Orlagh Nolan stars as Dublin storm to seventh All-Ireland crown with dominant win over Meath

The Irish Sun

a day ago

Orlagh Nolan marked her long-awaited return to the starting line-up with a player-of-the-match display as Dublin blew away Meath to claim their seventh All-Ireland ladies senior football title
Orlagh Nolan marked her long-awaited return to the starting line-up with a player-of-the-match display as Dublin blew away Meath to claim their seventh All-Ireland ladies senior football title
TOO MUCH Orlagh Nolan stars as Dublin storm to seventh All-Ireland crown with dominant win over Meath
ORLAGH NOLAN marked her first start in over a year by leading Dublin to seventh heaven.
It has been a fairytale comeback for the Ballinteer St John's forward, who only returned from an ACL knee injury as a sub in the semi-final win over Galway.
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Dublin players celebrate after their side's victory in the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Senior Championship final match vs Meath at Croke Park
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Meath players dejected after Dublin dashed their All-Ireland dreams at GAA HQ on Sunday
But she was quick to deliver a reminder of her importance to the cause with a player-of-the-match display as the Dubs took their tally of All-Ireland ladies SFC titles to seven.
In front of 48,089 spectators at Croke Park, the Sky Blues were utterly dominant as they atoned for the 2021 defeat to Meath that cost them a fifth Brendan Martin Cup on the spin.
Aided by goals from Nicole Owens and Niamh Hetherton, they were 13 points ahead by the 24th minute.
The gap was briefly cut to eight after the change of ends but Dublin's prospects of regaining a crown they last won in 2023 were never in jeopardy.
It was the perfect climax to the first year of the dual reign of Paul Casey and Derek Murray, who had big shoes to fill when they succeeded five-time All-Ireland-winning gaffer Mick Bohan last December.
On Nolan's performance, Casey beamed: "When we were up at Clonshaugh and Craobh Chiaráin in the dark and the muck, Orla was in the gym and she was working so hard to come back. She always did it with a smile on her face.
"We would love to have had her back playing full games, maybe in the quarter-final, but our medical team were very strict in terms of just easing her back into it.
"But it fell perfectly for her to have her first start today."
Aiming to avoid being beaten by their neighbours for the fourth time this season, Meath were buoyed by dethroning 2024 champions Kerry in their semi-final.
Their chances of claiming a third title in five seasons were hindered by the unavailability of Katie Newe, who was ruled out with a knee injury sustained against the Kingdom.
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Nevertheless, there was no stopping the blue wave as Dublin produced a performance that Casey rated as their best of the season.
The joint-manager said: "I thought they were just superb out there today. At times, their composure on the ball, the scores they got – their conversion rate must have been up around 80 per cent. It was excellent.
"But I thought defensively, and when I talk about defensively, it's from number 15 back to Abby in goals. They were superb.
"But it was all over the pitch. I think everybody played close to their best. To do it on this day of all days is very, very satisfying."
Casey was thrilled with the contribution of his mean rearguard, who restricted Meath to just four points from play.
At the other end of the pitch, the input was equally impressive as Hannah Tyrrell, Carla Rowe and Kate Sullivan combined for 0-13.
With 8-38 to her name, Tyrrell ends 2025 as the Championship's leading scorer. But there was an unfortunate ending to her last act as an inter-county footballer.
The Na Fianna woman, who turns 35 next week, limped off with what appeared to be a serious knee injury in the closing stages. Still, it is unlikely to tarnish her triumphant swansong.
Dublin committed nine first-half fouls within scoring range, yet Meath had just 0-4 on the board by half-time.
Emma Duggan frees were responsible for that entire tally as the Royals failed to score from play while attacking the Hill 16 end.
A dismal first half, which they ended with a 40 per cent conversion rate, was epitomised when a relatively straightforward effort by Duggan's standards came back off the post.
The pace and power of Vikki Wall always resembled Meath's most likely source of progress.
She dragged an early goal chance wide, though the 2024 AFLW Premiership winner was unhappy that Leah Caffrey was not penalised for grabbing her jersey before she pulled the trigger.
It did not take long for things to look ominous for Meath. After Tyrrell got Dublin up and running with a pair of points, their first goal arrived via Owens.
Niamh Hetherton did well to keep the ball in play, before Rowe fended off Mary Kate Lynch.
The Dublin skipper teed up Owens, who neatly tucked the ball away to leave her side 1-2 to 0-0 in front after six minutes.
Hetherton had the ball in the net on 21 minutes, only for the score to be ruled out as ref Gus Chapman had already blown for a free that was converted by Tyrrell.
But Hetherton did get her goal just a minute later. With the Dubs making inroads from their press on the Meath kickout, Hetherton was released by Éilish O'Dowd.
The Clontarf powerhouse expertly turned inside Lynch and unleashed a ferocious shot that left Meath goalkeeper Robyn Murray with no chance.
Sullivan followed up with the third of her four points, leaving Dublin in a 2-9 to 0-2 lead with six minutes remaining in the first half.
A couple of Duggan frees put a slightly better complexion on the scoreboard for Meath at the interval.
She added two more after the restart and Wall also chipped in as their outlook seemed somewhat more promising at 2-9 to 0-7.
If the winds of change were blowing, Meath's resurgence was more of a moderate breeze than a storm. In any case, it was sufficiently weathered.
A free from Rowe ended a 15-minute barren spell for Dublin. Tyrrell and Sullivan then added to their tallies and the 12-in-a-row Leinster champions remained in the driving seat down the stretch.
Meath boss Shane McCormack said: "Dublin were a little bit hungrier, to be honest. In the first five or ten minutes, they hit the blocks running.
"Dublin got ahead with the two goals and when any Dublin team get ahead, they're very hard to claw back.
"But credit to Dublin today, they're a super team with multiple All-Stars and All-Ireland medal winners.
"But we had 16 new girls onto the panel from last year and this year. I think nine girls got their first ever senior start in an All-Ireland final today, so there are a lot of positives.
"It is healthy, even with the Under-20s winning the Leinster the other night as well. So it's very positive for Meath ladies football."
Meath 0-10 - 2-16 Dublin
DUBLIN: A Shiels; J Tobin, L Caffrey, N Donlon; S Goldrick, M Byrne, N Crowley 0-1; E O'Dowd, N Hetherton 1-1; N Owens 1-0, H McGinnis, O Nolan 0-1; H Tyrrell 0-5, 3f, C Rowe 0-4, 2f, K Sullivan 0-4.
Subs: S McIntyre for Owens 49 mins, A Kane for McGinnis 51, H Leahy for Donlon 54, L Grendon for Tyrrell 55, C Darby for Sullivan 57.
MEATH: R Murray; K Kealy, MK Lynch, A Sheridan; S Ennis, S Wall, A Cleary 0-1; O Sheehy, M Farrelly; M Thynne, N Gallogly, C Smyth 0-1; E Duggan 0-7, 6f, V Wall 0-1, K Cole.
Subs: K Bermingham for Farrelly 25 mins, Farrelly for Ennis 42, E Moyles for Sheehy 42, N McEntee for Cole 49, C Lawlor for Kealy 51.
REFEREE: G Chapman (Sligo)