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Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Meath will have it all to do against Armagh in All-Ireland Championship opener
They commence their latest bid for All-Ireland honours against Armagh in Round One of the TG4 SFC at Pairc Tailteann this Saturday with the throw-in at 3pm. It is to their credit however that they have remained competitive and managed to qualify for the knockout stages in both 2023 and 2024 considering the turn over of players in that short space of time and the number of All-Ireland winners who departed the scene for a variety of reasons since that last final win over Kerry. The most recent meeting against the Orchard County was a final round NFL tie at the Athletic Grounds at the end of March where a late free converted by Emma Duggan gave Meath victory, 2-12 to 4-5. Armagh had already booked their passage to the final at that stage where they lost out to reigning All-Ireland champions Kerry, 4-14 to 0-11. They also clashed at this stage of the competition 12 months ago with Meath boss Shane McCormack coming up against the county he previously managed. There was late heartbreak for Meath in that match as they were on level terms until Niamh Coleman struck for an Armagh goal in the closing minutes. Meath hit back with a brace of points in added time but the hosts held on for a 3-9 to 1-14 win. Armagh's most recent outing was their Ulster final win where they justified their tag of hot favourites with a 3-9 to 0-7 victory over Donegal to retain their title. There were two cracking goals from Aoife McCoy and a Player of the Match performance from her fellow 2024 All-Star Lauren McConville. Niamh Coleman scored Armagh's other goal while their third All-Star from 2024 Grace Ferguson notched a point from the wing back position. Ace markswoman Aimee Mackin still hasn't returned since her cruciate knee injury sustained in the 2024 provincial final while Ulster All-Star Dearbhla Coleman is also out with an injury. However, Armagh can still call on an abundance of experience in their latest bid to lift the Brendan Martin Cup for the very first time. They reached the semi-final in 2024, going down to eventual champions Kerry, 1-8 to 0-7. That is an indication of the task facing Meath in this latest clash. Meath of course are coming off the back of yet another Leinster final defeat at the hands of Dublin. That was a game where Meath were attempting to bridge a 25-year gap by winning the provincial crown and for long stretches it looked as if they would gain that overdue success. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more They opened up a six point advantage in the opening half and were full value for their four point lead nearing the end of the third quarter. However Dublin called on all their experience in the final quarter with eight unanswered points to win their 12th consecutive provincial title though they were somewhat flattered by the 2-13 to 1-12 victory. That performance should instil great confidence into Shane McCormack's side ahead of this All-Ireland series. Emma Duggan, Vikki Wall, Aoibhin Cleary, Mary Kate Lynch, Niamh Gallogly and Megan Thynne are still key figures while some of the younger players including keeper Robyn Murray, Ciara Smyth, Kerrie Cole and Karla Kealy are adopting well at this level. Home advantage is a plus going into this crunch tie but Armagh who have been knocking at the door over the past few years will start as favourites to make a winning start. Kildare are the other county in this Group Three and that will be an away fixture for Meath. The top two counties advance to the knockout stages with the winner's of the group having a home quarter final tie. The bottom team in each group contest the relegation play-off.
The 42
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
'That's a feeling that you want to get back. It drives a new hunger for this year'
WHILE KERRY'S SIGHTS are firmly set on Sunday's Munster ladies football final against Waterford, their All-Ireland defence follows in quick pursuit. The senior groups will be confirmed after the remaining provincial finals this weekend, with fixtures due to get underway Saturday week, 7 June. All eyes will be on the Kingdom, who start out with the Brendan Martin Cup in their possession. The general consensus is the championship is wide open, and Kerry forward Síofra O'Shea agrees. 'For the last few years, I think it's been fairly level, and this year again, it's hard to pick who you think would win the All-Ireland at this stage in the year.' Ulster champions Armagh, Leinster winners Dublin and 2024 All-Ireland runners up Galway — who face Mayo in the Connacht final on Sunday — all get a nod. But the Kerry focus is inwards; champions for the first time since 1994 last year after back-to-back final defeats, to Meath and Dublin. It has been an encouraging start to 2025 under new manager Mark Bourke, winning the Division 1 National Football League and reaching another Munster final despite significant player turnover. Advertisement 'It's well documented how we lost a number of players from the panel from last year, 12 or 13 players stepped away for various reasons, some through retirement, some going off travelling and different things,' says O'Shea. 'I think we've adapted well to Mark Bourke and his management team. They've came in with great energy, tried to build on the style of play that we're used to, making certain tweaks here and there. They've definitely put their stamp on things as well. 'New management brings a fresh perspective. Everyone gets a blank slate, and competitiveness in the panel increased with everyone trying to impress. We lost our opening game to Armagh, but then we learned from each game, and went on a good winning run which led us to the league final. Putting in probably our best performance of the year in that league final was definitely satisfying.' The bar set by Quill and Long has certainly been maintained. 'The standards Mark has are absolutely crazy. The preparation he puts in, the hours of work, analysis, and preparation for any team and any game is unbelievable. We've learned a lot from him.' The legendary Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh left a significant void as she retired, but 23-year-old duo O'Shea and Danielle O'Leary have seamlessly led the charge in the forward line. PwC GPA Player of the Month for April in ladies' football, Síofra O'Shea of Kerry, with her award at PwC's offices in Cork. SPORTSFILE. SPORTSFILE. Both landed Player of the Month awards for April for their efforts, while ever-present Niamh Carmody and Niamh Ní Chonchúir and returning Rachel Dwyer and Caoimhe Evans have all combined in attack to devastating attack. That will be key if Kerry are to maintain their All-Ireland and Munster titles. The hunters to the hunted: how has that shift been? O'Shea doesn't hesitate with her answer. 'We gave so much to win the Brendan Martin Cup. You have that hunger, that drive, but when you do win it, then the feeling you get for that 30 minutes or so after the game especially, that's a feeling that you want to get back. I think that drives a new hunger for this year. You want to get that again. 'The celebrations we had after it were unbelievable, that's probably the feeling you're chasing again. You want to kind of write your own story with the new group we have, obviously, Mark wasn't there last year, and the amount of effort that he's put in, you want to do something for him. 'Being the hunted, you could get carried away with yourself, but we've been kept fairly grounded. When you come off the back of a league final performance like that, your head might go up into the sky, but you're brought back down to earth fairly quickly in Munster.' Kerry finished top of the table, with wins over Cork and Waterford seeing them into the decider before a draw with Tipperary. O'Shea anticipates a huge challenge from the Déise in Sunday's decider in Mallow [2.30pm, Spórt TG4 Youtube] after just a point separated them last time out. 'Any time you play Waterford is a tough, tough game. We're expecting a big battle,' the Southern Gaels star concludes. 'They're a quality side and they're probably one of the toughest working teams in the country. They hound in packs, and they defend in numbers. You don't get much space. It'll be about staying calm and taking our chances when we get them.'
