Barry the Blocker saves the day for Laois
A couple of interventions from Laois goalkeeper Eimear Barry were every bit as important in Laois retaining their Intermediate status as any score recorded at the other end of the pitch Photo: Paul Dargan
EIMEAR Barry proved to be Laois’s saviour on Saturday afternoon as her crucial 62nd-minute save from Wicklow’s Sarah Evans preserved Laois’ Intermediate status for 2027.
Speaking after the game, Barry felt the stop from Evans was one of the most important saves she has made in a Laois jersey. Laois led by two points at the time, and a goal would likely have put Wicklow on course for victory.
“That was a very important sequence of play and we needed to keep the ball out of the goal; there were two points in it. It's detrimental that Laois would probably go down junior, especially when you look at the Under-16s in an All-Ireland semi-final and the minors in an All-Ireland semi-final. I don't think us as an intermediate team would be leaving our jerseys in a good place next year if we had left them facing junior,” she said.
Saturday’s game could prove to be Barry’s last in a Laois jersey, but at full-time she was simply relieved that Laois had done enough to secure their place in the 2027 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship.
“I don't know, I still can't believe we got through the game. We couldn't shake Wicklow off. I thought when we got five points up that we’d get through the last maybe nine minutes. It's kind of a freakish game, a relegation final, but in fairness to the girls, they stayed battling.
“We managed to push it out to three points, but we probably missed a few chances and then two freakish goals that went in, but they happen in relegation matches and we're just glad to be on the right side of it,” Barry said.
It has been a strange year for Laois. They were relegated from Division 3 of the league and then found themselves fighting to avoid dropping to the Junior grade, less than a year after appearing in the All-Ireland Intermediate final against Tyrone in August 2025. Barry hopes Saturday’s victory can provide the platform for Laois to raise their standards and begin the journey back to senior football.
“Last year, the highs of Croke Park and now a relegation final is not where we wanted to be at the start of the year, but look, we are and that's what you have to face. It's important just that we regroup, bring the standards up in Laois Ladies and aim to get back to senior football again next year. There are good girls coming through and I think we'll be back there pretty soon,” she added.
Barry believes Laois LGFA has a bright future, highlighted by the county’s minor and U/16 teams winning Leinster titles this year. The minors take on Kerry in Mallow on Thursday in an All-Ireland semi-final, while the U/16s will face Roscommon in the All-Ireland final in Kinnegad on Wednesday 15 July.
“We have a couple of the minors in with us and they're great girls and they're fantastic footballers. Maybe for the last six or seven years, there has been a bit of a drought in terms of girls coming through, but now there will be an influx in the next couple of years and Laois is going to be in a good place.
“I think this match was very important that we stay up and the girls can rebuild and look forward to trying to get back up to senior. I was in Kilkenny last week at the U/16 game; they're wise beyond their years. The football they play, the way they spread the ball, they keep the ball. It's a credit to the coaches and the girls themselves, but yeah, hopefully we'll be back senior in a few years,” Barry concluded.
