All-Ireland medal would be the perfect wedding present for Louth captain Aine Breen
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Irish Examiner
13 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
'We knew whatever it would take we'd do it' - Dublin keeper reflects on dramatic semi win ahead of All-Ireland decider
Dublin goalkeeper Abbey Shiels says the TG4 All-Ireland title favourites were relieved just to make this weekend's final. The 2023 champions will face old rivals Meath on Sunday in a repeat of the 2021 decider. But while Meath saw off holders Kerry with six points to spare at the semi-final stage earlier this month, Dublin had to dig deep to overcome Galway after extra-time. Prolific attacker Hannah Tyrrell nailed a long-range free to force additional time and the side jointly managed by ex-Dublin footballers Paul Casey and Derek Murray eventually finished the job. "A sense of relief at the end," acknowledged Shiels. "Coming back on the bus, it was a late enough night and we were reflecting on the bus saying, 'This could have been a bit better and this could have gone differently'. "We were well aware that the game could have been taken away from us, and it nearly was at the end of normal time. "The chance to regroup after normal time and to go into extra-time was a big help, a big encouragement. We could all step up together. We knew we were ready for extra-time. We'd done it in the previous year, so if we had to do it, we knew whatever it would take we'd do it." Shiels has started all seven of Dublin's Championship games this season having previously lined out for the 2023 final win over Kerry. Two years before that, she was on the bench behind Ciara Trant when Dublin were beaten by Meath in the showpiece. "I'm glad I was around, knowing what Meath did to us that year," she said, referencing a defeat that forced Dublin to look inwards and regroup. "We all felt it. Even if you weren't playing on the pitch, I do think we all felt it that year. "But obviously you have to park it in that sense too, move on. In terms of this weekend, we've just tried to park 2021 and we'll just try to keep playing the game we've been playing up to this point, keep raising our standards and try to do everything that will help to get us over the line." The Lucan Sarsfields stopper drew parallels between Dublin's come-from-the-pack win in 2023, when few were tipping them at the start of the year, to what an ever-improving Meath have done so far in 2025. "This year is probably one of the more open championships I've seen," she said. "It's definitely getting more open as the years go on. It's more competitive. The league seems so long ago now but when you look at Meath's run in the league, and even our own run in the league this year, it was up and down throughout. "It's probably similar enough in that in 2023, we were written off quite early. To stand up in the semi-final and the final that year, to show people our capabilities and how high we can raise our standards on the pitch, it was great and it just shows that you can't write anybody off too early. "That goes for both teams this Sunday, I think."
Irish Times
15 hours ago
- Irish Times
Meath captain Aoibhín Cleary's full focus on All-Ireland glory before trip Down Under
Aoibhín Cleary will be off to Australia next week but she's determined to complete another sporting journey first – leading Meath back up the steps of the Hogan Stand on All-Ireland final day. Cleary (Richmond) is one of several players involved in Sunday's TG4 All-Ireland women's SFC final between Meath and Dublin who will be flying out for the start of the AFLW season on August 14th – including Vikki Wall (North Melbourne), Eilish O'Dowd (GWS) and Sinéad Goldrick (Melbourne). They have already missed most of the preseason Down Under but the agreement was always to travel whenever their championship campaigns ended. Meath and Dublin, it turned out, would take their seasons all the way to the final day, setting up a repeat of the 2021 All-Ireland final. Meath came from nowhere that season, or the intermediate championship to be exact, to win the senior title just nine months after gaining promotion to the top tier, causing one of the biggest shocks in the history of the women's game as they beat five-in-a-row chasing Dublin. The Royals backed up that incredible triumph by retaining the Brendan Martin Cup in 2022, beating Kerry in the final. And while they have generally remained a competitive outfit in the years since, there was a growing feeling that Meath's golden period had come and gone. But that view didn't stand up to scrutiny in the Meath dressingroom. 'I think the belief in our group never wavered and we never thought that,' says Cleary, who was appointed captain in January. 'I suppose you would probably hear whispers that maybe [people thought] that was the case, but we knew what we had in the group. I think in the last two years we haven't really been able to push ourselves to our potential. Meath celebrate with the Brendan Martin Cup after the 2022 All-Ireland final. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho 'We knew we always had more to give and even this year as well, I think our management team, our coaches and the girls, we've all just had a really great belief in each other. 'From winning it in 2021 and 2022 and then getting knocked out in the quarter-final in 2023 and 2024, it is tough. It's hard to see the rest of the championship progress and not be involved in it, so you're definitely carrying that bit of hurt. 'There was a huge determination to not let that happen again this year.' Beating 2024 champions Kerry in the semi-final a fortnight ago felt like a statement victory for the Royals. 'It was probably the first time we've put in a full 60-minute performance. The hunger and the desire from all the girls on the pitch was brilliant.' Dublin will no doubt try to use the 2021 All-Ireland final defeat as fuel for their fire this Sunday but that 1-11 to 0-12 win remains a landmark result for Meath football. 'It meant a lot to us and to so many people – our families, our partners, our friends and to the whole county,' remembers Cleary. 'It was coming out of Covid and I think a lot of people said it really lifted their spirits. It meant the world to us to know that we could have that impact. But I suppose at the minute we're not looking back on that too much or paying any heed to what's happened in the past, we're just focusing on this.' Aoibhín Cleary in action for Meath against Kerry's Niamh Carmody during the All-Ireland semi-final. Photograph: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile Meath will have some support coming from Leeside at the weekend, too. Cleary's partner is Cork camogie player Hannah Looney – who herself is preparing for the All-Ireland senior camogie final against Galway at Croke Park on August 10th. 'It's great. Obviously we're both very aware of all the emotions and stuff that you'll be going through. It's really exciting this weekend and it's really exciting for her next weekend as well. 'I suppose it is nice that we can feed off each other that little bit or just understand what each other are feeling at any given time.' Cleary has been juggling her Gaelic football commitments with gaining familiarity with the oval ball ahead of the upcoming AFLW season. 'Dad has been great out in the garden with me, kicking and trying to get to grips with some of the skills and stuff. Richmond have been great as well, we've had a lot of online communication and calls. 'I think over the last few weeks full focus has really been here with Meath, and obviously it's a quick turnaround even between the semi-final and final, it's only two weeks, so full focus has just been on that. 'Obviously from Richmond's perspective it would have been nice for me to be out and training a bit earlier, but they also recognise the value of having the season we're having will bring to me as a player. 'They definitely do see both sides and understand how beneficial it is to be involved in a team that's now back in an All-Ireland final.' TG4 All-Ireland finals, Croke Park, Sunday: Junior: Antrim v Louth, 11.45am Intermediate: Laois v Tyrone, 1.45pm Senior: Dublin v Meath, 4.15pm
Irish Independent
18 hours ago
- Irish Independent
All-Ireland medal would be the perfect wedding present for Louth captain Aine Breen
Louth captain Áine Breen has two important dates over the next week or so; on Sunday the St Patrick's player will lead out her county at Croke Park for the second year in-a-row in the TG4 All-Ireland Junior Football Championship Final, while the following Friday she will walk down the aisle on her wedding day.
