Comeback captain back from Nevada desert to lead Laois in Croke Park

Ballinakill woman Andrea Moran was in the middle of the Nevada desert when Laois won the All-Ireland trophy in 2022.

She cheered for her county from Las Vegas when the O'Moore women defeated Wexford to claim a second national championship title.

That absence has given her an appreciation of what it means to play against Tyrone in an All-Ireland decider. She's also follow in the footsteps of some illustrious players in having the honour of leading Laois onto the hallowed turf of Croke Park to captain the O'Moore county in an All-Ireland final.

The Ballyroan LGFA club wing-back is also all too aware of what the extra special significance is of being the captain who will lead Laois out onto the GAA HQ pitch.

“It’s a huge honour,” she told the Leinster Express / Laois Live at the fans' night in the LOETB Centre of Excellence in Portlaoise in advance of the big day.

But she is relishing the experience and is reassured that her teammates will have her back.

“They’re a great bunch of girls to work with. They make it so easy for me and I can’t wait to lead them out onto Croke Park. It’s actually surreal. It was something that I dreamed of as a child, unbelievable,” she said.

So what is it being captain in the modern game of this Laois team where the tradition responsibilities of leadership have changed.

“You are a leader in many different aspects but there’s lots of other leaders on the team as well. We all work together to work out whatever might need to be done. You’re also the line of communication between management and players and just making sure everyone is feeling good,” she said.

By definition, a captain has to be a leader who can stay calm but also have the strength of personality to drive on in the face of adversity. So does Andrea see this in her teammates, especially those who have seen it all before? MORE BELOW PHOTO.

PICTURED: In attendance during a photocall at Croke Park in Dublin ahead of the 2025 TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Championship Finals are Laois captain Andrea Moran, left, and Tyrone captain Aoibhinn McHugh. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

“A good few of the girls played in the 2022 final and then there are girls who played in the Division 2 league final in Croke Park and it’s great to have that experience within the team.

“It’s an advantage that they have played there before, have experienced it, the dressing rooms, the lead up to the match, it’s great. Those girls are really good at taking care of the younger girls and help them keep their focus on the game,” she said.

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Andrea, who confesses to being very competitive since she started playing the game as a child in Spink, missed out on a 2022 medal as she was away travelling. But she recalls celebrating in the USA.

“I remember waking up in Las Vegas at around half four or five in the morning to watch the girls play in the All-Ireland final. I was so proud of them.

“I went straight back in the following year, and that was our first year in senior and it was a big step up,” she said.

Laois were dramatically relegated to intermediate in 2024 but Andrea, who joined the senior set up in 2019, sees the positives.

“I believe everything happens for a reason. Last year, it was maybe the best thing to have been relegated. As hard as it was and disappointing as it was, we came together and regrouped. We had time to develop and we’re delighted to be back in an All-Ireland final again,” she said.

The captain, who first donned a Laois jersey aged 14, was delighted to see so many faces from right around Laois at the fans night in the LOETB Centre of Excellence for the open night.

She has also been impressed with fans following the team around Ireland in often heatwave conditions through the championship. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Andrea Moran on the burst for Laois against Monaghan in the All-Ireland semi-final in Longford. Pic: Paul Dargan 

“The support has been mad this year and there would be kids coming out on the pitch after games,” she said.

Of course, as captain, she will want to give the Laois fans something to cheer and celebrate come the final whistle by climbing those famous Hogan Stand steps to lift the Mary Quinn Cup. If she does she'll follow in the footsteps Aimee Kelly in 2022 and Angela Casey who led Laois to senior All-Ireland glory in 2001.  

But she's also laser-focused on the game and the women from Ulster.

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“That’s the end goal, I suppose, but we’ll just focus on Tyrone first and just see what happens,” she said.

Pictured: The Laois LGFA team that lined out against Monaghan in the semi-final.

The final throws in at Croke Park at 1.45pm on Sunday, August 3. It will be live on TG4.