Underdog to Topdog

  • Jan 29,2009

The Underdog series was first introduced to provide an opportunity for anyone who wanted to play inter-county GAA football but never got the chance. In the early years it was strictly for the men but in 2006 all that changed. A ladies series was introduced with the The Underdogs playing the Topdogs, namely the All-Ireland champions, Cork in Pairc Ui Rinn. 2007 saw them head for the Big Apple to take on the New York All Stars. Last year they headed for London to take on the All-Ireland Intermediate champions, London, in December. It has been an amazing series to date and provided great entertainment throughout. It has been a great success story for TG4 and became compulsive viewing for its audience. In 2008 those selected to play came from far and wide but only one Jackie made the top thirty, namely, Orla Brennan from St. Brigid’s, Blanchardstown.
 
Orla like many others applied for The Underdogs and went for trials. Having got through the first set she then went for the National trials. She was successful. Several training camps followed where the players had to show off their ability and determination. One of these was a five-day camp in Breaffy, Co. Mayo. Challenge matches followed against opposition from counties Meath, Cork and Mayo. Every week a player was eliminated until the panel was whittled down to twenty-five. This is always perceived as the most dramatic part of the weekly programme as a number of candidates are called before the selectors and put through the mill before one is informed that she isn’t good enough to make the grade.
 
Orla was obviously impressing from the start because she was never put up for elimination. She did receive a scare even though it was a pleasant one. She was called in before the selectors, Eamonn O Muircheartaigh, Jarlath Burns and Geraldine Ferrick and told that she was in trouble. Before that thought had time to settle they informed her that she had been chosen as one of two captains, the other being Aisling Savage from Wicklow. Orla was thrilled as she saw this as ‘an opportunity to captain and play with a team that represented Ireland.’ During the trials and the training Orla showed her versatility by playing at half-back, corner back, half-forward and midfied. She was chosen at midfield for the game with London. ‘I would have played in goals,’ she said. Her preferred position and the one plays with her club is right half-forward. She showed good attitude throughout and leadership skills and this didn’t go unnoticed by the selectors. There were no complaints at any stage. ‘I was just glad to be there.’

Orla is the second youngest of a family of four. She has three brothers, John, Ciarán and Conor. Ciarán currently plays his football with Kildalky in Meath while Conor plays at minor level with St. Brigid’s. Her father, Philip, played football with Erin’s Isle and currently manages the St. Brigid’s ladies senior team. Its not surprising then that Orla was playing football from age five. She played with her school team, St. Brigid’s GNS from third class onwards. At second level she played with Coolmine Community School. One of her mentors at St. Brigid’s while she was playing at juvenile level was former Dublin County Board Chairperson, Tony Doogan. She was on the losing side in three finals, one for Coolmine C.S., one for her club in the Dublin county senior final against Ballyboden St. Enda’s and thirdly with Dublin juniors in the final against Cork last year.

Orla’s diplomatic skills were put to the test when herself and Cathy Bowes from Galway were selected to go and check out the London team while training. Because of a flight delay they were late for the training session. They had to glean whatever information they could from the opposition at a dinner dance that night. What they discovered was that this match was going to be just as important to London as the All-Ireland final. Not what they were hoping to hear. A training folder they came across seemed to confirm that the hosts would field a team similar to the one that won the All-Ireland. Mission accomplished.
When the day of the final came around The Underdogs discovered that they were playing on a reduced pitch. As a pitch with lights was needed for the TG4 transmission the London Irish rugby pitch at Sunbury had been chosen. Orla has no doubt that it didn’t suit them. She did not offer that as an excuse for losing by a few points. ’Solo runs were out. There was no space for the fullback or full forward. Everything about it was small. That’s why I think we lost.’ She did concede that it was the same for London. When pressed on the final score she said, ‘I don’t like to know the score when I lose. Everybody was upset when we lost. It lasted for ninety minutes until we got out some well deservedsoup".

Orla’s enthusiasm for The Underdogs tournament is infectious. As one can only be selected once to play for them Orla is hoping that an event might be arranged between past Underdog teams in the future. That way she would get to play again. In the meantime she must continue her studies as a first-year mature student at Dublin City University where she is studying Physical Education with leaving cert Biology. When Orla finished her Leaving Cert she studied for a Diploma in Sports Therapy in Crumlin College. Out of this she became a fitness instructor at Ben Dunne’s gym in Blanchardstown in 2002. ‘The work was hard and the hours were long.‘ she says. She had to give up training with the Dublin juniors as her work precluded her from training with the county team at weekends. Prior to that she had featured with Dublin teams at u14, 16, minor and junior, the latter for four years. Now she is ready to make a return to the Dublin junior panel.

Orla is determined to succeed both on and off the pitch. Her energy, determination and enthusiasm are three vital components that will see her succeed both in her career and on the playing pitch. As for the Underdogs, she wants to make it more exciting. She suggests picking a county and playing teams from within. Would she recommend it to others? Would she what? ’Its absolutely one hundred per cent the best thing I have ever done. Its all about having fun and making friends.’ Now there’s a recommendation.