"Every time we play them it is a derby, so you know you're going to get a good battle"

By Daire Walsh

While most footballers are elevated to senior inter-county status in relatively low-key affairs, the polar opposite was the case for Monaghan’s Jennifer Duffy back in 2019.

In the same year, the O’Neill Shamrocks star was part of an impressive Monaghan side that made it all the way to an All-Ireland Minor ‘A’ Football Championship final. Having overcome a Meath team that was spearheaded by her future DCU Dóchas Eireann team-mate Emma Duggan at the penultimate phase of the competition, Duffy lined out at left corner-back when the Farney County lost out to Cork in a top-tier underage decider held at Glenisk O’Connor Park in Tullamore in August 2019.

A mere 13 days on from this 4-11 to 1-8 reversal at the hands of the Leesiders, Duffy was drafted straight into the Monaghan starting line-up for their crunch TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship relegation play-off against Westmeath in Dunleer. Her minor colleagues Maeve Monaghan and Hannah Sherlock also appeared as substitutes in this game and with Duffy being one of three players to rattle the net in a 3-18 to 1-10 victory, it was a memorable introduction to the highest level of ladies football.

“That was actually our first game and they were like ‘right, you’re going in midfield’ and I was like ‘oh, okay!’ We were kind of held off until the end of that year. We had been so successful [with the minors], we said we’d focus on that first. In fairness, the senior management was very good to us,” Duffy explained.

“They said ‘come in when you can, we just want to bring you into the camp for the next year or so’. A few of us stepped up that day. When you’re that young, you’re a bit naïve to what is going on. You’re happy enough to go in and play. I don’t think at the time I knew how much the game meant.

“Especially the older girls, there was no way they were going to be relegated. When I think back now, I think there was so much power put into that day, that girls were just like ‘we need to win this’. When I was young, you look up to Cora Courtney and when she tells you to do something, you do it! That is just the way it went.”

Duffy’s exploits across both those Monaghan sides in 2019 offered an early indication of her versatility and she has continued to showcase an incredible ability to look comfortable in practically every position on a football pitch. Regularly used at full-back, centre half-back or midfield in recent times, Duffy has added another string to her bow in 2025.

Despite donning the number six jersey for their TG4 Ulster intermediate football championship semi-final against Cavan in Smithborough at the beginning of this month, Duffy was actually stationed on the edge of the square and helped herself to an excellent haul of 2-2.

Even though she was handed a similar role in a round five triumph over Clare in their Lidl National Football League Division 2 campaign earlier this year – she contributed a personal tally of 2-1 on that occasion – Cavan were somewhat surprised to see Duffy being deployed as the fulcrum of the Monaghan attack in this game.

“It was something in the league that I was just carrying an injury and they literally said ‘right, we’ll put you inside’. It kind of worked. I’d say Cavan didn’t really expect me to be inside.

“They actually have our ex-goalie coach in with them. I was full-back when he was over us and now I’m full-forward. It probably was a bit of a shock to their system. They didn’t really know that I was going to be in there, but I play there for club. So it’s just playing there for county now too.”

Cavan will have to contend with Duffy’s attacking prowess once again tomorrow afternoon when Monaghan renew acquaintances with their interprovincial rivals in the opening round of the TG4 All-Ireland intermediate football championship. Their Group 3 clash at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones (throw-in 1.30pm) is part of a double header with the All-Ireland men’s football showdown between Monaghan and Clare.

Given she expects their opponents to have a vocal following behind them in the wake of winning Division 3 of the Lidl National Football League and the TG4 Ulster intermediate football championship, Duffy is hopeful the Monaghan public will come out to support her team.

“Cavan always have a good crowd with them, especially now. When teams are winning, you’ll always have plenty of support to back them up. Every time we play them it is a derby, so you know you’re going to get a good battle.

“Even people getting in early for the men’s game, they’ll get the end of our game. It might actually start people to think ‘oh, maybe we’ll start supporting them’. It has nearly pushed us to be giving an even better performance, now that you know there is going to be a bigger crowd there.”

Since graduating from DCU, Duffy has been working steadily as a teacher at her own alma mater – Our Lady’s Secondary School Castleblayney. This has effectively seen her coming full circle as during her time as a primary school student, one of her teachers was former Monaghan stalwart Nicola Fahy.

She lined out for Monaghan at centre half-back in their TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship final defeat to Cork in Croke Park on September 25, 2011, when a young Duffy watched on in awe from the stands at GAA HQ. Fast forward nine years to an All-Ireland SFC campaign that was played in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and Duffy found herself lining out in defence alongside Fahy in championship games against Tipperary and Galway.

“My school actually took us to the 2011 final. Nicola Fahy would have taught in my school. I definitely would have followed them the whole way up. Watched all the girls and getting that chance to actually play with them,” Duffy added.

“She [Fahy] was a primary school teacher and she would have taught me in school, so it was nearly nostalgic of thinking I was actually getting to play with her then come that late stage.”