AT SOME STAGE next week, one housemate will return to their Liverpool accommodation elated, having helped their country make history.
The other will be heartbroken; the cold, hard reality of missing out on Euro 2025 qualification setting in. They’ll then go from international opponents to clubmates once again as Manchester United await.
Life, and football, go on.
“It has been chilled, we just ignore it and do our talking on the pitch,” Leanne Kiernan begins on the dynamic at Liverpool, with Reds captain Niamh Fahey also in the Irish corner and Ceri Holland and Gemma Evans the Welsh duo.
Then, she reveals she lives with Holland. They were paired together when Kiernan moved to Merseyside four years ago. “I didn’t know who she was. It has worked out well,” the Irish striker smiles.
It’s just the two of them; Kiernan the self-professed cleaner and Holland credited as the chef. Football talk is kept to a minimum, with both happy to switch off after coming home from the day job.
This Ireland/Wales showdown, to decide who qualifies for their first European Championship finals, has surely been an elephant in the room.
“Listen, it is going to be tough, we know that. There has probably been a bit of tension there throughout. Obviously, it is difficult playing against your teammates in one of the biggest games of my life.
“A bit of rivalry is healthy. We are looking forward to it.”
And next week? Elation and heartbreak. A house split by contrasting emotions.
“That’s life though, isn’t it?” Kiernan responds.
“That’s football. The best team wins on the day.
“It will be tough going back for one of us. One of the [Liverpool] girls goes, ‘Don’t worry I’ve a spare bedroom!’”
It was from their sitting room that Kiernan watched Ireland qualify for the World Cup two years ago. She was in a cast, recovering from a significant ankle injury, joined by her mother, Ita, and some of her clubmates as Amber Barrett’s goal decided the play-off at Hampden Park. Bittersweet.
That same night was just bitter for housemate Holland. Wales agonisingly missed out on reaching their first major tournament after a 120th-minute Switzerland winner.
“She knows how it feels and it’s probably not a nice feeling. They have it in the back of their minds that they were very close. They’ll use that as fuel,” Kiernan warns.
Might she? Having been marked absent for Hampden, and later, the World Cup.
The Cavan 25-year-old doesn’t hesitate with her answer, all of her life experiences and perspective coming to the fore in one moment.
“I try to live in the present and not think about the past, or the future. How can you enjoy the day if you are thinking about what is going to happen in the future or what happened last week? I feel, for me, it is important to focus on the here and now.
“But obviously, that is in the back of your mind. You worked very hard. It was a tough year altogether. Coming back now, it has taken me six to eight months to properly get back in the swing of things.
“I am just really enjoying football now. I think that is the priority.”
She continues:
“I remember moving abroad, I told my parents, ‘Listen, I love football and this is why I am doing the job but if there is ever a point that I don’t like it anymore, I think I’d hang up my boots and come home.’
“So, right now, that is a real priority for me. I am really enjoying football. And we are playing one of the biggest games of my life next week. I’m in a good place, it’s an exciting time. Life’s good.”
Kiernan has been through the wringer but has never reached that aforementioned point.
Through all the lows and injury struggles, she hasn’t considered calling it a day.
“I think life is all about enjoyment,” she adds. “You’re not going to do a job you don’t enjoy if you’ve the option of going somewhere else. Football right now is giving me a lot of joy. It’s also giving my family a lot of joy.”
Living in the moment — case in point. The philosophical thoughts keep coming.
“Like everything in life, if you’re not enjoying what’s happening right now there’s no point looking to the future because you’re just missing the now.
“Some days in rehab, I found it really tough. But I got through that day and the next day was better.
“You have dreams and goals that you want to get to. A goal of mine right now is to get to Switzerland. Yeah, just enjoy it. We’re only here for a short time so you’ve to make the most of it.”
She jokes that growing up on a farm makes the positive outlook come naturally, but credits the mentors and people around her.
While Kiernan does her utmost to stay present, she was afforded some time to reflect recently. She was profiled in an FAI video and brought to see her picture muralled on Anfield.
“Little did I know a girl from Cavan would be up on Anfield,” she quipped at the stadium.
“That was one of those moments when I went: ‘Wow, that’s a bit weird.’
“It’s actually wild, isn’t it? Everybody has this dream of being a professional footballer but I was in farming college when the call came to go abroad.
“Deep down, it was never really in my mind. I always just did what I enjoyed. I probably didn’t think I’d get this far. I know I’ve a long way to go and dreams to fulfil.”
Starting with Euro 2025 qualification, which can be achieved across tomorrow’s first leg at Cardiff City Stadium and next Tuesday’s decisive return tie at the Aviva.
“If that doesn’t motivate you, I don’t know what will,” Kiernan, who has been in fine form for Liverpool after scoring her first goal of the season on Sunday, concludes.
“This is massive. We know what we’ve got to do.”
Wales v Ireland, Euro 2025 play-off final, first leg — Friday, 7.15pm, Cardiff City Stadium, RTÉ 2
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Leanne Kiernan living in the moment and vying with Liverpool housemate for Euros ticket
AT SOME STAGE next week, one housemate will return to their Liverpool accommodation elated, having helped their country make history.
The other will be heartbroken; the cold, hard reality of missing out on Euro 2025 qualification setting in. They’ll then go from international opponents to clubmates once again as Manchester United await.
Life, and football, go on.
“It has been chilled, we just ignore it and do our talking on the pitch,” Leanne Kiernan begins on the dynamic at Liverpool, with Reds captain Niamh Fahey also in the Irish corner and Ceri Holland and Gemma Evans the Welsh duo.
Then, she reveals she lives with Holland. They were paired together when Kiernan moved to Merseyside four years ago. “I didn’t know who she was. It has worked out well,” the Irish striker smiles.
It’s just the two of them; Kiernan the self-professed cleaner and Holland credited as the chef. Football talk is kept to a minimum, with both happy to switch off after coming home from the day job.
This Ireland/Wales showdown, to decide who qualifies for their first European Championship finals, has surely been an elephant in the room.
“Listen, it is going to be tough, we know that. There has probably been a bit of tension there throughout. Obviously, it is difficult playing against your teammates in one of the biggest games of my life.
“A bit of rivalry is healthy. We are looking forward to it.”
And next week? Elation and heartbreak. A house split by contrasting emotions.
“That’s life though, isn’t it?” Kiernan responds.
“That’s football. The best team wins on the day.
“It will be tough going back for one of us. One of the [Liverpool] girls goes, ‘Don’t worry I’ve a spare bedroom!’”
It was from their sitting room that Kiernan watched Ireland qualify for the World Cup two years ago. She was in a cast, recovering from a significant ankle injury, joined by her mother, Ita, and some of her clubmates as Amber Barrett’s goal decided the play-off at Hampden Park. Bittersweet.
That same night was just bitter for housemate Holland. Wales agonisingly missed out on reaching their first major tournament after a 120th-minute Switzerland winner.
“She knows how it feels and it’s probably not a nice feeling. They have it in the back of their minds that they were very close. They’ll use that as fuel,” Kiernan warns.
Might she? Having been marked absent for Hampden, and later, the World Cup.
The Cavan 25-year-old doesn’t hesitate with her answer, all of her life experiences and perspective coming to the fore in one moment.
“I try to live in the present and not think about the past, or the future. How can you enjoy the day if you are thinking about what is going to happen in the future or what happened last week? I feel, for me, it is important to focus on the here and now.
“But obviously, that is in the back of your mind. You worked very hard. It was a tough year altogether. Coming back now, it has taken me six to eight months to properly get back in the swing of things.
“I am just really enjoying football now. I think that is the priority.”
She continues:
“So, right now, that is a real priority for me. I am really enjoying football. And we are playing one of the biggest games of my life next week. I’m in a good place, it’s an exciting time. Life’s good.”
Kiernan has been through the wringer but has never reached that aforementioned point.
Through all the lows and injury struggles, she hasn’t considered calling it a day.
“I think life is all about enjoyment,” she adds. “You’re not going to do a job you don’t enjoy if you’ve the option of going somewhere else. Football right now is giving me a lot of joy. It’s also giving my family a lot of joy.”
Living in the moment — case in point. The philosophical thoughts keep coming.
“Like everything in life, if you’re not enjoying what’s happening right now there’s no point looking to the future because you’re just missing the now.
“Some days in rehab, I found it really tough. But I got through that day and the next day was better.
She jokes that growing up on a farm makes the positive outlook come naturally, but credits the mentors and people around her.
While Kiernan does her utmost to stay present, she was afforded some time to reflect recently. She was profiled in an FAI video and brought to see her picture muralled on Anfield.
“Little did I know a girl from Cavan would be up on Anfield,” she quipped at the stadium.
The musing continues a few days later.
“That was one of those moments when I went: ‘Wow, that’s a bit weird.’
“It’s actually wild, isn’t it? Everybody has this dream of being a professional footballer but I was in farming college when the call came to go abroad.
“Deep down, it was never really in my mind. I always just did what I enjoyed. I probably didn’t think I’d get this far. I know I’ve a long way to go and dreams to fulfil.”
Starting with Euro 2025 qualification, which can be achieved across tomorrow’s first leg at Cardiff City Stadium and next Tuesday’s decisive return tie at the Aviva.
“If that doesn’t motivate you, I don’t know what will,” Kiernan, who has been in fine form for Liverpool after scoring her first goal of the season on Sunday, concludes.
“This is massive. We know what we’ve got to do.”
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