Ellen Dowling and Kildare now eyeing up TG4 All-Ireland intermediate glory

Throughout her time as a Kildare footballer, experienced attacker Ellen Dowling has enjoyed a considerable amount of success.

After being part of a Lilywhites side that fell short against Waterford in the TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship in 2015, she finally got her hands on the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup just under 12 months later, when the Leinster outfit edged out Clare in a thrilling second-tier decider.

Although we have only just entered the month of June, Dowling already has two winners' medals to her name in 2023. Making amends for a showpiece defeat to provincial rivals Laois two years earlier, Dowling and Kildare were crowned Lidl National Football League Division 3 champions courtesy of yet another final win over Clare at Parnell Park in April.

On a high as a result of this triumph, Kildare progressed to Leinster intermediate decider against Wexford at Laois Hire O’Moore Park last weekend, when a 1-01 haul from Dowling helped her side towards a 2-12 to 1-08 victory. This was her fourth intermediate provincial title, following previous wins in 2015, 2016 and 2022, and she perfectly illustrated how much the Kildare squad has changed since those earlier achievements.

"We were only talking about it on the bus on the way down to last Sunday’s game. We played here in Leinster in 2016 and Aoife Rattigan, our midfielder, played at half-time with the kids. It’s great to see that and getting the young Carbury girls and all that out," Dowling said, referencing the fact that Kildare club Carbury took on Wexford’s Clonard Volunteers in an U-10 exhibition game during the interval of their clash with the Slaneysiders.

"It’s great for them to see us winning silverware and giving them something to strive for in the future.