Ciara Trant, who has taken over as the new manager of the Dublin LGFA Senior team Photo by Sportsfile
‘You have to jump at the opportunity’ Dubs boss
NEWCASTLE native and former St Finian’s player Ciara Trant is the new manager of the Dublin LGFA Senior team.
Trant is no stranger to the Dublin set up having been a part of the coaching team under Derek Murray and Paul Casey last season.
Trant spoke about taking the Dublin job to The Echo and how her time in the coaching set up will aid her for 2027.
“It was in the back of my mind that I’d go for it at some stage but it’s definitely come around sooner than I would have planned.
‘You have to jump at the opportunity when it presents itself, it may not have come up again if I had put it on the long finger.”
“There’s a huge benefit, there’s no way I would have been prepared for this job if I didn’t have the exposure to it last year.
‘Working within a really good team. The biggest takeaway I have is the importance of honesty within the management group and making it an open forum where you can quiz and question each other.
‘Challenge each other and keep things fresh, honestly and feedback, evaluating each other is really key because if we don’t stay on top of each other we won’t be the best we can be for our players.
Trant is only recently retired from an illustrious playing career at Intercounty level also.
Lining out in goal for Dublin for nine seasons between 2014 and 2022.
This included being an integral member of the four in a row winning side under Mick Bohan between 2017 and 2020.
Trant spoke about how her recent experiences as a player can influence her life as a manager.
“I definitely can empathise with the players a lot more and their experiences.
‘Even though the new rules have brought a new dimension to it, being only fresh out of playing the game helps that player management relationships.
‘I have a better understanding of what they are going through as well so it helps me for planning sessions or getting feedback from them and their experiences.”
“Going in last year I was a little bit apprehensive about how the girls would take to me given that I had played with a lot of them. From day one it was never an issue, never brought up as something negative.
‘The girls just channeled it into something really positive.
‘I think it gave them a lot of comfort but they also trust me a lot because of how closely removed I am. I think that will carry on into next year. We’re all going the same direction looking for the same things.
‘There’s competition for places in the team, but that’s the only competition within the team.”
The side will regroup over the next week or so before breaking again for Christmas, they then will get back to training in January in preparation for the first game of the National League against Louth later that month.
Trant spoke about the plans for the league and how it will be used to prepare for Championship later on in the year.
“Yeah definitely [will be trying different things in the league], you have to do that, there’s a lot of talent in Dublin that we still have to unearth.
‘We’re approaching this year as a fresh start for everybody. There are girls on the team who will have to establish themselves as starters and there are opportunities for girls who have been knocking around the team for a couple of years to lay down a marker and grab a jersey.”
“Opportunities for everyone, it’s all about getting a balance of experience and fresh faces on the team.
‘There’s no point in throwing a load of new players into one match.
‘They aren’t going to get much back from a lack of structure in that sense. We will definitely have to experiment with a few things but we’ll be working towards a game plan, there will be methods behind the experimentation.”
“We’ll have trials coming up soon but word of mouth is the best scout going.
‘You ask players and managers who they have seen play and get good feedback on that. I think that’s more valuable than a one off trial.”
“For the league our focus is on developing ourselves, developing players, the panel and our game plan and that will be our priority. We played Louth last year in January in a challenge match and they were very strong.
‘They beat us on the day if I can remember, if you don’t respect the opposition you’re leaving yourself open for a hiding.”
