 On the score this week, we're talking Liddy's Gaelic football once again. It's championship time and joining me is Donny Gull senior Liddy Smidfielder, Katie Herron. Katie, it's good to see you. Good to talk to you again. Yes, Ashing. Thanks very much for having me on. Listen, you have a big game championship this weekend, semi-final against Kevin. I suppose after a year away from the competition, it's good to be back playing in the Ulster Championship again, Katie. Yeah, definitely. It's something we probably pride ourselves on a lot. It's been a long time since we actually lost the game in Ulster, so we're pretty keen to get back out there and show what we can do and hopefully regain the title. Yeah, how important to the group is it then that just get back this Ulster crown? Oh, it's massive. It's probably one of our main goals this year. Probably not playing that last year. Probably showed just how much it really meant us and probably we weren't too happy with how things played out. But we're definitely keen to get back in now and show the other counties that we're still forced to reckon with in Ulster. Yeah, so he's going to make a statement this weekend, or do you have to make a statement this weekend against Kevin? What sort of side are you expecting Kevin to be in? What sort of test is it going to be, Katie? Well, Kevin seemed to be in a pretty good run there. I suppose it's hard when they're playing in a different division in the league to us, so we haven't really come across them. But listen, they put up a huge battle just two years ago. It took us extra time and we probably know a lot of their players and they know a lot of ours, so it's going to be a massive battle. I'd say pretty defensive on their part. But again, the composure is something we're going to need to work on and try and keep the heads and just play the ball around and see what comes of it. So I'm sure it's going to be a massive battle, but one we're keen to take on. Yeah, what's your assessment so far of the year? Four league games, one three, lost one. What have you taken out of the league, Katie, as a group? To be fair, I'd say we're pretty happy with how things are going so far. Obviously, we're a wee bit disappointed with the end result last week, but as a whole, we'd be happy with how we've performed. We've felt like we've given a good account of ourselves in the league, so that's probably something that we wanted to do from the start. We've had good performances. I know we lost composure a wee bit last week and things didn't end as planned, but as a whole, I think we have given a good account of ourselves, so that's something we're building on now going forward. But I think in fairness, it showed the character of the side as well to come back from those early goals that you conceded against, because you really were on the back foot from early on, Katie. Yeah, and that's probably something that over the years we probably haven't been good at. Usually, if that happens, we'd crumble, and that's a testament to the girls and how far we've come that we actually were able to keep the head and work our way back into the game. So if that's all we took out of it, it's massive for us going on previous experience, so that's a big positive. You've got a new partnership in Mudford. Shelly, two eggs in there. How's that been developing this year? Brilliant, yeah. Shelly has come in, and it's like she's been with us for years. She's come into the group pretty seamlessly. She gets on so well with everybody, and you really would think she's there for years, and she's an absolute workhorse. A lot of the work she does probably goes unnoticed at the minute, but she really is a workhorse, and she's massive for us as a team, so it's brilliant to have her in there. Does it free you up a bit more? Do you have a freer role now this time around, do you? Well, her legs are fresher than mine, so she's doing more of the work anyway. What about this left foot, Kitty? You were predominantly right foot. Obviously, you've been working on a journey locked down, and maybe it's something you worked on on Australia as well. You've got the scoresheet with the left foot, which Maureen did on them. A cool commentator has been impressed with. Yes, well, lockdown was a long time there, so I tried to make use of it as best I could, and probably only started, which is a disgrace to say. Practicing my left foot before I went to Australia, and then having so much time back here, and it was probably something I've worked on, but we'll not get too excited about it yet. I'll stick mostly with the right. Why don't you take another point in the left with the weekend, would you? What about Australia? Has it benefited your game, Kitty, since you came back? I suppose it's hard to tell. I think when I was over there, you were kind of trying to split yourself between two and trying to better yourself with two codes. I'm kind of happy now just to be able to focus solely on the Gaelic. Obviously, there's weaned nuggets of information and stuff and training that I've taken out of it and tried to apply here, which has hopefully benefited, but it's nice now just to focus on Donegal. Also to come as well, I know we're looking a bit down the line. We've got the All Ireland Championship, Galway once again, and Kerry. How key is the All Ireland for Donegal this year? I know we're moving away from Ulster, but it always becomes number one at the end of the season. How key is it for the group again, Kitty? Yes, it's probably a massive challenge for us this year as every year, but it's something that we really want to put a stamp on. We've kind of been knocking on the door now for the last couple of years, as you know yourself, and we really want to put a mark on it. And with our regard, we probably think we're in a pretty tough group, but last time we've got a good challenge. We've got good games behind ourselves now, and we're hoping we can just build to that, but that's something we really want to impress on and push as far as we can within the All Ireland. Yeah, we've got live match coverage here in Highlands this Saturday from Brefty Park. It starts at five o'clock Highlands Coverage and Association, both the LYT Masters in Sports Performance Practice. That's a course you're doing, Kitty. Do you have much time left on the course? Well, we're just nearing the end. Now we have all the assignments and stuff done, and we're just working on our thesis. So that's due at the end of August. So it's going to be a busy summer trying to marry the two of us together. Yeah, you have a lot of work to do then. So how do you manage the football and the college and obviously life as well? You've got a young son, so there's a lot going on. How do you manage to handle all that, Kitty? Yeah, it hasn't been too bad to be fair. I worked for the first half of the Masters, which was probably tough enough at the start, but I'm on a career break now, so I'm trying to just focus on the two. And Josh was at school, so I should be making good use of my time during the day, but we're working on it. Yeah, and the course itself, how do you hope it's going to benefit you in the future? What do you want out of it, Kitty? What's the end game with it? I just think it'll give me a good opening, maybe into some kind of sport and field. It's probably something that I've dedicated quite a large part of my life to. So it'll be nice to kind of get into some area down the lane. We've covered a lot of stuff in it, and it's been really good to see, I suppose, coming from Australia, from the professional side of things, and now seeing how that applies in the practical field as well. It's been great, so hopefully it might open a few doors from me down the lane. Well, listen, we wish you the best of luck with the rest of the career away from the pitch and the sporting field. But back onto the pitch, you've got Galway this coming, or not Galway, Kevin, excuse me, Kitty, this coming weekend. Do you think having all these games thick and fast in the league, four matches on the bounce, is that going to benefit just now going into an Ulster campaign? Yeah, I think we do. We play well off momentum and we're always keen to get games back to back and the girls are all in good tune. So I do think given the quality of the games we've had, we've had a lot of tough teams there and a lot of big challenges and we've come out well on most of them. So I do think it'll stand us and we've learned wee bits along the way. So hopefully we can apply all that on Saturday and come away with a win. Listen, Kitty, delighted to talk to you. And all we can do is wish you the best of luck against Kevin this weekend. Cheers, Oshane. Thanks so much.