Louise Quinn took a deep breath before casually summing up a monumental night for Irish football.
“Everything happens for a reason,” said the towering centre half. “Amber Barrett scoring, Courtney Brosnan saving a penalty, everything happens for a reason.
“You know, past games when we failed has only made us stronger. We knew Scotland were not going to score in those last few minutes.”
Quinn was flanked by Niamh Fahey and Diane Caldwell, a trio of experience that Irish football has never known before.
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“It is just a pleasure playing beside them. And Courtney behind us was so commanding. Any ball that went over us we knew she was there. Just knowing everyone has your back, that’s a team, believe me.”
History does not repeat itself, but it does often chime. On this night, back at Hampden Park, where Stephen Kenny’s men lost last month, Brosnan and Áine O’Gorman exorcised the demons of Kyiv. The error that denied Ireland safe passage to this summer’s Euros in England is forgotten now, mainly because Brosnan denied the outstanding Caroline Weir from the penalty spot.
“Courtney lights up the team,” said Quinn. “I knew she was going to save that penalty. I just knew it. She has been saving them all week in training.
“And Áine, she is one of the strongest people, nothing fazes her. We are all better [for that defeat to Ukraine in 2019] because we stuck together.”
And what of Barrett, a Donegal native in the greatest moment of her sporting life, instantly remembering the tragedy that happened in Creeslough, her grandfather’s village, last week.
“Amber had a tough week, it was really, really sad for her. You put that into something else. She put it into putting the ball in the net. It was beautiful.
“The tragedy is unbelievable but for her that was so special and hopefully that can go back to Donegal and give them a bit of light.”
Katie McCabe walks over, says hello and leans on the Hampden advertising hoarding.
“We are heading to a World Cup. It doesn’t feel real and I am absolutely speechless.”
McCabe, a world class player, was not speechless at all.
“I am numb. There was a weight, a subconscious weight, as we have never reached a major tournament before, so to say we have done it I don’t think it will sink in until, maybe, I am on the plane to Australia.
And what about the Denise O’Sullivan’s pass for Barrett’s winner?
“We worked on that. People might not like our style of play, defending deep, but we are passionate about it. We know if we nullify the spaces in behind we can catch teams on the counterattack. We have shown that against some of the best teams in the world.
“It has got us to a World Cup.”
She bursts out laughing before saving a word for Ryanair’s highway robbery on flights to Glasgow.
“It’s for all the girls before us, Emma Byrne and Olivia O’Toole are here, and all the young girls looking up to us. My sister is here tonight, this is for her and I hope this inspires a generation of Irish girls to dream.
“Me Ma and Da are up there,” McCabe nods. “They paid about a grand on flights with Ryanair doing them. But they got here.
“Can’t wait to get the party started!”
The 2023 Women’s World Cup draw will take place on Saturday, October 22nd at the Aotea Centre in Auckland, New Zealand, starting at 7.30am Irish time.
