Tipperary footballer Aishling Moloney shares the key inspiration behind her game

By Lorna Lawless.

---

At the top of her game.

Aishling Moloney (21) is making waves in Irish sport with a recent kick over the bar getting attention from some of the country's most popular pundits. She managed it from a ridiculously brilliant angle, and it seems that Aishling is more in love with the game than ever. Studying PE and Biology while playing football for Tipp and DCU, she is balancing sport with college and it's all going to plan. Aishling has a close family circle and cites them as her inspiration, especially on the hard days. Her parents Gurtie and Martin are her biggest support.

"Everyday I go out on the pitch, I’m thinking of them and the enjoyment they get out of me playing. My mam will wear sunglasses after every single game, hail, rain, or snow to hide the tears” "I’ll never forget, we were playing second round of league against Tyrone in 2018 and she came up to me crying. I wouldn’t have considered it a big game, so I asked her why she was crying and her answer was that she wished her parents were there to see me play. "Anytime I look for motivation, if I ever question why I’m playing during times when we are unsuccessful, I think of my parents".

Football is in Aishling’s blood, and her dad was always encouraging her to get involved in sport.

"My dad’s side of the family has a good GAA history so my dad drove me to play since I was younger". “I was lucky I had a very successful team growing up and won everything at A grade in football and camogie".

It's no wonder they call Aishling Moloney the most skilful ladies footballer in the country.

What. A. Score ?? @TippLadiesFB @LadiesFootball pic.twitter.com/tSjS5X7XMk — GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) March 25, 2019

Moloney says support from her family and having her brothers there starting off, was how she built her confidence up and why she made friends at a young age.

"I always went to training with my brothers. I was insecure and not confident to go play with a team, I just wanted to play by myself all the time. Eventually I started playing with the lads team.” "I nearly cried missing my brothers the first time, but I had to move because the rules changed". "When I was around seven, I was playing with the girls one night in my red wellington boots and three girls (who are now my best friends) started laughing at me. I didn’t go back for a few months after that experience". "I was asked to play for the county team at 14 for football and camogie, but I decided to play football because it was what I preferred".

After a year playing with the U14 team, Gurtie and Martin were afraid Aishling would burn out, so she took some time to rest and came back stronger than ever. Positive role models for women in sport are more essential than ever, and Aishling is backing the 20x20 campaign to bring more recognition to women’s sport in Ireland.

"By 2020, the campaign aims to increase media coverage, participation and attendances by 20 percent. It’s already clear that the 20x20 campaign is moving in a positive direction and I hope they achieve their goals by 2020".