DUBLIN FORWARD LYNDSEY Davey admits she is considering retirement this winter after collecting her third All-Ireland medal with the Sky Blues.

Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

The three-time All-Star is one of the team’s veterans having first joined the panel as a 14-year-old in 2004. A year later, Davey won her first All-Star and before she could join that year’s tour to Singapore her parents had to sign a consent form so she could travel.

She’s still just 28, but Davey has spent half of her life on the Dublin senior football panel. It’s all she has known since her early teens.

Having found herself on the losing sied of five All-Ireland finals during her career, the temptation is there to walk away on the back of the two-in-a-row.

“It is a lot of commitment,” Davey says. “You do miss out on a lot but I’m very privileged that I’ve been able to play for Dublin for so long and look at what I’ve achieved as well. I think Dublin is going from strength to strength and it’s a fantastic time to be a part of it. 

“There is a point in time when you have to look back and see how long can you keep going for. There is a point when your body starts finding it difficult to recover and things get that little bit harder.

“I’ve been around for a long time but I’m definitely not making any decisions as of yet. It is something that I need to sit down and have a chat about.

“I’m just going to have to see what the winter brings. I’ve been playing for a long time. I have big questions to answer as the winter goes on. After Christmas, you’ll probably start having the conversations with Mick about going back. Hopefully, he will be back as well. 

“The ambition with the team is to drive it on. There’s no point doing so well and just everyone walking away. You want to drive it on and achieve what you can when you can.”

Lyndsey Davey was at AIG Insurance’s head office in Dublin today to mark Dublin’s All-Ireland wins.

Source: Sam Barnes/SPORTSFILE

The Skerries Harp ace was one of Dublin’s most influential players in their final victory over Cork earlier this month, covering an incredible amount of ground in her half-forward role.

“I suppose the half-forward line is definitely our platform of driving the team, there’s a lot of work that goes into it,” she explains.

“It is all down to your work-rate. You’re trying to drop back to help out the defence but you need to get up and support your forwards as well. 

“It is a very demanding role but I think the good thing about our team is that we have so many forwards who are capable of playing in that role so you can constantly rotate it and it has worked out really well for us.”

Davey works as a firefighter with the Dublin Airport fire service, having been the only female recruited in her class of 16. No more than the Dublin set-up, she enjoys the camaraderie that comes with her work. 

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Davey during the recent All-Ireland final win over Cork

Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

“Being a firefighter there’s so many different attributes like teamwork, leadership, communication skills that fall hand-in-hand with playing football. Being a firefighter, it is a very team-based job as well.

“They’re kind of like your family when you’re in there. I know my crew, they were off for the final and they all came in to watch it. It was fantastic after the game going over to them with the cup and getting the pictures and stuff with them. There’s definitely that support there which is great.

“It’s tough to get used to the shift work and to adjust how your roster works with your football, your timetable, and see where they overlap. And then just making adjustments with your shifts and swapping with people 

“I’m very lucky that I work with such fantastic people who allow me to facilitate those swaps. This year I’m so used to it now that it hasn’t hindered my performance as much as what it probably had in the past. ”

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