By Cian O’Connell

At a time when a new 20x20 campaign is being unveiled to assist in the growth and development of womens sport in Ireland the Ladies Football success story continues to supply hope and inspiration.

Dublin’s successful defence of their All Ireland crown was a reminder of what can be achieved when graft is married with craft, but most of that special team know about the value and importance of what is happening.

Last month’s September decider attracted 50,141 spectators to Croke and Dublin’s Olwen Carey spoke impressively about how the Dublin panel are ready, willing, and able to act as role models for the next generation.

“For us we want to try if we can to be role models for young girls playing,” Carey states. “I looked up to the likes of Denise Masterson or Siobhan McGrath from my club so hopefully if we can create role models or if it is just the team in general for young girls to look up to, I do think it does help.

“Maybe somebody could think I want to play like them and it does help inspire people if they do see you can enjoy it and how much you can get out of football outside of it because it gives you great skills.

“Hopefully it can encourage more girls to play because girls do have a tendency to stop playing around 13 or 14, that is where we need to keep encouraging girls to keep playing.”

That process is certainly being helped in the capital by Dublin’s success and Carey is adamant that young girls can remain interested in sporting activities. “The last few years have been good because we are getting asked to go back to our schools and being asked to go to clubs which is always nice,” Carey states.

“At the end of the day you hope that by winning you might inspire some people to stay on, to continue to play. Looking back on it now it is great. The first week you are still celebrating, but the few weeks after it you sit back to start to appreciate it.”

For the second successive year the attendance record at the Ladies Football Finals day was broken adding to the sense of satisfaction surrounding the event.

“On the day it was nice to see the upper stand open again,” Carey adds. “We didn't really notice it until afterwards when we were told what the record was which was great to see as well.”