Aisling Maher hopes Dublin can build on promising 2024

Dublin camogie player Aisling Maher hopes her team can build on a successful 2024 campaign as the Very Camogie League gets underway this weekend.

After winning Division 1B, Dublin went from strength to strength, defeating Kilkenny in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Although their journey ended in the semi-finals against champions Cork, 2024 was a breakthrough year in which Dublin established themselves as a team to watch heading into the new season.

Speaking to BreakingNews.ie, Maher hopes Dublin can continue to grow in their performances in 2025.

"I think the league was a great launching platform for us last year. Putting wins back-to-back and winning 1B gave us a good foundation and served us well at the time.

"Now we are stepping up another level, back in 1A, where the challenges will be that much tougher. Hopefully, by the middle of the summer, you want to be playing knockout games, and these are the teams you are going to be facing.

"We will relish playing against the best teams at the start of the year. Last year, in the latter stages of the championship, we showed that we can compete with anybody.

Reflecting on Dublin’s progress, Maher noted that one of the most satisfying aspects of last year’s campaign was finally moving beyond the constant references to their last All-Ireland semi-final appearance in 2017.

"The thing I was happiest about last year is that everybody stopped talking about us getting to the All-Ireland semi-final in 2017.

"I am delighted for these players that they have that achievement as their own."

Dublin has now put itself among a growing pool of contenders in camogie, as the number of competitive teams continues to rise.

Waterford reached the 2023 All-Ireland final, Tipperary won the league