Cáit Lynch thought Kerry days were over before return to panel after Covid-19
Leaving for work in 2016, the dream for Kerry's Cáit Lynch to lift the Brendan Maher cup in Croke Park looked like it was gone, but her dream came true last August.
The 32-year-old moved to the Netherlands in 2016 for work, having been captain of Kerry in 2015, the last time Lynch was captain before this season.
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As the years went by, the Kerry woman's changes of returning for the kingdom were fading, as she was reduced to playing recreational Gaelic football in Amsterdam.
However, after the Covid-19 pandemic, Lynch found herself back in Ireland, and soon back in a Kerry jersey.
"I thought the county days had passed me until Covid happened.
"'I had to make the decision to leave for work (in 2016) so it was a very big decision at the time. They put down a good few tough years as well when I was away, so I was lucky enough to come back when I did."
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Lynch was key for Kerry last season as they won their first All-Ireland title since 1993 when they defeated Galway last August.
Before August, there was final defeats to Dublin and Meath, as they had to dig deep to overcome heartbreak.
"Every year, you have to believe that you can win.
"The bigger the belief and the bigger the loss, the bigger the hurt as well. It was very tough to come back, but I suppose the motivation nearly grew every year as well. Especially in the two previous years where we'd gotten to finals, we knew we were so close.
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"There were just a few little changes or small things that could be changed that we think, right, maybe this could be the year then. I do think, as tough as it is, the motivation does actually grow.
"That's what kept us going for so long as well."
Two competitions down so far this season, and Kerry have two pieces of silverware.
The Kingdom defeated Armagh in the Division One final, and followed it up with another Munster championship with a victory over Waterford in the final last weekend.
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Following the the retirement of Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh, Lynch is now Kerry's longest serving player, as they search for back-to-back All-Ireland's for the first time since the 1980s.
For the two-time all-star, Lynch is pleased Kerry have continued their success under new management and the loss of experienced players.
"I suppose at the start of the year we had a lot of changes with players leaving, retiring or taking a year out, and we had a complete change to the management as well, so it's hard to know how the year will pan out.
'But we were lucky that a really strong core of the team had stayed and I think that really helped with the transition from last year.
'You just never know how a season is going to go. We were hoping that we'd do well in the league, I think initially we were trying not to get relegated and then anything after that is nearly a bonus.
'We were hoping to do well in the Munster championship as well. We've been delighted with how the season has gone so far.'
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