Aine McGovern was a proud spectator as she cheered her brother Michael to qualification in the group stages at the European Championships, but the former Enniskillen Integrated pupil has an impressive football pedigree of her own.
Michael has merely been following in his younger sister’s footsteps, with Aine having pulled on the Northern Ireland jersey long before Michael won his first cap.
Indeed, the pair are the only brother and sister combination ever to represent their country at senior level while younger brother Joe, another goalkeeper, will hope to follow in their footsteps one day.
Aine was an accomplished right back, who worked her way up from the Integrated Primary School playground to win international recognition for her country, playing for the under 19s in European Championships in both Bulgaria and Lithuania, and also turning out for the senior team in FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship qualifiers until her job as a doctor meant work commitments brought a premature end to her football career.
“At the very beginning I would have played with Michael at school and played in the boy’s football team at the Integrated,” she recalled. 
“When I was about 12 or 13 I got onto the Northern Ireland women’s team, and played through all the age groups with them.
“ I got involved with the local girls team which was the only girls football team in the county and went into under 16s with Northern Ireland, then on to the Under 19s, Under 21s and then the senior team.
“ I think I played for just over ten years right through Uni, but once I started working it became impossible to get time off so I had to stop.”
And brother Michael says his sister was a talented performer and that their feat is something for the family to be proud of.
“Aine was a great footballer but she was going on to be a doctor so it was hard to keep it going when she started work. It is great for the family to have that record and something that everybody is proud of,” said Northern Ireland star Michael.
The McGovern made a family holiday out of the European Championships with the whole family travelling out to watch Michael and the rest of the team in the group games in France. 
Aine and the family travelled to and from each game with the rest of the players families and were invited on a family day with the players and management at their training camp after the victory over Ukraine. 
It was in the stands however where the memories were really made.
“It was the best time ever! The whole tournament was great and to do what they did was brilliant,” said Aine. 
“I would go watch Michael in Scotland for his club team, but the Euros were probably the most nervous I have ever been watching. I knew he would be fine because I know what he can do, but it was a wee bit nerve wracking. It was exciting too and the atmosphere was absolutely incredible.
“ It’s hard to describe it unless you were there but the support they had from the fans was brilliant. 
“After the Germany game we stayed in the stadium with the fans, just jumping up and down. It was brilliant. I think we kept the family bus waiting because we didn’t want to leave!”
Michael’s performance in that Germany game earned him rave reviews from across Europe, but Aine admits she was slightly surprised with the reaction to his man of the match performance against the World Champions. “All the saves he made were saves I had seen him make before, although maybe not all eight in one game against the Germany squad, which obviously made it different,” she said. 
“I knew he had a good game but I didn’t realise the impact his performance would have. I’m delighted for him because he deserves it. He has always worked so hard. A lot of football is about opportunities. He has made those sort of saves before but it all about who sees him do it, and this was a great opportunity to let other people see him make those saves. 
“Michael is really well known in Scotland, but maybe not so much at home, so for the Northern Ireland supporters to see it was good. Unless you were familiar with Scottish football you might not have known how well he could play.”
The narrow defeat ensured Northern Ireland’s progress to the last 16 to play Wales, but the team had to do without Aine’s support in Paris as she had to return to work.
“Most people in work on Friday were asking me why I was there!” she said. 
“We had booked for ten days to get to all the group games. Unfortunately I had to work Friday, Saturday and Sunday so when they got through I wasn’t there because I couldn’t get work swapped. I had to come back and work the weekend and I was trying to keep a watch on as much of the match as I could. 
“I was doing long 13 hour shifts through the weekend, but I still managed to see the game. They played brilliantly and the result was so disappointing because they played so well.”
After a great performance against some of the World’s greatest teams, Aine is hopeful that the success of the national team will help boost the local game at grassroots level. 
“It is great for Fermanagh because it’s been nice to show to everybody the talent that has come out of the county,” she said. 
“It’s not just Michael but Kyle Lafferty and Roy Carroll, and hopefully it will encourage others from the area. 
“It would be good if it could encourage more girls to get involved as well. 
“The women’s Northern Ireland team are doing quite well and the under 19s European Championships are going to be held in Northern Ireland for the first time ever, so it is great for all of Northern Ireland football to be promoted.”
And she is hopeful that the Euro’s is just the first of many major championships for the team.
 “It was fab and we are looking forward to whatever happens next. 
“I’ll have to make sure I’m not working any weekends over the World Cup!”