Maher: Dublin eye more upward trajectory, rules crux

The year 2022 saw Dublin reach the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland senior camogie championship.

An improvement on 2021 where the side skirted with relegation from the top tier. A win over Down ensured they didn't make the drop.

Kilkenny were the opposition last July; they ran out winners by 17 points, but that doesn't tell the whole story. The Dubs, then managed by Aidian O'Sullivan, were most competitive early on and kept trying right to the end at Semple Stadium. The potential they possess is evident, particularly given the progress that has already been made, and with the experience of operating at the higher level behind them.

Former All-Star Aisling Maher excelled from placed balls, firing over eight points in the strong Thurles sun.

Maher's main takeaway from the year were those games in advance of facing the black and amber.

A case of what might have been, as she freely outlined to RTÉ Sport at an event where AIB confirmed their continued sponsorship of the Camogie Club All-Ireland Championships.

"My disappointment of the year pre-dates the game against Kilkenny," said the St Vincent's star.

"We had a drawn game against Tipp and a drawn game against Clare (Group 2). If we had won either of those games, probably the Clare match, we would have finished second in the group and managed to avoid Kilkenny in a quarter-final, which given that they won the championship in the end was our best chance to progress a round further.

"Ultimately we played our last championship game with a real hope of winning it and not looking to avoid relegation. We were frustrated that we didn't make a semi-final, but we definitely took a positive step. What's important is that we build on the progress we make year to year. We have to continue to