Hockey: Ireland's series with GB a reality check, says Grace O’Flanagan
Irish hockey international, Grace O’Flanagan, along with Electric Ireland is encouraging people to sign up for this year’s Darkness Into Light, which takes place this Saturday, May 8. Pieta and Electric Ireland are inviting people across the country to join them in sharing ‘One Sunrise Together’ and sign up at www.darknessintolight.ie. Picture: Dan Sheridan
Grace O’Flanagan admits Ireland’s low-key results from last week’s uncapped series against Great Britain provide a strong reality check for the summer ahead.
Ireland beat GB for the first time in March in Belfast but the return series saw the Bisham Abbey hosts in rude healthy, running up 3-1, 4-1 and 7-2 wins in addition to a 0-0 draw.
And the goalkeeper says they were “losses that will keep us in check and keep us hungry” ahead of bigger challenges ahead, namely June’s European Championships and the Olympic Games a month later.
“The scorelines were harsh at times and we learnt a lot of things we need to work on,” O’Flanagan said on Wednesday.
“Overall, we are feeling positive. We did get a draw so when we implemented what we are trying to do.
“Mostly, we are really happy to get those games in. They are a really valuable learning experience; we have been trying a few different things out and given the few international games we have had over the last year, we are taking the opportunity to try people in different positions and different tactics.”
Many of those changes have been enforced with Lena Tice and Megan Frazer rested due to injury while twins Serena and Bethany Barr along with Zoe Wilson are ruled out long-term.
Fellow goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran also set to return to the fold in the coming days ahead of a couple of games against Scotland next week following the conclusion of the Dutch league season.
O’Flanagan was speaking to the media in her role as an ambassador for Darkness Into Light, having gained a unique insight into how the pandemic has affected each aspect of her life.
A doctor by trade, she had taken a year off hockey after the 2018 World Cup silver medal before getting back into gear for the Tokyo 2020 campaign.
Work, though, soon became very much the focus, working on Covid wards for six months before moving into a non-Covid setting.
Through it, she has seen directly some of the ravages it can take on people’s mental health and her patients.
“I see a lot of patients with mental health issues coming into hospitals in crisis,” she adds.
“The idea of 200,000 people coming together at one time for sunrise to show support, to show we are standing up for mental health issues, to show we are fighting against suicide is a really important message.”
