Different motivation but the fire still burns in Dublin skipper Carla Rowe

Carla Rowe and many of her Dublin team-mates found themselves in uncharted territory, having been dumped out of the 2022 All-Ireland race at the quarter-final stage by Donegal.

Since making her debut in 2014, Rowe had appeared in eight straight All-Ireland finals (winning four of them) and there was a giant hole to fill on the biggest day of their calendar.

There was a “numbing feeling” that she couldn’t get her head around but there was strength in numbers as the rest of the Dublin squad and management landed out to her house in Naul to watch the All-Ireland final together.

There weren’t many words spoken as Meath made it back-to-back All-Ireland successes but it was in north county Dublin that day at the end of July where the seeds were sown for the next 12 months.

​“Those days, that’s your dream. That’s the day that you’ve been a part of the last eight years and it’s the dream of where you want to be every year,” Rowe tells the Irish Independent.

“From that day on, we said, ‘Look, whoever is with us next year we’re going to make sure to kick on and make sure we’re back there, use the feeling to drive us forward’.

“Those people in the room understand the feeling because we’re trying to go for a collective goal together, so every single one of us had shared feelings those days.

“There was a real moment that day where we said, ‘That has to be us next year’ and it was just for a little second. The game was over and it went quiet. Everyone kind of looked at each other and didn’t need to say any words, we knew we were going to have to put our shoulder to the wheel next year and make sure that we got that experience of being in an All-Ireland final.”

There was plenty of turbulence along the way, with high-profile players stepping aside, but there’s nothing like a gut-wrenching experience to reignite the hunger within and that’s exactly what it did for Rowe and Co.

Rowe would lead them up the Hogan Stand steps last August in what “will always be one of the most memorable years playing for Dublin”, made all the sweeter as “everyone wrote us off”.

The Dublin skippers insists that “hunger and motivation changes” for 2024 as the new season kicks off against Mayo in Parnell Park tomorrow, with Mick Bohan’s side bidding to cement their place at the summit of the ladies’ game.

That task is helped immensely by experienced heads like Sinéad Goldrick, Nicole Owens, Olwen Carey and Jessica Tobin returning to the fold, with Rowe having little interest in resting on their laurels. She wants to “keep pushing”.

“We probably learned last year that the hard work pays off so we know it can be challenging at times but we know that it’s worth it in the long run, especially later on in the season, It’s money in the bank, it’s worth it,” she says.

“Last year we were written off and the outlook was, ‘Well, we need to show people that they’re wrong and Dublin aren’t gone and we’re back’. I suppose you’re the underdogs and you’re coming through that way.

“This year you still have to have the same amount of hunger but it’s just coming in a different shape or form. We need to make sure that we back it up and make sure that wasn’t just a once-off performance or a once-off year.

“We want to make sure that the new girls that came in this year get to contribute and get to experience the feeling when you succeed as a group because there is nothing like it.

“A group really gets bonded fully when you have been successful together and there is something when you cross that line together and you’ve achieved something, it bonds you in a different way.”

Rowe, a biology and science teacher in Balbriggan Community College, intends to make the most of her profession by essentially becoming a semi-professional athlete over the coming months.

“That’s exactly what I’m intending on being. That’s the pros to being a teacher. It’s full focus on football, this is the important time of the season and my career allows me to give all I can to it.

“It would be neglectful of me not to put as much time and effort into it as I can. I’ll be enjoying some nice recovery sessions and extra massages and all the extra bits I can do to help my performance.”

Rowe, who will run her own Advanced Skills Camp at the end of July (25-26) in her native Clann Mhuire club, is an inspiration to all budding footballers, having only taken up the game at the age of 13.

Gymnastics was her thing before her family moved from Lusk to Naul and she fell in love with the big ball. Her initial goal was to earn a Dublin jersey through development squads but she has exceeded all expectations.

The 29-year-old attacker is now Dublin’s heartbeat but she still feels as fresh as ever. “I still feel like I’m about 22 or 23 and it’s a privilege and an honour to be in this position.”