After a long few months without inter-county action, the Ladies' National League gets underway for several counties on Sunday.
As Mayo prepare for the start of their season, one of their greatest ever players takes charge in Liam McHale.
They get their Division One campaign underway at home to 2021 and 2022 All-Ireland champions Meath.
Ahead of this weekend, defender Saoirse Lally spoke to Breakingnews.ie on what training has been like under Liam McHale, as they aim for a string start to the season.
"Liam is class, he really knows what he is talking about. He is one of the best Mayo players himself, so it is really great to have that experience and wisdom.
"We have Kevin Mortimer as well; he has a daughter on the team - Jenna. He already knew us really well, he has been at a good few of our previous games, which is really important.
"We got Dermot Flanagan, he is another Mayo player with a few all-stars in his pocket as well. So overall, it is a top class management team.
"None of them have been with us before. It is really interesting to see what we should try, and they are getting us to go outside our comfort zone this year, which is really exciting, and just play a completely different style of football."
Need for fast start
After a difficult league campaign, which saw Mayo win just two games and just about avoid relegation, they rallied to win a Connacht title, and reach an All-Ireland semi-final, where they just fell short against Kerry.
While Mayo were able to overcome early obstacles, Saoirse Lally is hoping Mayo can gain early momentum to bring into the championship.
The Mayo captain for the opening game of the season also believes it will be an open championship, as Mayo aim to lay down an early marker.
"We only won two out of seven games, which wasn't good enough for us. We lost each game by a point or two, so our main goal last year was to be a 60-minute team, which we got near towards the end of the championship, but didn't hold ourselves against Kerry.
"It's a great opportunity as well for new players to get game time, rather than throwing them in at championship, it's quite hard to catch up then. It's great they can build up a few games in the league.
"The standard is so high overall this year, you can't rule out any other team. After Meath, our next game is Galway, who is probably our biggest rivalry in the last few years, which is always a good game as well.
"It is a lot more exciting. You can't rule out any team at all, but we are going to focus on ourselves a lot more than previous years. Focusing on our own performance, making sure we are improving week on week, focusing on areas that we can develop, nd trying out players in different positions and new tactics as well."
Greater support needed
2023 was a year when women's sport in Ireland was put under the microscope, particularly in women's football.
A protest to highlight player welfare brought issues in the game to the forefront, as calls for the LGFA and GAA to integrate continue to grow.
A recent report also showed nearly 59 per cent of people have never attended a women's sporting event, highlighting the need for further support.
For Saoirse, statistics like this are hard to take, as she outlined ways the game can grow.
"It couldn't be any more important. Especially in league games, there could only be a few friends and family at the game, and it is so hard to push yourself when there's nobody shouting by your side.
"One of the stats was 40 per cent of people don't go to a ladies game because thery don't think the standard is good enough. That's quite disheartening because we are training day in day out, and the standard has really improved in the last few years as well.
"Some of the stats were shocking, but then, at the same time, to us they weren't because we are used to just our family and friends at games.
"A lot of people my age would go look for a game on Instagram or some social media platform, but sometimes it is very hard to find it. If they don't find it, they aren't going to go to the game.
"Let's say if a men's game is on in Cork on Saturday, our game might be fixed for the following weekend, and people won't go down to Cork two weekends in a row.
"It's about scheduling as well, making it as easy as it can be for supporters. If they put it as a double header, or the next day, people might stay for an extra night."
A new era for Donegal
As the Ladies' National League gets underway for many counties, there will be a new face in the dugout for Donegal, as John McNulty takes charge.
Following the departure of Maxi Curran in November, McNulty takes over as manager of the Ulster champions, who begin life in Division two away to Laois on Sunday.
Speaking to Breakingnews.ie, he was excited by the challenge that faces him ahead of this season.
"I looked at the challenge of it, and I thought it is a challenge that I would like to take on. I spoke with the board and some of the players that were in at the time.
"We had a great discussion on it, and I knew coming away from it how enthusiastic about it and what they wanted to do themselves, so it really appealed to me from there to work with them and see where we can go."
Despite winning an Ulster title, and defeating then All-Ireland champions Meath, it was a difficult 2023 for Donegal, with relegation to Division two, and a heavy defeat to eventual champions Dublin in the quarter-final.
While promotion back to Division one would make for a great start to the season, McNulty is taking it one game at a time with the amount of changes in the squad.
"We have lost a lot pf players from the last two years. From playing the Meath team in 2022 semi-final, there is nine players gone from the set-up.
"You have to look at it from all angles and say, we need to get a new team coming in as well, a mixture of the younger ones still there and try blend it in.
"Really take it game by game, and see how we progress.
"I always try to win the game. We have Laois on Sunday, and I need to look at that game and go from there. I can't really look past that to see where we are at.
"It is fine training and playing challenge games and that, but it's really on the competitive edges where you see where you are at."
While Dublin's 2023 All-Ireland victory could spark another dominant run, McNulty believes it could be one of several teams who are lifting silverware in August.
The Donegal man puts this down to the growing quality in ladies football, and for people to look beyond Division One for teams to watch out for.
"With the work and effort being put into teams across Ireland, you can definitely see it is an improving game all the time.
"You have eight teams in Division One, you have Kildare and Laois, and a lot of teams in Division Two, who on their day, will be able to compete.
"Kerry came out of Division Two, and were able to make it to the All-Ireland final, so that just shows how it goes. I think it's getting more competitive, and the interest in general across the country is improving all the time."
