'They were awesome' - Cora Staunton and Bríd Stack on Dubs glory
The departure of manager Mick Bohan last November led some to speculate whether this might be a year of transition for the Dubs.
Instead, joint-managers Paul Casey and Derek Murray led them to glory, the side peaking when it mattered most to lift the Brendan Martin Cup.
Reflecting on the decider, former Mayo star Cora Staunton and seven-time Cork All Star Bríd Stack said Meath could have no complaints.
"I don't think (Dublin) ever went away," said Staunton. "Maybe the hurt from 2021, when Meath stopped them from winning five in a row... obviously they won again in 2023, but today they were just awesome.
"Meath couldn't match their intensity, their athleticism. Their first-half performance in particular was brilliant. The game was over at half-time. While we wanted it to be a good spectacle, it was over. Dublin were just immense.
"Their big players - the likes of Carla Rowe, Orlagh Nolan, Kate Sullivan - dominated up front and their defence were very dominant. Deserving winners. And it was great to see Hannah Tyrrell go out on a high after a wonderful career."
Stack concurred. She was particularly impressed with Dublin's energy, the constant running with and without the ball that had Meath all at sea.
"You just couldn't fault the fluidity of their movement - the link play, the level of fitness was absolutely just on show from start to finish," said Stack.
"I suppose the intent was the biggest thing.
"It was the team that felt a bit of hurt I suppose last year, bowing out to Galway. They came back with a massive will and a massive intent. They did that from start to finish.
"All their big players stepped up."
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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Paul Casey: 'We knew when we met them this morning that they were ready for it'
TG4 All-Ireland SFC final: Dublin 2-16 Meath 0-10 Dublin joint manager Paul Casey said he knew when the squad assembled on Sunday morning that they were poised to go all the way and reclaim the TG4 All-Ireland senior title. 'It's obviously absolutely fantastic. When you have so much experience as we have in that group, to get a day when they all bring that experience to the pitch is just superb. We knew when we met them this morning that they were ready for it,' said Casey. 'They had a pep in their step and they probably came in here bouncing, but it's nothing like the way they're going to leave here because it's absolutely fantastic. 'A day when you're hoping that all your big names and stars will turn up and give a performance. I think that they went over and beyond that. It was fantastic.' He praised the contribution of Player of the Match Orlagh Nolan who battled back from injury to produce a stunning performance on the biggest day of all. 'Orlagh has worked so, so hard to come back. When we were up in Clonshaugh and Craobh Chiarain in the dark and the muck, Orlagh 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 have loved to have 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. It fell perfectly for her to have her first start today," added Casey. Hannah Tyrrell, Kate Sullivan and team captain Carla Rowe registered an impressive combined tally of 0-13 as Dublin bossed matters throughout. Nicole Owens and Niamh Hetherton also bagged goals in a dominant opening half as Dublin ended their first season under the joint management of Casey and Derek Murray with the Brendan Martin Cup back in their possession for the seventh time in history in front of a crowd of 48,089. Meath, bidding for their third TG4 All-Ireland senior title, were always chasing the game and manager Shane McCormack said his side battled to the end but they knew it was going to be an uphill battle. 'I'm just gutted for the girls, to be honest. We were always doubted, even at the start of the year before a ball was thrown in, to even get to a quarter-final stage. But we did believe within our circle that we would achieve it. We played Dublin three times this year. A 16-point trimming in the league wasn't good, so we sat down that week and had a chat among ourselves and we kind of worked on different tactics. 'In fairness to the girls with the Leinster campaign, obviously we lost to Dublin in the Leinster final, but we were gutted because Dublin got the last eight points without a reply from us. So coming into today's game, we knew what was going to happen but the game was nearly over at half-time. In fairness to our girls, they battled to the end. I think we were 11 down at half-time. 'In the second half, pretty pleased that we came out of the blocks quick enough. I think we lost the second half by a point. But I'm just gutted for the girls because they're a fantastic bunch," said McCormack. Tyrrell, needing just three points to secure the ZuCar Golden Boot for 2025, got the ball rolling in a repeat of the 2021 All-Ireland decider with an early two-point salvo on her way to a haul of 0-5. Things got even better for the Sky Blues when Owens struck a clinical sixth minute goal and Sullivan also added her name to the scoresheet before Emma Duggan finally opened Meath's account with a successful free on 10 minutes. While Duggan was on hand to cancel out a score from Rowe, Dublin pushed into overdrive either side of the first quarter mark with four points on the bounce from Tyrrell (two), Orlagh Nolan and Sullivan. The rampant Jackies then moved 12 clear when Hetherton buried a shot to the roof of the Meath net in the 22nd minute and even though Duggan contributed a brace of frees in response to Sullivan's third from play, Dublin brought an emphatic 2-9 to 0-4 buffer into the break. This left the Royals with an enormous uphill task on the restart, but Meath were provided with fresh impetus when Duggan kicked two more points in advance of her Dunboyne club-mate Vikki Wall posting a fine effort from play. However, Dublin reinforced their superiority when Rowe knocked over a place-ball effort of her own and Tyrrell's fifth point of the day meant they were once again in front by double figures at 2-11 to 0-7. With Sullivan bringing her own personal haul up to 0-4 off a subsequent attack, the Metropolitan outfit were on the brink of another top-tier crown heading into the closing quarter. Ciara Smyth, skipper Aoibhin Cleary and Duggan (with her seventh of the tie) all found the target for Meath as the final whistle approached, but although Tyrrell was withdrawn through injury late on, points from Hetherton, Niamh Crowley and the influential Rowe (two) ensured Dublin eased towards their second All-Ireland success in the space of three years. Scorers for Dublin: H Tyrrell (0-5, 3f), C Rowe (0-4, 2f), K Sullivan (0-4), N Hetherton (1-1), N Owens (1-0), N Crowley, O Nolan (0-1 each). Scorers for Meath: E Duggan (0-7, 6f), A Cleary, C Smyth, V Wall (0-1 each). DUBLIN: A Shiels; J Tobin, L Caffrey, N Donlon; S Goldrick, M Byrne, N Crowley; E O'Dowd, H McGinnis; N Owens, C Rowe, O Nolan; H Tyrrell, N Hetherton, K Sullivan. Subs: S McIntyre for Owens (49), 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; O Sheehy, M Farrelly; M Thynne, N Gallogly, C Smyth; E Duggan, V Wall, K Cole. Subs: K Bermingham for Farrelly (25), Farrelly for Ennis, E Moyles for Sheehy (both 42), N McEntee for Cole (49), C Lawlor for Kealy (51). Referee: Gus Chapman (Sligo).
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
How Kerry's kickout clinic overwhelmed Donegal
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Irish Times
2 hours ago
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A mind-changer in the post-puke-football era: what it was like playing in the FRC's sandbox game
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