Dublin ladies are one step away from top prize

DUBLIN and Kerry will clash for the first time in the TG4 All-Ireland senior decider when the 50th final of the competition takes place at Croke Park on Sunday.

It’s only the third time in history that the same counties have contested the men’s and ladies finals in the same year.

In 1982 Kerry won the ladies title and Offaly shocked the Kingdom to lift the Sam Maguire Cup, while Dublin did the double against Mayo in 2017.

This will be Kerry’s 14th final and Dublin will be the ninth team they have faced in the showdown, having previously taken on Tipperary, Offaly, Leitrim, Westmeath, Wexford, Laois, Cork and Meath in the final.

They have won 11 of their 13 finals to date and along with neighbours Cork are the joint most prolific winners of the competition.

Lucan Sarsfields Abby Shiels has impressed for the Dublin senior ladies this season

Kerry, who defeated Mayo by 1-16 to 1-11 in Saturday’s semi-final at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles, were defeated by Meath in last year’s final and have not lifted the title since 1993.

This will be Dublin’s 13th appearance in the final, having won five and lost seven so far.

They have played five counties so far in the final — Cork (six times), Mayo (twice), Galway (twice), Tyrone and Meath.

Their last final appearance was in 2021 and they last lifted the title in 2020 when they defeated Cork.

Dublin manager Mick Bohan with selector Derek Murray from Round Tower’s

Mick Bohan’s side proved too strong for Cork in a repeat of that showdown in Saturday’s second semi-final in Thurles when they set up their historic meeting with Kerry with a 2-19 to 0-13 win.

Dublin have certainly come of age this year with Clondalkin girl Hannah Tyrrell leading the charge up front with her experience.

Tyrrell scored a goal and two points for the Jackies in the semi-final win over Cork while she also impressed in the earlier rounds.

She will need to be on top form if the Dubs are going to go all the way with other players like Jennifer Dunne, Carla Rowe and Lauren Magee leading by example.

Lucan Sarsfields keeper Abby Shiels has also played her part in the Dubs run, particularly in the semis when she pulled of a couple of good saves.

Dublin manager Mick Bohan, who led Dublin to four All-Ireland titles in a row from 2017, is delighted his side have made it back to the final after several alterations to his panel this year.

“If you had asked me last October would we be in the final I didn’t think so with so many changes to our panel.

“But the experienced players put in so much effort in helping the younger ones over the months which has us here now,” he said.

“To beat Cork in the semis is always an achievement as we have had some dark days against them.

“Whether it was one point or 10 points it didn’t matter as long as we won.

“The most important thing was to get there to the All-Ireland final.”

But Bohan knows that they will face a different challenge in the final as they meet Kerry in the decider for the first time in history.

“Kerry are the best team in the country in terms of physicality and skill levels.

“They bullied us in the league and I don’t mean that in a bad way. So we know what kind of a battle we are in in the final,” added Bohan.

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