Rachel Dwyer continuing a great family tradition in Kerry

“We’re always encouraged from home. From my Mum and my Dad. They’re always pushing you to be the best you can be, but also to enjoy it as much as you can." 

Rachel Dwyer of Kerry during the Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 1 Round 1 match between Dublin and Kerry at Phairc Jysk in Dublin. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile

It is a sport she has loved from a very young age and with several members of her extended family having done likewise in the past, Rachel Dwyer is embracing life as a Gaelic footballer with Kerry.

A native of Waterville who lines out for the Southern Gaels club, Dwyer’s father Denis was a two-time All-Ireland winner with the Kerry men’s team in 1997 and 2000. In both of those years, her legendary uncle Maurice Fitzgerald (his sister Michelle got married to Denis in 2001) was also a pivotal figure as the Kingdom claimed the Sam Maguire Cup under the guidance of the late Páidí Ó Sé.