‘I never thought I would play rugby for Ireland’

Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside!

I do like to be beside the sea!

Oh I do like to stroll along the Prom, Prom, Prom!

Where the brass bands play, "Tiddely-om-pom-pom!"

So goes the old popular music hall English song with the lyrics also making a reference to Blackpool, one of the most famous of seaside resorts across the Irish Sea, and well known to many from this part of the world.

There is another seaside town in England Sam Monaghan knows well - and greatly likes. Loves even. That place is Brighton. She loves the way people are friendly and welcoming, the long, languid beach that can be found there, the famous clock tower, the vibrant culture, the promenade, the weather that has more of a warm, continental feel to it than the rain and fog often associated with Britain.

When she first moved to Brighton in 2016, she just felt at home. Right from the word go she felt that it was a place where she could happily live. Everything about it appealed to her especially the fact that it's beside the sea.

It was also in Brighton where she first set out on a career in rugby. It was a career she never planned. It was just one of those things that happened. Something that came right out of left field.

She found herself starting out on a journey not sure where it would take her. It has proved to be an adventure of a lifetime, bringing with it a raft of new, fresh experiences, a different set of friends, and a certain fame too that comes with playing international rugby. She certainly could be forgiven for shaking her head and musing about the wonder of life and the unexpected twists and turns it can take.

Now here she is, seven years after that move to Brighton, and the 29-year-old woman, who grew up in Navan, is an established Irish international, having just completed her second Six Nations campaign. It hasn't been the easiest of campaigns for the Girls in Green. They lost all their games in the Six Nations, some by hefty defeats. Monaghan was there game in, game out, doing her bit for her country.

"I never, ever thought I would be playing rugby for Ireland," Monaghan said when she spoke to the Meath Chronicle. She said the words as if she was still trying to come to terms with that reality; the wonder of it all.

Monaghan arrived late to the rugby party. She only started playing the game in her late twenties. She didn't make her Irish international debut until 2021 with her rise up through the ranks one of those that could truly be described as meteoric; as rapid as a rocket taking off from a Cape Canaveral launch pad.

International rugby, Six Nations, Brighton, Gloucester. It has been quite a few years for Monaghan who is now a million miles away, in many respects, from her starting place.

LONG BEACH

Considering where she comes from it's hardly surprising Sam Monaghan loves the seaside. "I was born in New York. My parents are both from Ireland. They met in New Year, had my brother, had me but we moved home (back to Ireland) when I was eight years of age," she explains.

"In New York, I made my first Holy Communion over there, lived by the beach, I remember the summers, down on the beach. I don't remember the winters so much, although I do recall we used to get a lot of snow. My uncle had an upholstery shop in the middle of Long Beach where we are from and we used to hang out there quite a bit. My dad had two brothers living over there and they had kids so we had our cousins. We had quite a family, my brother Stephen still lives there."

Sam Monaghan's father (also Sam Monaghan!) is from Navan, while her mother is from, wait for it - county Monaghan. When the family moved to Ireland they settled back in Bailis Manor, Athlumney. "We lived behind Gaffney's shop and as a youngster I used to go in with my euro or two and spend about an hour in the shop trying to get my money's worth," she recalls.

"When we came from America I went to Cannistown national school. I suppose I had an American way of saying things but I got a bit of slagging so I changed my accent fairly rapidly."

Young Sam soon became enmeshed in the local culture. She went to Loreto, Navan played Gaelic football with the O'Mahonys. She was very good at it too, got called into the county set-up. She won an u-16 All-Ireland with Meath in 2009 as a goalkeeper.

"I'll never forget the final. We were two points up and they played 13 minutes of injury time. With about 10 minutes played Donegal got a free, the ball landed in our goalmouth we managed to stop the ball from going over our goal-line, just about. We held on."

Monaghan also played senior football for Meath, as a goalkeeper and half-forward. She went to DCU to study accountancy. "I wasn't the fittest footballer around back then, I was in university and living the life in Dublin but I did play in a Leinster semi-final with Meath, in all I played a couple of years with the county.

"In 2016 I went to Brighton for the summer, ended up staying there which Mam wasn't too happy about (she didn't finish her university course). I started working in pubs over there, really loved Brighton. I loved being by the beach, always loved been by the beach.

"I got into a managerial role working in this Irish bar, enjoyed it. I really enjoyed my time there."

LEWES RFC

For the heck of it she started playing a spot of touch rugby with some mates. "I couldn't really commit to it because of the hours I worked, they used to play on Sunday mornings but I really started to enjoy it. I wouldn't finish work until five in the morning then get up nine to play rugby.

It was tough but I enjoyed the challenge as well. They were a great group, they definitely looked after me, picked me up for training sessions, came into the pub, we had nights out. That's where I fell in love with the game."

She played for local club Lewes, all the time she was learning about life as a rugby player. Her talent was noted particularly as a lock forward. She was asked to sign for top-ranking side Richmond. Then Covid arrived to scupper such plans. She thought she had missed the boat. Eventually, however, the big time beckoned again when Wasps asked her to sign for them. She went with the flow.

She kept her job while training and playing with the Wasps. There was a lot to learn about rugby generally and the lock-forward position specifically, but she did. She persisted. Her schedule involved numerous two-hour train journeys to turn out for Wasps but all the effort was to prove worthwhile. Irish international Cliodhna Moloney, who also played for the Wasps, helped to make a connection between Monaghan and the IRFU. It was shortly before the Rugby World Cup 2021 Europe qualifiers in Parma.

Monaghan was selected to play against Spain in a do-or-die qualifier. It didn't go too well for her. She received a yellow card and Ireland lost. It was a painful setback that really stung. "That experience pushed me on. I became more resilient as a player. In hindsight we would all change things but that's experience isn't it?"

She took nuggets of knowledge to be gained from such bitter setbacks, stored them away, grew as a player. She played for Ireland in last year's Six Nations. Not only that she was voted 'the Players' Player of the Year.' She was also selected for a team of the championship. She was on the first Irish women's team to tour Japan. She had arrived alright.

She enjoyed her time with the Wasps but the chance came last year to join another high-ranking team, Gloucester-Hartpury RFC. She went with that. She gave up her job in Brighton and has moved to Gloucester, close to the Welsh border. She coaches the Hartpury university team.

She preferred to stay in England than take up one of the full-time contracts offered by the IRFU. "I am not fully professional, unfortunately I couldn't take up the (IRFU) contract. I have my life in Gloucester, I think it is the best possible place for me right now, playing at a high level of rugby. I wanted to stay where I was."

These are turbulent times for women's rugby in Ireland but Monaghan is optimistic. She looks to how another football team has done, in another code, and feels there is a message there for the Irish rugby team. "The Meath ladies went through some tough times but they kept at it and look what they did under manager Eamonn Murray. The rugby team can do something similar." Sam Monaghan may no longer live by the sea in Brighton but she'll always fondly remember the place. It was, after all, where she took her first steps as a rugby player. First steps on a remarkable journey.