There's definitely something in the water around Moycullen these times, especially in the realms of women's sport. If it's not Julie Ann Russell firing it into the French net; or Fiona Murtagh sweeping up French waters, it's the example being set by the all-energy captain of the Galway senior ladies team inspiring her side to this weekend's decider at Croke Park.
Ailbhe Davoren is chilled when we chat at the team media night in the Lough Rea Hotel and Spa. This is her eighth season in the senior county squad, but a remarkable one that could see her lift the Brendan Martin Cup come teatime Sunday.
Although she continues to line out for her home club of Moycullen on a camogie side that is coached by her uncle (her sister is also a part of the team ), March of last year saw Davoren completing a football transfer to Dublin’s Kilmacud Crokes.
She has been working as a teacher at St Andrew’s College in Dublin – a school that counts past and present professional rugby players such as Andrew Porter, Jordan Larmour, Felix Jones and Peter Bracken among its more notable alumni.
It proved to be a memorable first season with Crokes for the University of Limerick graduate as she picked up top honours in both the Dublin and Leinster Senior Club Football Championships.
She was also a prominent figure as Kilmacud lost out narrowly after extra-time to a Kilkerrin-Clonberne side, featuring many of her intercounty colleagues at the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland Senior Club Championship.
And now, she is on the cusp of history with Galway.
"It has been some season. The construction of this squad through the league means that we can now dip into seven or eight subs who have all been excellent when called upon. Aoife O'Rourke with her goal against Dublin, for example.
It was a tough start to the season though.
"We had a dark few days before the Championship, but we knew that this was just the league and that there was still the Championship to show what we were made of.
"We never despaired, and even when we lost the first day, we said 'again, we're not out.' We stayed positive.
"All those losses made us resilient. It is a new game the next day and we have to find a new resilience and try to overcome this Kerry team.
The captain, who netted against Cork, knows that goalscoring is essential for teams that are serious about winning.
"We were never that far away from winning in the past, but you can definitely see a trend where teams that get goals go far in the competition.
She acknowledges the role they play in the integration of the games and paid tribute to all of the people in the LGFA who put ladies football first and got it to this stage where it is the best-attended amateur sporting event in Europe.
"The work they did was remarkable, especially in a time fifty years ago when many clubs were not allowing ladies to play or train. It is a credit to them. We get to play the game because of all that work.
"It is an excellent game because it is a different game. I don't like the comparison of hurling and football, and in the same way, I don't like the comparison of men and women's football as they are so different.
"People really enjoy it when they have watched a couple of games. We encourage people to bring their children to these games, so that they can see it and start to follow their heroes.
"Trying to make the senior team as successful as possible does inspire people to stay in the sport. if they can't see it, they can't be it. This is represented in the fact that there is a male and female representation in most of the Cúl Camps too. Most clubs celebrate all the sports and that's great to see," she said.
Here's hoping our inspiring captain is first up those steps this Sunday evening.
