STILL ON THE ROAD TO CROKER…
CAIT LYNCH OF KERRY TALKS TO DAIRE WALSH ABOUT THEIR RECENT EXPERIENCES ON THE BIG STAGE
By Daire Walsh
After going close to nine years without playing there, the Kerry ladies footballers have made Croke Park something of a second home in recent times. While they won’t be thinking past their encounter with Mayo next weekend in the TG4 Senior Semi-Final, their ultimate goal is of course to get back to Croke Park on the biggest of days in 2023.
Following their 0-16 to 0-7 defeat to provincial adversaries Cork in the TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship final on October 7, 2012, it wasn’t until June 26, 2021 that the Kingdom found themselves back in GAA HQ for a competitive fixture. Kerry also fell short on that day to Meath in a Lidl National Football League Division 2 decider, before finally getting over the line in the same competition against Armagh at the north Dublin venue in April 2022.
They also made the trip to Croker for two championship outings last year – an All-Ireland semi-final win over Mayo and a subsequent Brendan Martin Cup final reversal to Meath – and returned to take on Galway in the Lidl NFL Division 1 showdown on April 15 of this year.
Selected at right-corner back for that All-Ireland loss just under 11 years ago, Castleisland Desmonds stalwart Cait Lynch started her sixth game at Croke Park as Kerry claimed their 12th top-tier league crown with a convincing 5-11 to 1-10 triumph over the Tribeswomen. While not every game has gone their way, Lynch is adamant that playing in the ground on a regular basis worked in their favour against Galway.
“It’s a huge advantage. For us, getting to play in our first Division Two final a couple of years ago, to get to play in Croke Park it was the first time that the majority of the girls on our team had played in Croke Park. Maybe there was three or four of us that had previously and that was probably nine years previous as well,” Lynch remarked in the aftermath of their Division 1 triumph.
“To get even that first experience in was great. We built on that then in the Division Two final last year. Getting to play there a couple of times last year and then this year. It’s always a great experience to get to play in Croke Park, but you don’t get caught up in the occasion as much once you’ve gotten to play here as well.”
In terms of national silverware, Lynch’s haul with Kerry had amounted to two NFL Division 2 crowns coming into 2023. Although she cherishes these medals from 2013 and 2022, the 30-year-old is more than happy to add another accolade to her list of career achievements.
“To have gotten two Division Two titles is brilliant. To make the step up now, even in our first year back up in Division One, it was a massive thing. From day dot this year, we wanted to do well up in Division One because it’s our opportunity to actually play against the best teams in the country as well.
“As well, we want to just continue with the momentum we had, going from getting into the All-Ireland final and putting in strong performances. To get to the final was brilliant. It was a long six-week wait almost as well [from when they had officially qualified], but it was a long 32-year wait for us as well to actually get the Division One. We’re delighted to get it.”
Whereas some teams might be negatively affected by an All-Ireland final defeat, Kerry’s 3-10 to 1-7 loss at the hands of Meath last July seems to have made them all the more determined to stamp their authority on the 2023 season.
“I suppose it’s maybe a fight or flight reaction after the lows of losing an All-Ireland final. It’s tough to come back, but it has galvanised us now this year. We put in a really strong pre-season and it’s moving with the momentum we had last year to just really build on what we did last year,” Lynch explained.
“Because we had a really strong championship campaign and we just want to focus on that rather than the loss. Learn from our loss as well and really try to work hard now for the rest of the year.”
Up until 2022, Lynch had been working out of Lidl’s head office in Dublin on the CSR purchasing team and commuted back and forth to Kerry for both training and matches. However, a change in circumstances has enabled her to be based at home and it has helped to put an extra pep in her step.
“Last year was quite tough, on the road the whole time. I’ve moved back down to Kerry and I’m working from home there now. It’s a new lease of life. I’ve been able to balance work and football much better this year and it’s great. You’re really able to even focus more on recovery and focus on football as well a little bit more when you’re not just driving the whole time.”
One of the more interesting aspects of the final pairing of Galway and Kerry for the Division 1 league final was that both teams were being guided by joint-managers. Maghnus Breathnach and Fiona Wynne are overseeing the development of the Connacht side, while Darragh Long and Declan Quill have shared the Kingdom helm since the winter of 2019.
Building on their work as underage coaches within the county, they have moulded this Kerry group into a team that are now expected to challenge at the business end of every competition they enter into.
“The lads came in and they had been minor managers. They brought in a lot of minors as well with them. For the past three or four years, we’ve been building. The younger girls have been maturing and getting stronger. Physically, mentally. It has been great to even get to see all the players and management develop over the past few years.
“The lads have brought great life and excitement into Kerry football and it’s not just the two lads as well. They’d be the first ones to say it. It’s the entire background team that are just brilliant. Everyone brings something really great and really positive into the team.
“All the players, all the management, all the backroom are very positive. Really great people, who really just love Kerry ladies football. It’s an absolute pleasure to play with them.”
Kerry take on Mayo in the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final at Semple Stadium, Thurles, at 5pm on Saturday 29th of July. The game will be live on TG4.