Jennifer Dunne is one of the 100 women across Ladies Football and Camogie that will benefit this year from a Gaelic Players Association grant towards furthering her education.

It is appropriate for Dunne who is in the third year of her teacher training course at St Pat’s DCU and was interviewed by media yesterday over zoom from the classroom of her school placement in Dun Laoghaire.

It was her first day in the classroom this year but what a year it has been with a second All Ireland Championship and a place on the TG4 AIG Team of the Year announced last week.

She was also part of the Cuala team that landed a first Dublin Intermediate Championship last September and the fact of being able to play for Club and County in full seasons last year was something she enjoyed.

“I enjoyed being able to train with Cuala for the full season last year. Everybody was fully involved and it was great to have full sessions with our full panel.”

Martha Byrne also plays for the Dalkey Club and earned a place on the Team of the Year as well as her fourth All Ireland last season.

This year they will be playing at Senior level in Dublin so the idea of a split season in line with that already decided in the Men’s game would be attractive.

“Knowing you could have a set season with Dublin and then you would be able to go play with the club and that you are not going to have anything holding you back, I wouldn’t be against that.”

“Yes, you would have other people who might have other commitments in the team and when the country opens up people will want to go away on holidays so it is a tricky one to try and balance.”

It was enjoyable last year though, so we will wait and see.”

She has been playing with Cuala since the age of six and comes from a family with a strong tradition in the club. Both here parents are involved in the Ladies Football management set up.

Going to school in Dalkey meant that club was her only football outlet, playing hockey and basketball there and then football and camogie in the evenings and the weekend.

It obviously did no harm.

As a strong-running midfielder, her game would likely be well suited to the Aussie Rules where three of her Dublin Colleagues are playing this summer.

It is not on her immediate agenda though. “Dublin would be my main focus. Football is my main love so I would not go over if it affected my season with Dublin,” she said.

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