'If I commit to something, I'll commit fully' - codebreaker Ciara Griffin ...
Ciara Griffin takes our call while pedalling on her watt bike. The pedalling doesn’t stop simply because the phone has rung and there’s a conversation to be had.
Ciara Griffin doesn’t stop, certainly hasn’t since drawing the curtain on her international rugby career this month three years ago.
Within weeks she was back training with Castleisland Desmonds on their journey to Munster intermediate success. Despite nearly a decade away from football and the incredibly short window she had to reacclimatise, Griffin earned a starting spot for their All-Ireland club semi-final defeat to Castlebar Mitchels less than three months on from international rugby retirement.
From Irish flanker to hastily convened Castleisland centre-back to long-distance running. More change, no pause.
While continuing to kick ball for Desmonds in 2022 and 23, Griffin’s chief sporting pursuit became the marathon and conquering the 42.2km. For someone from rugby’s back row, it seemed a strange pursuit to go after.
“If I commit to something, I'll commit fully. I’d be competitive in most aspects of life, to be honest,” says Griffin, pedalling away. “There's no way of quenching that bone in my body, unfortunately, which is a good thing and a bad thing.”
Football took focus and priority this year. It’s the premise of our conversation. Griffin this Sunday captains Castleisland in the Munster senior club final. No Kerry side has won the competition since Desmonds did so way back in 1986.
Ciara was among the scorers in their comprehensive county final win over Southern Gaels five weeks ago. She’s come a distance from those training sessions immediately following rugby retirement where she’d have to count out loud the four steps she was allowed to carry the ball before including a hop or solo.
“Trying to get my hop and my solo, and trying to get my brain to compute all this was stressful to say the least,” the 30-year-old laughs.
“You'd hear me counting out 'one, two, three, four' with my steps. It took a bit of getting used to, a year, if not two. But the girls were so patient. They totally understood where I was coming from. They are such a good group and that spurred me on.”
Louise Galvin before her made a seamless return from oval ball pursuits back to ladies football. Galvin, though, was an outside centre and also played 7s for Ireland. The readjustment to football would have been more straightforward for that particular North Kerry woman.
For Griffin, the transition amounted to a sea change. And while anything but straightforward, the competitor in her relished the challenge.
“The big difference I found in going from rugby to football is the cardiovascular conditioning. There is just so much more running in football, and it is a lot more taxing on the body. I did have to adapt my training quite quickly from my rugby days.
“Rugby was more attritional and anaerobic. You were taking hits, getting back up, and taking another hit, or making a break and then taking a hit. The cardiovascular conditioning took a bit of getting used to.”
So, three years on from changing codes, has she a preference? Is there a longing for the grunt and grind of her rugby days?
“I thought I'd miss the attritional, but I am after finding a great love of running. If you had told me that a couple of years ago, I'd have laughed in your face. Being a forward, I always preferred being in the gym.
“But I am loving the running side of it. It is pushing your limits. With football, you have to think so fast, you have to think on the go and a few steps ahead so you are not running up and down the field like a mad person.”
Management, led by Dan Kearney, Den Kerin and Mary Geaney, asked Griffin to oversee the pre-season strength and conditioning work. She drew up programs, took feedback, and monitored progress. She devoured the extra responsibility.
“I loved that side of it because it is like an extra investment, pushing my own standards as a player and as an S&C coach, just seeing how I can adapt to different things.”
It would appear the former Ireland captain has adapted just fine.
“There is a real hunger in the group and all want to reach our full potential. Everyone is pushing each other. We don't want any what ifs on Sunday. We want to put our best foot forward. And hopefully that will lead to the right result.”
