Dublin focus on football pays dividends

THEY did some soul-searching in Dublin last year after losing the All-Ireland semi-final.

They had to. As their skipper Martina Farrell contends, they have been there or thereabouts in recent years, but never able to make the final step. Teams like Laois and Mayo were always that bit sharper.

They scratched their heads and came up with the solution. There were too many distractions. Too many girls were playing other sports. In 2003, it was just about football. No soccer. No basketball. No hockey. Just football. If they want to compete with the very best, they had to act like the very best. Other sports didn’t come into the equation. Most of the Dublin team didn’t mind. For one, it took quite a bit of adjustment.