FOR THREE YEARS in succession, Dublin conquered all in front of them but fell inches short against Cork in the TG4 All Ireland ladies senior football final.
Three wonderful games in 2014, 2015 and 2016, lost by a combined total of four points – they couldn’t have come any closer.
After finally making their breakthrough last year, before going on to add the county’s very first Lidl National League Division 1 title in May, supporters of the capital have high expectations of Mick Bohan’s side in advance of this summer’s championship.
The stage is set for the Dublin ladies to go on and establish a dynasty, but a full-time firefighter doesn’t need to be told how quickly things can go up in smoke. Consequently, Lyndsey Davey is well aware that before they can entertain any such thoughts they need to get their house in order in advance of their clash with Westmeath in Sunday’s TG4 Leinster senior final at Netwatch Cullen Park in Carlow (4pm).
“With any team your main goal is to be in an All-Ireland final but it is one of those things you have to take it one game at a time” said Davey ahead of a clash that could see Dublin win a seventh TG4 Leinster senior crown on the trot.
“If you start getting complacent and focusing on an All-Ireland you’re going to get caught out. We know the challenges that we face against Westmeath in July, so we won’t take anything for granted against them.
“There is a new formula for the All-Ireland now as well with the group stages. It’s going to be a very competitive championship campaign, and we need to be ready to go right from the start”.
Davey would love to see more Leinster teams operating at a higher level, but while there were three teams in the province that played senior last year, the campaign still ended with a 19-point win for her team at Netwatch Cullen Park. This time, she expects it to be a lot tougher.
“It’s not ideal for the senior championship only having two teams in Leinster with the one game. But it is what it is, we had a great game against Westmeath in the league so I’ve no doubt that’s going to be another interesting battle come the final.
“They’ve improved a lot in the last twelve months, they’ve gotten a lot stronger physically, they’ve got a bit more experience, and they’ve consolidated in the top division of the league. They’re in a good place”.
At the time of the launch, Davey was back with Skerries Harps as the Dublin club scene took advantage of the gap in the county calendar. For someone in her line of work however, staying busy and balancing different commitments is just a fact of life.
“I really enjoy the firefighting work, it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. It’s really down to my crew that I am able to do that and play football for Dublin. There is a lot of swapping shifts and it ties in with the training as well.
“If our training clashes with work I would just do my gym session in work. We have a fully equipped gym, and with my crew being so good and Mick (Bohan) being so understanding, it really works.
“You could be in the same boat being a doctor and having to do shift work. When you have a lot of people around you who understand how important it is and how much it means to you, you can certainly make it work.”