Supporting Ireland is a way of life. Home or away the collective spirit when you are supporting Ireland is unmatched. From grassroots through the LOI and into the international arena, the Irish football supporter brings a unique spirit, passion and attitude that has brought nothing but credit to our nation. The power of football in this country to inspire people, young and old, to make and to create friendships is beyond words.

I think its so important to encourage girls as much as possible at the introductory age, especially if they are new to a sport, or anything for that matter. Positive energy and engagement throughout is so important. It would be great to see all the girls continue on their journey and become part of teams at Ballyoulster United, hopefully even being involved at Senior level and falling in love with the sport and our club.

Our Football for All programme has been running for over a decade now. It helps instil confidence and a healthy lifestyle in the players, gives them a social outlet to meet and make new friends and compete in sport which they may not have the opportunity to do elsewhere. It’s all made possible by the fantastic group of volunteers who give up their time every week.

Football is everything to me, from growing up checking my schoolboy fixtures in the paper to being a professional footballer for nearly 20 years. I've seen it all, the highs and the lows. To say it’s my job to play football on the same pitches as my LOI heroes is an absolute honour. There's no getting away from the emotion the game brings. Whether you're a schoolboy/schoolgirl or a professional footballer, for those 90 minutes, we are all equal.

Our club is at the centre of our community in Killarney, we have a hugely committed group of administrators that strive to give our members the best possible experience. We do it for the love of the game and to see those smiling faces coming through the gates each week.

Players are out there playing because they love the game, we’re out there facilitating because we love the game. If we can all go in harmony then we are laughing together. Whether its under 12 or League of Ireland, you enjoy it all the way up. We all have a responsibility to make sure that the beautiful game, is kept beautiful.

I look forward to a Wednesday morning when I’m getting up and getting the stuff together before I go to football. It’s great exercise and a bit of fun. My oldest grandson thinks it’s great that Grandma is playing football, I hope I’m acting as a role model for all of my grandchildren.