Is checking luggage on an international flight a bad idea?

Doing 3 weeks in Italy this summer. My wife and I will be using Farpoint 40s. They will not fit as a carry on for Aer Ligus (the smallest allowance I've ever seen).

So we have no choice but to check them. We're flying from Orlando to Dublin, a 1h 15m layover and then on to Rome. I worry about the short layover. We're driving 3 hours a way from Rome when we pick up the rental car. If our luggage was missed it would be a big problem.

But I don't know what else to do. Getting a smaller backpack isn't really an option for my wife who wears fancy clothes. It's not even a discussion with her to get a smaller bag.

Ugh.