Current Ireland and Leinster rugby player Lindsay Peat has done it all. She is an all-round sports star who has excelled at more sports than one and is not stopping any time soon. Peat has an 2009 All-Ireland winners medal from her time with Dublin Ladies footballers, she captained DCU Mercy to National Cup and Super League wins and co-captained the national basketball team, played for the Republic of Ireland U18’s team, she was Irish Rugby’s Women’s Player of the Year in 2017 and the list goes on. There’s not much else for Peat to attempt at the highest level, but one of her proudest sporting career moments to date is getting her first cap with the Irish basketball team.
“It would be my first cap at Irish basketball. I don’t remember much of it, but I know it was one of my proudest moments. Not making the underage Irish team before and I probably felt that I didn’t give myself a chance or wasn’t given enough fair chances. Juliette Murphy, Michelle Fahy, Niamh Dwyer, Kate Maher, there was loads of unreal players at the time at underage level. I remember they all hated me when I first arrived too. To work towards making that team and to come through a lot of personal stumbling blocks, lose 5 stone, get fit, enjoy proving people wrong including myself and then being awarded co-captaincy with Michelle Fahy was a dream. Basketball helped develop me to the player I am and I’m not just saying that. I had 20 years of a basketball career before I moved onto anything else really. How I played GAA and basketball in the same summer of 2009 is beyond me.”
Peat broke her leg when Ireland faced England in the 2020 Women’s Six Nations Championship. During lockdown she has been doing all she can to ensure she is back fit and healthy before rugby returns.
“So we have a side gate and I have been doing chin-ups on the gate. Neighbours are walking by and you know they are smiling because of their eyes but can’t see because they are wearing a mask. They are waving at me and I’m in the middle of a chin up. It has all been very weird and tough for everyone. Not that we took sport for granted, but its nearly like a breakup isn’t it? Your like, oh no I made a bad choice, I want you back now.”
Peat has been known for her competitive streak on the court and on the pitch and this came from her childhood growing up hanging out with two of her friends, who got her ready for what the world had to throw at her. She hated being called ‘the girl’ and always wanted to prove herself to them, that she was well able to play with the boys, which indeed she was. Her competitive streak even shines through when playing musical chairs with her Irish rugby teammates, as she explained to ‘Bench Talk’ host Jacqui Hurley.
“There’s no such thing as games, Jacqui. I definitely bumped someone out of the way a couple of times. We do this thing at training now where it is news, sport, weather and entertainment and the front row was on entertainment. So one day we played musical chairs and I went in and I took everyone out. That’s my job, you’re either in or you’re out so yeah, I was musical chairs champion.”
Peat has been influenced by many coaches and players that she has played with or against throughout all the sports and they have made her the player and person that she is today. Head coach of DCU Mercy Basketball Club and Dublin GAA High-Performance Coach, Mark Ingle is the coach that has had the biggest influence on her.
“I’d have to give it to Mark Ingle. He never gave up on me. There was probably a period of time when I was younger where I was fiery and I’d be getting thrown out of the gym. Mark would always be willing to take you on one-on-one. Always willing to develop your skill. Never held us back, he was always trying to make you better. Never had a problem with a no look pass. I’m sure we’ll talk about ‘The Last Dance’, but all the moves you’re seeing on telly, he would have no problem with you doing any of that. Now if you missed them it would be a different story.”
Peat has played in many arenas, pitches and stadia around the world, but it’s the UL Arena which took the top spot.
“My favourite stadium is probably UL, I love the UL Arena. Shout out to UL, one of my favourite stadiums. I loved the National Basketball arena as well, I have so many fond memories there.”
Peat also reflected fondly on her times playing at Croke Park for Dublin’s Ladies.
“Ah, dream come true. I remember in 1995 when Dublin won, we were going out for a drive and my family aren’t really sporty and I was getting them to turn on the radio to listen to it. I remember Goosebumps and feeling really emotional when we won. I’m from Artane. Hearing the Artane band practicing every year, like even at All-Irelands you would be there saying go on the Artane band! To watch this growing up, to watch the Jason Sherlock’s, the Shane Ryan’s, Ciaran Whelan’s all the great players. I’m so proud of being a Dub. But then to be in a Dublin jersey, running out to Croke Park, listening to the screams, the national anthem playing, it was just unreal. One of the most fantastic stadiums. Some pitches you would be on, no disrespect to any of them, but there may be a pothole here or there, but this was like carpet! It was like a carpet in Áras an Uachtaráin, the best carpet ever laid, you just wanted to lie down and stroke it for a while.’
Episode 6 of Bench Talk featuring current Meteors and Irish international, Edel Thornton, takes place on Wednesday July 16th at 8pm on Basketball Ireland’s social channels.
