeah. Typical, like I would have been here, daddy couldn't have given a damn, probably because he didn't give a damn going to school. But Mam would never, and even for our even start, like, you know, Mam would never, but there was always that thing tow something, and it it's always great. We talked about, you know, if you could play abroad. Is there one team, do you support the team, is there one team that you would love to play for?
SPEAKER_01Uh I support Liverpool, so I'd ideally love to play for Liverpool.
SPEAKER_00Do you know what? I always do I always knew your sound. Always did Melissa from the first time I seen you playing, you know, Grattan's that knew each other ah and look at that, look, that's it. And look at Sertia Noonan was a Liverpool fan. I think we had when we started the podcast, we had so many United fans for a while, and I was like, ah here, and then Cersei come on. And then I remember having Hannah Looney and I said, Isn't a cork thing? Because Hannah like Liverpool. And unfortunately, Frank, because it's it's a busy weekend, like this podcast won't be out till next week, I'll be on holidays. But um Frank has the Leinster ladies' intermediate final tomorrow and uh Longford are playing beforehand, so I'm lucky that I the opportunity to cover both tomorrow. You obviously have um a game this weekend. How do you find it week on week?
SPEAKER_01Uh I think it is challenging compared to obvious Gaelic football that you might have like a little bit more of a break in between or something like that, but I think you just kind of reset every once you play your game on a Saturday, do your video analysis on a Monday, and then after that it's reset and we're on to the next opponent. So it is difficult to like kind of adjust to that, but you get used to it fairly quickly.
SPEAKER_00Would you have done much work on Tracy or is it a case of focus on mainly? Because I know a l you know, managers and that in both codes we know ourselves that they would some of them would really kind of analyse the opposition, whereas others would, yeah, know a little bit about them but m focus more on your own game. What way would it loan or am I giving or am I asking you to give away secrets?
SPEAKER_01No, I think we actually have a good balance of both in terms of like know what you're getting yourself into with opposition of like how they might play out or like their set pieces and not overbearing information but like the little things and then also just how we might set up or like how we want to play against them, but it's a balance of knowing what you need to know, but also like we want to go win this game, so we need to focus on ourselves as well.
SPEAKER_00Does Melissa O'Kane have a pre-match ritual?
SPEAKER_01I actually don't think I have any. The only thing I'd be kinda wary of is what I eat on the day, so I'd always have pancakes before a match. That's the only thing.
SPEAKER_00So if I have a few pancakes now, it's because I'm preparing for a yeah, sure, I'm going to a match. So yeah, it's kind of it's much the sa it's much the same. So is that now with sweet pancakes or savory?
SPEAKER_01I'd go pancakes with some fruit and maple surfusie.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, I like when I see someone with rashes and that on it, I'm like, nah. Can't do that. You'd ruin a good pancake you'd ruin a good pancake that way. So you can't. So there's nothing like you don't put on your I have an awful habit of like I had to put on my my left sock and my left shoe first, and you don't have many little superstitions then like that, no.
SPEAKER_01No, I've actually never had any of them, I don't think. They're normal.
SPEAKER_00How how is it then after a game, because you're playing at such a higher level, how do you then you know what's post match like?
SPEAKER_01Uh I think it differs on the games, obviously, like we play six o'clock and we've home games, so it's quite interesting. And getting a good like recovery meal interview and getting lots of fluids back on board and then it's mostly recovery on Sunday. I was trying to get like a bit of after recovery going for a walk maybe. And I think the big thing now is like saunas and ice baths and all that.
SPEAKER_00How do you find the ice bath?
SPEAKER_01I'm not the biggest fan of so now, I won't lie.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but everybody's the sauna now. I could take the sauna, Melissa, but the ice bath, no. Do you get home then much? Because between the soccer and then the college.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I'd mostly only be home for I work in Centre Park on the weekend, so I'd come home Saturdays for matches and then work Sunday and nearly go back up to college Sunday night and that'd be me.
SPEAKER_00Oh, how did you find Centre Parks?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I really enjoyed it. I've been there three and a half years now and they're very good to me with the football and whatever time off I need, I nearly get. So I've enjoyed it.
SPEAKER_00Isn't it amazing? And I remember there was this meme going around years ago about what people are gonna pay to go and holiday in Bali Mahan. When we heard about this centre parks was coming to Ireland and then it was coming to Longford, we never imagined and look at it now.
SPEAKER_01Oh no, it's like crazy to think that you're in the middle of a forest and then the county Longford like it.
SPEAKER_00Melissa like a completely different world in there, like But Melissa, it's crazy to think people want to go and holidays in Longford. Like I'm I'm joking at it in some ways. Uh, we're in a choir uh I'm on town on Vice, and we had to take pictures of our local area, and we'd done it to view around Granage, and we're like, gosh, I didn't realise this was in Gran like and I'm from Granage. And we're talking about Longford and someone was saying they were coming from Colum Kill over to Granage and the views and and I said, Yeah, we don't sell our county. I know we kind of laugh about Centre Park's being being in a forest in Bally Mahan, but we really don't sell our county, like it's a lovely, like you're very lucky with our with the village and everything there. But we don't. We kind of like going, yeah, we're from Longford. But we should be saying, you know, we actually from a great little county.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think we're very much accustomed to oh it is what it is. Like I don't think we sell it at all, like you said, and we're kind of just used to seeing it, and that that we don't take much notice of it at all.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so um do at Lawn Town ladies then come up to centre parks with their brakes. See now when we used to mention the sun and that, she's it's a fabulous spa there.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah, the spa is actually lovely in there. I haven't got any of the girls in yet now. I must think of an Al Team Bond and bring them in or something.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I was gonna say that because um in Bondon um and people would be looking. I remember years ago teams would come over from different countries to say the University of Limerick and people have got, like, that's Limerick or Carlton House, you know, Real Madrid United. Yeah. Yeah. And you're thinking, What? Like people are coming over here. You know, we we kind of it's I think it's I think it's an Irish thing, and then obviously because we're from Longford, we we're so used to people kind of putting us down that we kind of get used to Asher, as you said, you y you know, Asher, look at it and all this. Longford, what advice if someone said to you way way back and ask, say, the likes of Stephanie Roach or someone like that, um, advice, what advice would you give to a young person, forget boy or girl, that wanted to, you know, play sport or or or even follow your path?
SPEAKER_01I think it's just like keep believing in yourself. That's the main thing in working hard, like especially in like sport, like everything's just a game of opinion, so you need to keep believing in yourself and working hard until you see what you can do and like you reach the level you want to be at.
SPEAKER_00You're you're so right there, and it's lovely to see I think anyone I would never pressurise a child to play a sport, but I just think playing any type of sport it's brilliant.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely, and I think it's like even the social aspect of any sport is unbelievable. Like it helps you so much, and like I don't think you realise until you're probably without it that how much you get out of it socially.
SPEAKER_00Obviously, my it's brutal, and that's why I kind of went into the journalism side of things because playing I wasn't great. But the amount of friends, and I said it to someone the other day, the amount of friends, obviously you know people around Longford, but especially with the League of Ireland, the amount of really good friends I've met through the league and that it it's amazing. Um people kind of knock our different sports and that, but um, you know, to follow a sport, or even you know, kind of I will be very much a big fan of the League of Ireland, you know, get on board. It's hard to believe that I know Melissa, like I wanted Ross Common to win last week and kind of supporting what's been Sunday, and I actually check the athlone town women's scores.
SPEAKER_01Like, even like you said, like getting out and be able to support a team, like even that is like a massive benefit in itself. Like you wouldn't realise the amount of people you meet and connections you make. Like it's just um unbelievable like the amount of like joy sports can bring to people.
SPEAKER_00It is, isn't it? I know we can't say too much uh with Worgum actually, long for not being great, but yourself now, even as a player go around to you see the various faces at the different clubs now. And it's the same kind of people as well.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely. Like you get to know like who likes some of the stewards or who like works in the clubs and like you'd be friendly with them, especially like in your own club, like you'd nearly be like friendly to all the stewards and like have a good like basis with them that you'd be able to have a conversation and like a lot of admiration between each other for like what everyone does for the club.
SPEAKER_00I know we won't mention the results, but football-wise, the All Ireland League, how do you find it?
SPEAKER_01Uh I think it's a good like league in terms of like bringing both the Northern Ireland teams and I've together to see like the comparisons in the league, but also getting the chance to play against different teams and different styles and also very different players as well. So I really enjoy saying it. I know it does cause a lot of possible fixtures sometimes and like games have to be reficed, but I think it is a very enjoyable league.
SPEAKER_00Remember years ago there was the Satanta Cup and like Longford Town when we were in it, I never would have had a chance to go to the Oval. I never would have had a chance to go to Windsor Park, only for them. I have friends now who don't know if anyone know, no Glen Torr supporters, but I have friends who are Linfield fans and I know a few from Porta Down who happened to be there. So it is amazing who you know the grounds and the people and and teams that you you do get to play against.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely, and like some of the teams up there could play a completely different style of football, so it's nice to have the different challenges of how like you might adjust to that and like especially for us, like we I know the results didn't go. Away, but we went up there thinking of like this is a team we don't know much about and we don't know their players, we're not used to playing them, so we can use it as a basis for when we're playing European football and we'll have to adjust to that. So I think it's really good for that as well.
SPEAKER_00There you go, and I'm sure that they were probably looking at a glow town as well and seeing because managers learn every day, footballers learn every day, so you might get tips from a certain team or you know of how to do something.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely. And even like obviously, like we said, we didn't win the game, but we've seen how other teams can like break us down and how we might be vulnerable vulnerable and how like teams in the league mightn't do that, but like they've exposed us, so how can we work on that?
SPEAKER_00Are you finding it this year now because of who at loan are because when you were started to play with Atlone, it was just kind of a new thing, whereas now back-to-back league champions go for three in a row, double champions as well. Are you finding that it's a lot different now how teams approach playing at Lone Town?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely. I think everyone's nearly going to be two is what I'd say, or everyone wants to beat you. But I did actually find the same in Shamark Rovers. I think it was more of a stigma of who Rovers are, yeah. That everyone wants to be two. But definitely this year with that loan, you can see teams are going out and they're trying to explore their weaknesses and they're doing a lot of research on it and they want to beat us more than anyone else in the league.
SPEAKER_00Did you think though, when you first signed way, way back the first time around, that thing will progress so quickly with that loan?
SPEAKER_01No one, I don't think anyone could have predicted it to be honest because I think well it's their sixth year in the league, basically and maybe seventh. But like for a club to go that quickly from only styling the league to double champions doing really well in European cup run, like it's absolutely crazy to think of, and I don't think anyone could have predicted it to be honest with you, especially since it's not like your Dublin based clubs with loads of money either.
SPEAKER_00Yes, you and you are a Midlands club, which technically it was always harder down to the years for you know, Longford Town men's teams and l at Lone Town to to get players. So obviously you're in the middle of Ireland and it's harder. So yeah, like for the player as well that you have been able to bring in, it's been remarkable.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely. Like I think obviously Dublin clubs don't have it easier, but they have like a much bigger scope of players they can pick from. And obviously, like at Lone are progressing that much that now they're like starting to like maybe steal a few players from Dublin. But like it is incredible to think that like a Midlands club is doing that well.
SPEAKER_00And you mentioned earlier on about Lomford Town setting up. Who would have thought that Lumford Town would have a women's team?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I wouldn't have thought it at all to be honest. Like I'm thinking, coming in. Like there was no side of it when I was playing like in true academy phases or anything like that. It was always the boys' side of it. But it's unbelievable too that Lumford Town can have a women's team and the development league will do very well in terms of getting girls to stay in the league and also project progressing them.
SPEAKER_00So, whatever about seeing Melissa O'Kane in that green and gold jersey of Ard Ladies, maybe in years to come, depending how well they do, we might see her in a red and black jersey. Yeah, I'm not sure. I'm trying to get this at you know if I kinda knew things, the crystal ball out and everything like that. But I'm just kind of you know, just thinking it wouldn't be lovely to have. It's great, Melissa, and I'm not just saying it to you, but you're a fantastic example of what hard work and you only were with Ardy United. You weren't with one of the top, no disrespect to Ardy United, one of the top academies, and you went from there to Atlone Town. You were one of the players that Shanmack Rovers wanted when they started in the league. Now you're back with Atlone Town, you play for Ireland. You're a wonderful example for any youngster, particularly a youngster in Longford.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I definitely think so, and even like Longford gets quite overlooked when it comes to like sporting achievement and everything. Like even like when I was on some of the Ireland squads or playing for Rovers, everyone would kind of be like, Where even in Longford? Yeah. Yeah. So I think it is like a great achievement for me that like we often do get overlooked, so at least like girls can see that there is the pathway there, and it doesn't have to be you go to a big Dublin Academy and that's you make your way from there, and that's the only way there is that there is other possibilities and they're able to see that.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. Look at I'm gonna let you go. I wish you the very, very best for the rest of the season. Please, God, I'll try and get down to a game, you know, and I hope to God at Lone Town, I can't believe I'm saying this. Um the Lone Town Women's, you know, it's a different thing. You have a fantastic run again in Europe, you know, those European adventures, they don't come around too often, and they don't come around too often for a young girl from Longford.
SPEAKER_01No, they definitely don't, and it's it's something I definitely will be looking forward to, and I can't wait for it.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. And if you ever think of picking up the whistle, don't turn back your Uncle Hugh. Sorry. He's not that bad now. He's one of the few f people that when Celtic are playing now, either we sending him texts or he's texting me, so um that bad. Right, when did Ronald have him last? You have to try to think. Rocky Tierney is gone, so I can say anything about Rocky now, but I still have to be nice to your uncle, though. Look, as I've never heard uh anything too bad said about you, so he's he's okay. Listen, go off. Best of luck for the rest of the season, best of luck with the college as well, Melissa. And thank you so much for coming on. You take care of yourself. Okay, thank you. Bye.