IT’S SURELY THE last thing Nicola Ward wants to talk about, Galway’s All-Ireland quarter-final exit still so raw.

The nature of it was particularly gut-wrenching. A one-point loss to reigning champions Meath; Emma Duggan the buzzer-beater, breaking Tribe hearts in the dying seconds.

But the All-Star defender gets straight into it, looking first to Saturday’s disappointing defeat in Tullamore and then to Galway’s year as a whole.

“We’re bitterly disappointed after the weekend,” Ward begins. “We ran the All-Ireland champions to a point and I think it was one of our best performances in nearly two years with Galway. 

“Everything we practiced for Meath came together on the day and it was just the cruellest way to lose in sport. You’d rather be beat by 20 points than lose by a point in the last minute.

“Overall with Galway we’ve gone through a lot, especially at the start of the year with losing Gerry (Fahy) as a manager and then when Fiona (Wynne) and Mannus (Breathnach) took over, that was a big issue that had to be dealt with at the start of the year.

“Obviously our Kilkerrin-Clonberne girls didn’t come back until after the league. Since the championship started we’ve put in decent performances and were unlucky not to get on the right side of Kerry, but since the Kerry match we’ve learned from our mistakes and we built a good strong performance for the next two matches and we were very proud of ourselves on Saturday and we couldn’t do anymore.

Last year we made the All-Ireland quarter-final so we haven’t pushed on this year, which is disappointing. But that’s the highs and lows of sport and we’re extremely proud of ourselves throughout the year.”

It might be difficult to accept right now, but running the holders so close surely breeds belief for 2023. A Connacht winners’ medal and historic All-Ireland crown with Kilkerrin-Clonberne may soften the blow in time, too.

“It gives us great confidence knowing that we’re there or thereabouts,” Ward nods.

“Even though you’re there or thereabouts, I’m personally taking it very hard, sitting at home watching All-Ireland finals and semi-finals on telly again this year.

“But we’re extremely proud of our performance. That game was there for us and maybe if there was another minute on the clock, we might have got an equaliser and brought it to extra-time.”

It wasn’t to be for Ward and co., despite their best efforts to run Meath down the wings and not take the ball into the tackle — “they’ll rip you apart if you do,” she explains — to counteract their defensive structure.

The Royals face Donegal, and Kerry meet Mayo, in Saturday’s semi-final double-header at Croke Park, with the Dublin and Cork duopoly in ladies football well and truly broken.

This is the first time since 2002 that neither county will contest the final, the championship more open than ever.

While Ward makes her frustrations clear — the underage success she has experienced with Galway not translating at senior level is “something I’ve found hard to deal with,” but the realisation is there that it takes time to build, as best seen at club level — she’s optimistic for the future. 

“This year it’s been said at the start of the year how wide open it is and it just goes to show you at the weekend and that you can’t take anyone for granted.

We were the last quarter-final [on Saturday] so we were keeping an eye on all the matches and we couldn’t believe it. But at the same time we could because you can’t take anyone for granted.

“I already can’t wait for next year because there is something there that whether it’s next year or the year after, there is something really positive about Galway football.”

“Although I’m disappointed not to be there myself, I’m delighted to see new semi-finalists and other teams getting a chance,” she adds.

“I think loads of teams have taken inspiration from what Meath have done last year and it’s really opening up. But I think they’re going to be two great semi-finals as well like last weekend.

“Hopefully they will get a good crowd out and put on a great show, promote the game because they’re all amazing games to watch and anything could happen.”

It would be remiss to let Ward go without a few words for her long-time team-mate Áine McDonagh who’s set for her debut season in the AFLW with Hawthorn.

The multi-talented Tribe star is one of 21 Irish players confirmed for the new season.

“It’s great to see all the newbies going out to Australia,” she concludes. “Áine has the height and strength and loads of attributes that will make her the perfect player so I can’t wait to watch her later on in the season. I’m sure she’ll be great.”