'We knew whatever it would take we'd do it' - Dublin keeper reflects on dramatic semi win ahead of All-Ireland decider

Irish Examiner

30-07-2025

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."