Hurling, camogie, teams, matches, and training are part and parcel of life in the Ward household. Sport will always be on the agenda, but any time Sarsfields reach an AIB All Ireland Club Senior final makes all the effort worthwhile.
Laura Ward is getting ready for another decider with Sarsfields, who play Oulart-the Ballagh at Croke Park on Sunday afternoon.
There is always something to follow, though, with Ward recalling a particularly hectic stint a couple of years ago when her father Tony and brother Kevin had a busy schedule.
“Kevin was training Ahascragh, Dad was with Doon,” she recalls. “We barely see each other, Dad is gone every second evening with teams, I’m gone every second evening, Alan with Sarsfields and Kevin is training us for the last two years. So I suppose I see a bit too much of him, Ciara is there too with us.
“We just live it really. I do feel sorry for poor Mam, she is dragged out the door every weekend to every match. She wouldn't have it any other way, but my nieces and nephew have nearly been raised on the sideline at this stage.”
Sarsfields flared to national prominence during a glorious era for the hurlers in the 90s. The appreciation for sport has been passed through the generations.
“It is brilliant, you wouldn't have it any other way,” Ward says. “We are so lucky in a way the way our community and our club is. The hurlers are really strong and in the camogie, both compete really well at senior level.
“We wouldn't have it any other way, it is brilliant too having that kind of support from the community. We look up to the lads that won the back to back All Irelands with Sarsfields, that was an absolutely outstanding achievement. It is where you want to be and it is what you want to be doing.”
What the hurlers achieved previously still provides hope and inspiration. “When you hear stories from when they won years ago it is absolutely unbelievable,” Ward adds.
“You hear about the McGraths and the Cooneys, the girls would be talking about when the lads won, stories from Dad when they won. It is just magical, it brings such a lift to the community when things like that happen.
“It was actually this day two years ago when we won the camogie so all the memories are popping up now. It is just a magical thing for a community to be able to win.”
The delayed 2020 final was only finished in December last year, but now Sarsfields are back against familiar foes.
“We were absolutely devestated after the defeat, we were lucky in a way that we can try to redeem ourselves so soon,” Ward says. “That we didn't have to go back into Galway Championship, to try to fight our way out of that again.
“It is nearly the best thing. When you are sitting down thinking about that defeat and not having to wait another year to try to redeem ourselves we were lucky in a way. We took our two or three weeks off, put our heads back down again and started concentrating on Slaughtneil for the semi-final. It is the best way to do it really after a defeat, to get back on it again, to go at it.”
Ward, though, remains hopeful that Sarsfields can triumph at the Jones Road venue. Classy and consistent, Sarsfields want to earn another national title.
“We have been there knocking on the door for the last five years,” she says. “This is our fifth one and we have won one.
“It is great getting to them, but at the end of the day you need to be winning them. It is the ones that you get beaten in you think about the most. The next day now hopefully we can finally get another one into our pockets.”
