Versatile Hannah Tyrrell so grateful for her sporting life

Hannah Tyrrell describes sport as having been “pivotal” throughout her life and if you look through the photo archives for the 26-year-old from Clondalkin in Dublin, you get an idea of how all-consuming it has been since she was a child. And varied, too.

There’s a photo of her winning a 5k charity race in the Phoenix Park, another of her collecting a futsal trophy with Trinity College. Then she’s being presented with the player of the match award for a goalkeeping performance for the Dublin Gaelic football team, and another action photo of her playing outfield for her county.

And then she’s pictured playing rugby for Old Belvedere, Leinster and Ireland’s Sevens. And the latest entry, the winger touching down last Sunday after a run from her own half to give Ireland a last-minute bonus point away to Italy which put them top of the Six Nations table.

That’s what you might call an all-rounder.

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Soccer was her first love, then she switched codes when she joined Clondalkin’s Round Tower GAA club, going on to play for Dublin from under-14 level up to the seniors, winning underage All-Ireland titles along the way.

Up until late 2013 she had never even picked up a rugby ball. In less than two years she had represented her country in both Sevens and 15s.

“I’d have laughed at anyone who said that would happen,” she says. “Once I took up rugby it was an ambition of mine to play for Ireland, but I didn’t think things would turn out the way they have. I’m very grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given.”

After being encouraged by a friend to give rugby a go, Tyrrell joined Old Belvedere, and soon became one of a number of players who had come from other sports who was invited to try out for the Sevens. She ended up joining the IRFU’s Sevens programme in the build-up to the qualifying phase for the Rio Olympics, Tyrrell achieving an ambition she never believed possible: becoming a full-time athlete.

Green jersey

“Growing up, I just never thought that would be a possibility. I had a lot of male role models then, Roy Keane and the like, you saw the opportunities that they were presented with but they just weren’t there for women in Ireland. So I never, ever thought that this would happen.”

“It was hard giving up GAA, but it was an opportunity I couldn’t really let pass by – being able to represent your country, wearing the green jersey with pride, travelling the world, training in a full-time professional environment, something that at the time Gaelic football wasn’t offering.

“It was a new challenge for me as well, I jumped at the chance. The opportunities I’ve had have been phenomenal, where I’ve come from in sport has just been amazing. It completely transformed my life.”

And Tyrrell’s life needed transforming, as she has so powerfully articulated in her role as a spokeswoman for the Irish Rugby Union Players’ Association Tackle Your Feelings mental wellbeing campaign.

From the age of 12, her problems escalating four or five years later, she struggled with eating disorders which, in turn, led to self-harming. Tyrrell was consumed with such self-loathing that harming herself, she says, was a form of punishment.

It was a brutally difficult time for the youngster who bottled it all up and, for a lengthy period, sought no help. Sport, she says, was her only release, her safety net, at a time when the greatest danger was that she would isolate herself and withdraw from life.

“Sport just gave me an out, really. I could shut my mind off, shut out all the negativity that was in my life, shut out the battles in my head, focus on something that I really enjoyed doing an hour or two a day.

“And it meant that I was surrounded by friends who I made playing sport, who were with me every step of the way. And I can’t thank them enough for that. Sport really has been pivotal for me throughout my life, in every way.”

Best things

When she finally began to open up about her problems, around the age of 16, first attending Pieta House and then St Patrick’s Hospital, she was, with the help of a supportive loving family, on the road to recovery. It was a long road, but once she took her first steps she knew it was a battle she could win. Just talking about it all, she says, was the beginning of that rehabilitation.

“And that’s why I was so happy to get involved with the campaign. It was something I felt was the right thing to do. It was an opportunity to speak about my mental health, to share my story, open up, and to hopefully help others, maybe get through about something people might be struggling with. It’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever done. The amount of people who have contacted me saying how much it’s helped them has just been phenomenal, there’s been an amazing response.”

“And I know it would have massively helped me to have been able to hear someone I looked up to talk about how they were struggling with things, that things aren’t always perfect but they’d come through it. That you can have bad times but you can come through it and good things can still come about. I just hope people can take something from what I’ve talked about. And the most important thing is that you talk to someone, reach out.”

Tyrrell, who is doing a degree in history and geography in UCD after taking time out from her studies during her recovery, is relishing this phase of her life, and loving every moment of her rugby career.

Considering she had only returned from Australia, where she played in the latest round of the World Rugby Sevens Series for Ireland, on Tuesday of last week before flying out to Italy with the 15s on the Friday, it was an impressive burst of energy she produced 81 minutes in to the game against Italy.

You can’t have scored many better tries than that?

“Definitely not – although I don’t score many any way,” she laughs. “That was my first 15s try, so I was happy to get it. When the ball came to me I don’t think I had anything in mind, I was a bit in shock, I wasn’t expecting the kick from Nora [Stapleton] at all. I just picked it up and went with it.”

Exceptional achievement

Whether or not she can play a full part in the rest of Ireland’s Six Nations campaign remains to be seen; the Sevens are back in action later this month in Las Vegas in the latest round of the World Series.

“I’m contracted to Sevens, so that’s my priority, but it’s entirely up to Anthony Eddy (the Sevens coach) and Tom Tierney (the 15s coach) whether they think it’s a good idea for me to be playing both Six Nations and the Las Vegas tournament. I’d love to, but I know that’s not feasible at times. When the decision is made I’ll just give my all for whichever team I end up playing for. Either way, I’ll still be representing Ireland and I’m very proud and honoured to be able to pull on that green shirt.”

You need a private jet to whisk you between the two?

“Well, if anyone would like to provide me with one, that would be perfect,” she laughs.

“But I’d hope to play 15s as much as I can in the run up to this summer’s World Cup [in Ireland], it’s going to be phenomenal and I’d love to be involved in it. And there’s the 2018 Sevens World Cup too that we’re trying to qualify for. It’s all go.”

Life’s good, then.

Is there a sense that after what you came through, you can handle any challenge?

“I would like to think so, that if anything else came my way I’d be able to deal with it in a proper manner, I’d be able to overcome it and get back to where I was, or need to be. And I wouldn’t change any part of my story, it’s made me what I am. And from where I’ve come to where I am now is an exceptional achievement for me. So, yeah, I’m very proud of myself, both on and off the pitch. The person I’ve become today is someone I’m very proud of. I’m very happy with who I am.”