“I think it’s just a matter of looking forward for Dublin”- Dublin Camogie’s Emma O’Byrne

Challenging, even rocky at times but always enjoyable and ultimately productive. 

That is Emma O'Byrne's assessment of Dublin's 2023 Camogie campaign, a 'mixed year' that the defender believes can provide a solid foundation for a young squad brimming with potential. 

Sure, the season began with what the 23-year-old student termed 'a bit of a hiding' from Cork in the National League but it ended on a big positive in the shape of a morale boosting Championship win over Wexford.

In between, Dublin pushed Kilkenny, the then reigning All-Ireland champions, all the way in the Leinster decider, indicating that this is a talented group building towards something special.

"Absolutely," enthused O'Byrne at the announcement that Staycity Aparthotels is the new main sponsor of Dublin GAA, for a five-year term.

"We're a very player led team and I think we actually gelled a lot more this year regardless of the results and stuff. I think it's just been an upward trajectory from the start of the year really."

Progress with a young group of players was never likely to be immediate, or even linear, with humps and hollows anticipated though O'Byrne is confident they will see great gains.

"We're an extremely young team, I'm there since I was 18, in 2018, and I'm probably one of the oldest on the team at the moment," she said. "I think Aisling Maher is probably the oldest on the team. Most of the team is under 22 and I think it's just a matter of bringing that leadership and radiating it to the younger girls. And in fairness to the younger girls themselves, they've stepped up. There's a lot of young girls that have played this year that have really made an impact."

As an example, O'Byrne pointed to defender Abby Ryan. The Crumlin teenager and former Dublin underage star's soaring catch in the All-Ireland championship clash with Kilkenny at Parnell Park last June was one of the highlights of that encounter.

"She would have played full-back for us for most of the year and she's only 18 or something like that so it's great to see those kinds of younger players make their way into the team," said O'Byrne.

"I think it's just a matter of getting our core group right so that we can build towards our targets. We have a lot of girls back this year that we would have missed last year as well, which is great, the likes of Niamh Gannon and Kerrie Finnegan who have been so solid for us. And, again, with younger players stepping up I think it's all really promising."

Gerry McQuaid will be in charge again with experienced coach Micky McCullough and Wexford great Mags D'Arcy alongside him. They all met up as a group last week and O'Byrne said that management spoke with confidence about there being 'medals in the room' - they just haven't been won yet.

But first things first, the National League will be an immediate priority following relegation from Division 1A earlier this year. 

"We found ourselves in a position that we were relegated to 1B," said O'Byrne, who acknowledged that securing promotion is a priority. "I think it's a matter of keeping small goals like that in our minds. We'll be building up first of all towards the league to hopefully get promoted again to 1A. I think that's our goal now, keep it in small steps and push on that way."

O'Byrne described the progress of Waterford, All-Ireland finalists this year for the first time since 1945, as 'inspiring' and she hopes it is something that Dublin can emulate.

"Definitely, yeah," she nodded. "I think it was really inspiring watching them, even the likes of Beth Carton, who was playing with Waterford when maybe they didn't reach the later stages of the championship. It definitely does inspire us to push on, to just focus on the future rather than kind of dwelling on the past. I think it's just a matter of looking forward for Dublin."