Carla Rowe and Michelle Davoren struck second-half goals at Parnell Park as holders Dublin kick-started their quest for a 13th successive TG4 Leinster Senior Football Championship title with a six-point triumph over Kildare.
Playing for the first time since the end of their Lidl National Football League Division 1 campaign, Dublin edged in front with just 10 seconds on the clock as Kate Donaghy released Niamh Hetherton for a point at the end of a fine run.
Kildare, for their part, were aiming to build on last weekend's opening-round success over Meath in Summerhill and were quickly back on level terms when Aoife Rattigan curled superbly between the posts in the third minute.
Hetherton and full-forward Laura Grendon subsequently added to Dublin’s tally, but Alannah Prizeman and midfielder Gillian Wheeler were both on hand to cancel out these efforts.
A two-point salvo from the impressive Grendon offered Dublin some breathing space as the half progressed, only for the Wheeler sisters – Gillian and Ciara – to cancel out their lead once again at the opposite end.
Yet Hetherton was maintaining her top form for the hosts and a further brace of points by the Clontarf ace guided Dublin towards a 0-07 to 0-05 interval cushion.
Although Rattigan brought the Kildare deficit back down to the bare minimum on the resumption, consecutive points from half-time substitute Caoimhe O’Connor and Donaghy were supplemented by Rowe finishing to the net on 34 minutes after Dublin pounced on a short kick-out.
This provided Dublin with a strong platform to push on for victory and even though Rattigan swapped points with the outstanding Grendon, a routine Rowe free left the home team seven to the good (1-11 to 0-07) inside the final-quarter.
Kildare suffered an additional blow when Aoife Murnane was yellow-carded not long after her introduction as a substitute, but the Lilies initially coped admirably with 14 players as the reliable Rattigan converted a brace of frees.
A Davoren goal on the stroke of 60 minutes ensured Dublin had sealed a win that puts them on the brink of another provincial final appearance ahead of their meeting with Meath next weekend, but Kildare did end the action on a high when the returning Murnane fired home a three-pointer of her own deep into stoppage-time.
Scorers - Dublin: C Rowe 1-3 (0-1f), N Hetherton, L Grendon 0-4 each, M Davoren 1-0, O Nolan, K Donaghy, C O'Connor 0-1 each.
Kildare: A Rattigan 0-6 (3f), A Murnane 1-0, G Wheeler, A Prizeman 0-2 each, C Wheeler 0-1.
Dublin: A Shiels; N Crowley, L Caffrey, H Leahy; S McIntyre, R Hartnett, H McGinnis; N Hetherton, O Nolan; A Timothy, C Rowe, K Donaghy; M Davoren, L Grendon, J Egan. Subs: C O’Connor for Egan (h-t), L Magee for Donaghy (34), E Kearney for Grendon (57), A Curran for Timothy (61), C Coffey for Hetherton (62).
Kildare: R Fennin; A Mernagh, E Wheeler, L Shaw; H McLoughlin, R Sargent, L Lenehan; A Irhue, G Wheeler; L Curran, C Wheeler, M Aspell; A Rattigan, M Doyle, A Prizeman. Subs: M Doherty for Irhue (40), A Cahill for Shaw, J Harney for C Wheeler (both 43), A Murnane for Doyle (47), A Mahon for Aspell (57).
Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).
