After Kerry's Kate Lynch began her career in 2016, her dream of lifting the Brendan Maher Cup in Croke Park seemed to be in tatters, but in August last year her dream finally came true.
The 32-year-old moved to the Netherlands in 2016 for work reasons, having previously captained Kerry in 2015 (Lynch last captained the team before this season).
As time passed, the Kerry woman's desire to return to her native kingdom gradually faded, and she had to content herself with playing amateur Gaelic football in Amsterdam.
However, following the COVID-19 pandemic, Lynch returned to Ireland and soon donned the Kerry uniform again.
“I thought my days in the county were behind me until the COVID pandemic happened.
“I had to make the decision to move because of work (in 2016), so it was a really big decision at the time. The team had also gone through a few tough years while I was away, so I was lucky to come back at the right time.”
Lynch played a vital role in Kerry's success last season as they won their first League of Ireland title since 1993 with victory over Galway last August.
The team had suffered a number of defeats against Dublin and Meath before August and had to overcome a lot of heartache.
“Every year you have to believe in the possibility of winning.
“The more faith and the more losses, the more suffering. The comeback was quite difficult, but I think the motivation increased every year. Especially in the last two years, when we reached the final, we realized how close we were to success.”
“There were just a few small changes or nuances that we felt could be improved, and maybe that will be the case this year. I believe that, as difficult as it is, the motivation does increase.
“That's what helped us last so long.”
Kerry are two tournaments behind this season and have two trophies to their name.
The Kingdom beat Armagh in the Division One final and then went on to re-claim the Munster title by beating Waterford in the final last weekend.
Following the departure of Louise Ní Muirchertaigh, Lynch became the most experienced player in the Kerry squad as the team won back-to-back All-Ireland titles for the first time since the 1980s.
Lynch, a two-time All-Star, is pleased that Kerry continues to find success under new leadership despite the loss of veteran players.
“I think there were a lot of changes at the start of the year, with players leaving, retiring or taking a year off, and a complete change in management, so it was difficult to predict how the year would play out.
“But we were fortunate to have a really strong core left in the team and I think that played a big part in our transition compared to last year.
“You never know how the season is going to go. We were hoping to do well in the league and I think initially we were trying to avoid relegation and everything that happened after that was a real bonus.
“We were also hoping for success in the Munster Championship. We are delighted with how the season has turned out.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
