The emotions of All-Ireland final defeat have lingered in Kerry throughout the week, but women's football captain Síofra O'Shea insists that the defeat to Mayo in the men's decider will have no bearing on their own preparations.
Just days after that loss, O'Shea says that her side have remained firmly focused on their own challenge as they prepare to take on Galway in this Sunday's TG4 All-Ireland SFC final at Croke Park.
Speaking at a media day ahead of the finals at GAA HQ, O'Shea revealed that the squad had already prepared mentally for whatever unfolded regarding the Sam Maguire outcome with their sports psychologist encouraging the players to stay committed to their own journey.
"I think our psychologist is great, and we had a good meeting with her last Friday before the men's final just about how we're sticking with our own game no matter what happens," O'Shea explained.
"She's been great with us and just to focus on our own journey, I suppose. A lot of us are probably staying away from people this week too, so you wouldn't hear too much about it."
While the celebrations in Mayo have provided further motivation, O'Shea admitted that they have also served as a reminder of exactly what the county are chasing this Sunday.
She said: "The scenes in Mayo probably show you the other side of it and what you do want to experience. Having experienced that in 2024, you want to experience it a couple more times again. That's what you really want and to get that feeling again would be massive."
Having lifted the Brendan Martin Cup two years ago, Kerry's title defence came to a frustrating end last summer when Meath ended their hopes of a back-to-back in the semi-final.
The Green and Gold skipper admitted that defeat still lingers within the group, believing the disappointment of falling short has provided extra motivation throughout their journey back to Croke Park.
"It was really disappointing," she reflected.
"We felt we didn't perform to our own standards. Meath were fully deserving of it on the day. We could have no complaints because we didn't hit our performance levels."
O'Shea also revealed that the players struggled to come to terms with the defeat after becoming accustomed to competing on All-Ireland final day.
"Having been in the last few All-Irelands, we didn't really know what to do with ourselves," she said.
"We took it hard and then it was just about going back into club football, and I suppose bringing that hurt into this year and going again from pre-season."
In the aftermath of last year's last-four defeat, a large contingent of the Kingdom squad swapped the heartbreak for some much-needed sunshine, travelling to Portugal together in an effort to clear their heads before returning to their clubs.
Around 20 players made the trip, where they watched the All-Ireland final together. While it was a difficult experience, O'Shea believes that it was made easier by going through it as a group.
"There was a good lot of us over in Portugal together. I think there was about 20 of us went away and just booked a flight and went over, so we were sat by the pool watching the final on our phones," she recalled.
While some players found it too difficult to watch, O'Shea believes the trip proved invaluable, allowing the squad to process the disappointment together before turning their attention to the club championship.
"It was great to be there as a group," the reigning All-Star full-forward added.
"It was just great for the headspace and then when you came back you were able to reset. It definitely bonded us together."
That sense of togetherness has carried into this season, with the pain of last year's exit serving only to sharpen Kerry's determination to return to the biggest stage, with the 24-year-old skipper stating: "Everyone was fully committed to coming back and when we came back this year, there was just one goal in mind and that was getting back to All-Ireland final day, just to give us a chance at getting over the line again."
The squad wasted little time in reflecting where improvements could be made, with an extensive review taking place before pre-season got underway.
"We had a great meeting with Mark [Bourke] in November and we broke down the whole season and things that we wanted to improve on," O'Shea explained.
"Different aspects such as strength and conditioning, the training, the commitment, the game plan - just every single thing you could think about, we reviewed. We took the positives from last year and some learnings that we could take as well."
That attention to detail has remained a key feature of Kerry's campaign. Despite stringing together an impressive winning streak on their way back to another All-Ireland final, O'Shea insists that the squad have never been satisfied with simply just getting over the line, adding that "we've been learning from each game".
On the quest to scale newer heights, she added: "We’ve been winning but there's definitely things that we've tried to improve on in every single game. It’s no different from the semi-final; we’ve taken learnings into training over the last two weeks to try and improve for the next day."
After the disappointment of last year’s season, O'Shea believes that her squad have done everything in their power to give themselves another opportunity on the biggest stage.
Nearly a year after watching the All-Ireland final on foreign shores, Kerry have earned their return to Croke Park with another chance to lift the Brendan Martin Cup.
Watch The Sunday Game with highlights of the Women's All-Ireland football finals from 9.30pm. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1
