‘Special’ - The Big Interview with Dublin's Martha Byrne

By Daire Walsh.

It wasn’t the first time she got her hands on the Brendan Martin Cup, but Martha Byrne nevertheless acknowledged that her latest TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship final success with Dublin was a ‘particularly special’ one.

A starter for the four All-Ireland SFC titles the Jackies secured in succession from 2017 to 2020, Byrne lined out at centre half-back when the capital county regained their top-tier crown with an impressive showpiece victory over Kerry in 2023. She featured in the same position at Croke Park on August 3 as Dublin overcame provincial rivals Meath on a final score of 2-16 to 0-10 – a comprehensive reverse of the All-Ireland championship final meeting of the same teams in 2021.

This win helped to complete a successful first season at the helm for joint managers Paul Casey and Derek Murray, who had previously served as selectors under highly-respected predecessor Mick Bohan. This is one of several reasons why Byrne believes her sixth All-Ireland triumph is up there as one of her best in a Dublin jersey.

“As you come towards the end of your career, you kind of appreciate and realise that winning All-Irelands don’t just come. I think that made it a little bit more special. Particularly under Paul and Derek, who have been such brilliant coaches for us over the last few years,” Byrne explained.

“Obviously they had big shoes to fill when Mick left, so I think a lot of us were really keen to get over the line for them as well. It made it particularly special to win this one. I think sometimes when you go on a run you think ‘okay, we’re in a good place here to maybe win another one’.

“When you lose quarter-finals and finals, that is when you start to realise that you really have to work extra hard to get into winning positions. It was a good run, but I think after the last few years, where we’ve had our ups and downs and won finals in ’23 and ’25, they’ve been even sweeter. Because we’ve had to really put our shoulder to the wheel to get over the line on those occasions.”

Prior to Nicole Owens rattling the net in the sixth minute of their victory over the Royals at GAA HQ earlier this month, Hannah Tyrrell got the ball rolling for Dublin in the Jones’ Road venue with a 0-2 salvo.

It was fitting that this attacking pair made such an impact in the early exchanges of the contest as both players officially announced their retirements from inter-county football in the aftermath of the game. A debutant all the way back in 2012, Owens finished her Dublin senior odyssey with an excellent haul of five All-Ireland senior titles.

Tyrrell did feature for the Sky Blues in the 2013 and 2014 inter-county seasons, before subsequently returning in 2021 after bringing the curtain down on an international rugby career that saw her representing Ireland at both 7s and 15s level. Top scorer with eight points when Dublin got the better of Kerry in the 2023 All-Ireland decider, Tyrrell’s 0-5 tally against Meath at the beginning of the month helped her to claim the ZuCar Golden Boot for 2025.

She was unfortunately forced off with a knee injury in the closing moments of this year’s All-Ireland, but her contribution to the Dublin cause over the past five seasons has been immeasurable and Byrne was glad that she and Owens were able to sign off with another success.

“Obviously it’s incredibly unfortunate that Hannah has done her knee and injured herself, but it was almost kind of nice in a way that she got a standing ovation and a send-off. A recognition of all the achievements she has gathered over the years across multiple sports.

“Nicole and Hannah are both incredible sportswomen and obviously it’s sad that they’re retiring, but it was a great way to send them off.”

Byrne has been a considerable stalwart herself for Dublin, having first represented the county at the senior grade all the way back in 2013. Yet while the registered dietitian at Beaumont Hospital currently resides in Stoneybatter on the northside of the capital, her family home is actually in Bray, Co. Wicklow.

However, she attended primary school in Scoil Lorcáin – located between Blackrock and Monkstown in south Dublin - and this led to her joining forces with Cuala. From there she ultimately progressed through the Sky Blue ranks and given the nature of her household, Byrne was always going to choose this path.

“The principal of the primary school that I was in was a big Cuala man. Anyone I think that had any interest in playing camogie or football, he directed them straight away to Cuala. I think that’s how my older sister got involved in Cuala and then I was the same as well.

“My parents are both from Dublin, so growing up my Dad would have brought me to Dublin games. Even though we were living in Wicklow, I have a granny who is a huge Dubs supporter herself. I think it was only ever going to be a Dublin club.”

After winning a Dublin Junior ‘A’ football championship crown with Cuala in 2017, Byrne played a pivotal role when the Dalkey-based outfit claimed an intermediate county title at the expense of Castleknock in 2020.

Having begun their Go-Ahead Senior Championship Group B campaign for the current season with a draw at home to Na Fianna three days ago, Byrne and Cuala will renew acquaintances with Castleknock at Somerton Park next Wednesday (August 27). Further encounters with Clontarf and reigning Dublin and Leinster champions Kilmacud Crokes will follow on September 10 and September 17 respectively as Byrne continues her readjustment to the club scene.

“You’ve had a few months of keeping the head down and working really hard, and then you have a little break and you go back at it again,” Byrne added.

“It will be a tough few weeks, but our club team, we feel like we’re in a really good place between the players and the coaches that we have. We’re just going to have to trust the process, put the work in and hope that we can get the right results.”