SPORT

Kerry ladies boss Quill says his team will be back for more in 2024

A little over 24 hours after his side lost out to Dublin in the 2023 All-Ireland football final, Kerry joint-manager Declan Quill assured fans that his players will be gunning for glory once again when the 2024 season comes around. Speaking at the team’s homecoming in Killarney on Monday evening, Quill heaped praise on his charges, who just came up short against the Dubs in Croke Park on Sunday.

“The girls are fabulous to work with,” the Kerins O’Rahillys man told a large crowd at the Glebe car park. “Thirty-six unbelievable role models. They’ve repre- sented themselves and their families so well over the last number of years, and especially this year.

“We brought a national title back to the county in April - that can’t be forgotten. This bunch of girls won Division 1 of the National League for the first time in 32 years. That’s a huge achievement.

“We left a big one behind us yesterday but we’re on a bit of a mission still and we’ll be back. Next year we’ll be holding the cup, hopefully.”

However, after four years in charge, Quill and co-manager Darragh Long are known to be considering their positions.

They will make a decision during the off-season.

The Kingdom travelled to the capital in confident form having beaten their opponents twice before in 2023, but they encountered a different Dublin team in HQ. With inspirational full forward Hannah Tyrrell in unbelievable form, the natives ran up a commanding half-time lead of seven (0-11 to 0-4).

The shock introduction of Kerry captain Síofra O’Shea, who injured her cruciate before the semi-final and was expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season, gave fans in green and gold a lift – al- though Quill and Long would have been hoping for a much closer game at that stage of proceedings.

A fisted goal by star forward Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh cut the deficit to four late on but, in truth, Kerry never really looked like pegging their rivals back. Fittingly, Dublin captain Carla Rowe kicked the last point of the game to leave the final score at Dublin 0-18 Kerry 1-10. Sadly, this is Kerry’s second successive final defeat as Dublin took home the Brendan Martin Cup for the first time since 2020, when they completed their four-in-a-row.

TOUGH DEFEAT:

Kerry player Síofra O'Shea consoles teammate Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh after the All-Ireland final. Manager Declan Quill says the team will be back stronger in 2024. Photo: Seb Daly/Sportsfile.