Dublin camogie star Aisling Maher.
By Daragh Ó Conchúir
It is seven years since Dublin were last in the semi-finals of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship and 40 since the O’Duffy Cup sojourned by the Liffey but Aisling Maher says the current squad is motivated by restoring just some of those glory days and inspiring the next generation.
It speaks volumes for the stranglehold the Metropolitans once had on camogie that despite the lengthy All-Ireland famine, they remain in second on the roll of honour with 26 titles, only three shy of leaders Cork, who they play at UPMC Nowlan Park on Saturday (1.15pm, live on RTÉ One). They also have the best winning strike rate of any county in finals, emerging victorious in 26 of the county’s 36 appearances (72%).
The golden era stretched from the 1930s right through to the ‘60s, with the ’84 triumph a one-off reminder of what used to be bridging an 18-year gap.
Maher earned an All-Star when the Dubs last got as far as the penultimate hurdle and is now an inspirational skipper of the current squad. Far from distancing herself from the county’s storied past, the St Vincents’ star embraces it.
The seniors already banked silverware via the Very Division 1B League, while the minors bagged the All-Ireland Minor A Shield in a replay.
“We are well aware of the kind of success and the standard of camogie that Dublin camogie represented 40-50 years ago,” says Maher. “I think 40 years this year we won the All-Ireland and they're going to celebrate with the GPA at a Legends’ Luncheon.
“We know it doesn’t come easily and I guess our goal is just to kind of get back closer to that and to try and emulate some of that success again… to perform and get back to the top table.
“There's a huge amount of work being put in. I've said before, Karl (O’Brien), our chairman does so much work. I don't know how he holds a full-time job and a family and kids as well on top of it… there's so much work put in by so many people behind the scenes, from everyone on our management team to everyone on the county board to the girls that are out playing and training.
“It takes that many people to get behind the county to push on the development. So ultimately, I think, we're going in the right direction.
“There were several groups of kids (at the quarter-final in Croke Park). And there has been down in Parnell Park and stuff. This is why it's really important that more games are played in venues like Croke Park, Parnell Park. It’s so much easier to get teams of kids out and get them to support the occasion and get them get a bit of a buzz around Dublin camogie, when it's played on these pitches, when it's on TV.
“And so it’s just a brilliant opportunity to showcase the game and hopefully they continue to support us.”