Armagh captain Rachel Trainor: New facilities needed regardless of integration

Michael Bolton

Armagh captain Rachel Trainor says new facilities will be needed to accommodate all four codes, even if integration happens.

For an intercounty team, February can be a difficult time of year for training with the weather.

As Trainor and her Armagh teammates have found, it is not easy to prepare for the season when the locations and availability of pitches are uncertain.

"It is a nightmare, to be honest. It is week to week, you don't know where you will be training, which is probably the hardest part because the weather is so unpredictable.

"It is the unknown that is the hard part, if you are going to be on grass or on astro or where it is going to be. A couple of trainings we have had to completely cancel because there is no 3G or grass available.

"Some hurlers and footballers are having the same problem. If the pitch is unavailable because of the weather, there is not much anyone can do. Maybe more availability for newer pitches or astro if that does happen"

It is yet another season where Armagh are licking their wounds after an All-Ireland defeat.

It is a third final loss since 2020, following last August's final defeat to Laois.

"It was a tough defeat again for us. We have been in that position a few times now.

"The group just decided we need to put that behind us now. It is a new year, get some young, fresh girls in.

"The hunger is still there; that is the main thing. Nobody was trying to run away or anything. Everyone is looking forward to starting the year fresh again.

"We are just hoping for a good league year campaign to get us going again after our loss from last year, and take it one step at a time."