Kerry 2-9
Dublin 0-9

By Daire Walsh

Jadyn Lucey and Mary O’Connell struck crucial goals at a rain-soaked JYSK Park in Clondalkin on Saturday afternoon as title holders Kerry kick-started their Lidl National Football League Division 1 campaign with victory over All-Ireland SFC champions Dublin.

Playing under the new playing rule enhancements that are being trialled by the LGFA in this year’s NFL, a wind-assisted Dublin side featuring just three starters from their TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship final triumph against Meath last August opened the scoring through Jodi Egan’s close-range free in the third minute. The Kingdom did respond with scores from corner-forward Danielle O’Leary and raiding defender Cait Lynch, but Dublin restored parity just shy of the first-quarter mark with a point courtesy of Kate Donaghy.

However, Kerry were enjoying the lion’s share of possession and moments after she had split the posts, a superb run from deep by team captain Siofra O’Shea provided the platform for Lucey to rattle the opposition net on 16 minutes.

Cúl faighte ag Jadyn Lucey, cruthaithe ag Síofra O'Shea!👌

Well worked goal from the KIngdom.

BEO/LIVE AR @TG4TV 📺@lidl_ireland @kerryladiesfoot #SeriousSupport

pic.twitter.com/M71l0qPGfT

— Ladies Football (@LadiesFootball) January 24, 2026

This was a set-back for the home side, but they subsequently established a purple patch with unanswered efforts from Egan (two), Orla Keighran and wing-back Ellen Gribben. While this meant the teams were inseparable once again, Rachel Dwyer, Danielle O’Leary (taking advantage of the ‘solo and go’ rule) and O’Shea all found the range to leave Kerry 1-6 to 0-6 in front at the interval.

Lively Dublin attacker Egan kicked her fourth point on the resumption to bring the gap down to two, only for their Munster counterparts to create significant daylight between the teams on 37 minutes. The aforementioned O’Connell delivered a strong performance for the Kingdom from the middle of the pitch and she superbly drilled a shot beyond the reach of Jackies netminder Katie Moran Tighe for her side’s second goal of the game.

This provided Mark Bourke’s visitors with considerable breathing space and with O’Shea and Dwyer adding to their personal tallies, they were on course for maximum points moving into the closing quarter. A plethora of substitutes were introduced by both sets of management as the action progressed, but it was contributions from starting defenders Ashling Nyhan and Gribben that brought Dublin to within five points of their opponents.

Yet Kerry remained in control and a late score from Niamh Ní Chonchúir convincingly sealed all three points for the 13-times league champions.

Scorers –Kerry: J Lucey, M O’Connell 1-0 each, S O’Shea 0-3 (3f), D O’Leary 0-2 (1f), R Dwyer 0-2, C Lynch, N Ní Chonchúir 0-1 each. Dublin: J Egan 0-4 (3f), E Gribben 0-2, A Nyhan, K Donaghy, O Keighran 0-1 each.

KERRY: ME Bolger; E Lynch, C Lynch, A Doherty; J Lynch, A Dillane, K Brosnan; M O’Connell, C Evans; L Boyle, N Ní Chonchúir, R Dwyer; J Lucey, S O’Shea, D O’Leary. Subs: A Galvin for J Lynch (39), M Mulvihill for Boyle, M O’Connor for Lucey (both 43), K Ryan for Brosnan, K McGrath for Doherty, J Curtin for Evans (all 48).

DUBLIN: K Moran Tighe; N Crowley, A Nyhan, K Kenehan; A Doyle, H Leahy, E Gribben; R Hartnett, H McGinnis; E Kearney, O Nolan, K Donaghy; A Timothy, J Egan, O Keighran. Subs: S McIntyre for Kearney (35), N Byrne for Donaghy (41), C Almeida for Kenehan, S Birnie for Doyle (both 45), G Connolly for Keighran (48), E Leddy Doyle for Hartnett, C Murphy for Leahy (both 58).

Referee: Kevin Phelan (Laois).

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