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Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
"When you stick with it - days like this can happen"
Dublin captain Carla Rowe talks about her role as a role model for young players as champions Dublin celebrate All-Ireland homecoming/
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
‘It's about time' – Dublin's All-Ireland team arrive in Smithfield for first-ever ladies' homecoming celebration
The Dublin team arrived on stage to the huge cheers from a sea of blue as they held the Brendan Martin Cup trophy aloft on stage. Dublin won their seventh All-Ireland ladies title in front of a crowd of more than 48,000 people at Croke Park on Sunday. Speaking to the Irish Independent, Dublin captain, Carla Rowe, said tonight's celebration marked the first dedicated homecoming for the Dublin ladies' team. 'It's the first-ever homecoming for a ladies' team by itself, which is absolutely amazing. So we're gonna just soak it all in, and whatever comes our way, we're gonna enjoy it. "We're all together, and we have our friends, our partners and our families close by us, so we're just enjoying every moment while we can,' she added. "It means a lot to be here and share it, even with young girls and boys who are coming up and show them that this is achievable for so many of them. "That's the kind of role model status that you want to get back to the city of Dublin. And we're just so delighted that we can do that this year. 'We're so excited for the next weeks and months to come, and we've been just enjoying the last few days and soaking it in,' she added. Dublin manager, Paul Casey, said it was 'fantastic' to see the support of loyal Blues' fans. "It's the cherry on top of the cake for the girls after all their hard work they put in,' he said. "It's great for them to have an evening out like this, where their supporters get to come out and show their appreciation for what the girls have been doing in the county over the last number of months. "To get to win on Sunday was fantastic, so we're delighted for the girls. We're delighted to be here. It's a privileged position,' he added. The celebration, hosted by MC and RTÉ presenter Blathnaid Treacy, was initially planned yesterday, but was rescheduled due to bad weather. Families gathered for this evening's homecoming and were entertained by music, dancing and face-painting. Air cannons fired football jerseys into the crowd to huge cheers. Announcing the team on stage just before 7pm, Dublin Lord Mayor, Ray McAdam said the ladies team 'have made our city and our county proud'. "This is also a historic night, because this is the first time Dublin City Council and the Lord Mayor have hosted a dedicated homecoming celebration for the Dublin ladies football champions. It's about time,' he said. "It's a fitting way to celebrate every member of this squad who has achieved so much on the pitch and has represented our city and our county so well over the last number of years. "They are inspiring the young girls and the young boys here before us, and they are going to be the future of Dublin in Croke Park over the years ahead. "Members of this team have shown that with heart, with commitment and with dedication, you can achieve anything. So all of you, young boys and girls, bear that in mind.'
Irish Times
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Dublin turn up the heat on Meath and emerge as deserving champions
All-Ireland women's senior football final: Dublin 2-16 Meath 0-10 It ended with a pitch invasion that had to be called back, the Dublin subs and selectors rewound to the sideline like the flex on a vacuum cleaner. As Carla Rowe stood over a free at the Hill 16 end, she alone among the Dublin contingent seemed to know that the hooter wouldn't go until she kicked it dead. It was about their only misstep of the day. Dublin racked up their seventh All-Ireland here with a display of intensity and hard-nosed belligerence that burned Meath to a crisp. They attacked the final from the get-go and got their business done early, putting the game out of reach well before half-time. When Niamh Hetherton buried their second goal on 22 minutes, they were 2-8 to 0-2 ahead and Meath were goosed. All around the pitch, Dublin players hit their own personal bullseye. Rowe was a menace in attack, insistent and clinical all day. Wing-forward Orlagh Nolan ran a marathon of ball through the Meath rearguard, Sinéad Goldrick was an iron presence around the middle third. Leah Caffrey held Emma Duggan to three shots from play in the whole game. 'We knew when we met them this morning that they were ready for it,' said Dublin co-manager Paul Casey. 'They'd 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. 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.' READ MORE For Meath, the winter's regrets will be rooted in the fact that they came to the biggest game of the year and left so few footprints in the sand. All the vim and ruthlessness of their semi-final display against Kerry deserted them here. They didn't land their first score from play until five minutes into the second half, by which stage they were 10 points behind. Nothing Meath tried worked out. Vikki Wall had a golden chance of a goal after three minutes but hurried her shot, presuming she had an advantage after being pulled back by Caffrey. Not only did she not get her free, she wasn't set properly for the shot and pulled it well wide. It was that kind of day for Wall, who seemed to get on the wrong side of referee Gus Chapman and cut a frustrated figure all afternoon. A goal then might have settled Meath. As it was, they could never get that close to the whites of Abby Shiels's eyes again, with Dublin repeatedly fouling them any time they came into the scoring zone. Meath finished the day with 10 frees inside the men's 40-metre arc – Dublin weren't above a healthy dollop of naked cynicism when it suited them and Chapman never looked minded to produce a yellow card to warn them off it. Dublin's Niamh Hetherton scores a goal against Meath in the first half. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho And so Meath went the whole of the first half without scoring a point from play. Not all of that was down to the threshing machine of the Dublin defence. The Meath attack was nothing like as slick or organised as Dublin's, with too many players frequently drawn towards the ball and acres of space left in front of goal. By contrast, Dublin's attack was layered and sophisticated, with Rowe and Hannah Tyrrell constantly pulling into space in the inside forward line before laying off to runners coming through. Rowe was particularly elusive in that devastating opening quarter, putting the first goal on a plate for Nicole Owens, drawing a foul for a Tyrrell free and slaloming through for a score of her own. Dublin led by 1-4 to 0-1 after 10 minutes, by which time the only thing that seemed to be in reliable working order for Meath was Robyn Murray's kickout. Time and again, she was able to get the ball away and beat the Dublin press, only for the Meath attack to malfunction up ahead of her. Duggan dropped a couple short, one from play and one from a free, while the busy Ciara Smyth shanked one wide. All those misses meant that Meath had no disaster insurance. Murray's kickouts were magnificent right up until they weren't. She barely missed one for the first 18 minutes and then she coughed up two in 90 seconds. For the first, Rowe put Kate Sullivan away and Murray had to pull off a diving save. Meath players Aoibhín Cleary and Vikki Wall after their side's defeat in the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies SFC final. Photograph: Seb Daly/Sportsfile She didn't get away with it a second time though. This time it was midfielder Éilish O'Dowd who snapped onto possession and fed Niamh Hetherton. All it took from there was a quick sidestep and she gave Murray no chance. It meant that with only 22 minutes gone, Dublin were 2-8 to 0-2 ahead and all six of their starting forwards scored from play. Can't ask for much more in an All-Ireland final. After that, the rest of the game was like an election night count when the tallies have already told everyone who's going to fill the seats. Meath scored the last two points of the half and the first three after the restart to bring the gap back to eight points in the 36th minute. But Dublin knuckled down and rattled off the next three on a row, with Rowe, Tyrrell and the impish Sullivan pushing them out of sight again. They saw it out like champions. Ruthless, relentless, imperious. The class of 2025. Dublin: Abby Shiels; Jess Tobin, Leah Caffrey, Niamh Donlon; Sinéad Goldrick, Martha Byrne, Niamh Crowley (0-1); Éilish O'Dowd, Hannah McGinnis; Nicole Owens (1-0), Niamh Hetherton (1-1), Orlagh Nolan (0-1); Carla Rowe (0-4, 0-2 frees), Hannah Tyrrell (0-5, 0-3 frees), Kate Sullivan (0-4). Subs: Sophie McIntyre for Owens, 49 mins; Aoife Kane for McGinnis, 51 mins; Hannah Leahy for Donlon, 54 mins; Laura Grendon for Tyrrell, 55 mins; Chloe Darby for Sullivan, 56 mins. Meath: Robyn Murray; Áine Sheridan, Mary Kate Lynch, Shauna Ennis; Aoibhín Cleary (0-1), Sarah Wall, Karla Kealy; Orlaigh Sheehy, Marion Farrelly; Megan Thynne, Niamh Gollogly, Ciara Smyth (0-1); Emma Duggan (0-7, 0-5 frees), Vikki Wall (0-1), Kerrie Cole. Subs: Katie Bermingham for Farrelly, 25 mins; Farrelly for Ennis, 42 mins; Ella Moyles for Sheehy, 42 mins; Niamh McEntee for Cole, 49 mins; Ciara Lawlor for Kealy, 51 mins. Referee: Gus Chapman (Sligo).
BreakingNews.ie
03-08-2025
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Dublin cruise past Meath to claim seventh All-Ireland title
Hannah Tyrrell, Kate Sullivan and team captain Carla Rowe registered an impressive combined tally of 0-13 at Croke Park on Sunday as Dublin regained the TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship title with a commanding triumph over Leinster rivals Meath. Nicole Owens and Niamh Hetherton also bagged goals in a dominant opening half as Dublin ended their first season under the joint management of Paul Casey and Derek Murray with the Brendan Martin Cup back in their possession for the seventh time in history. Advertisement Needing just three points to secure the ZuCar Golden Boot for 2025, Tyrrell got the ball rolling in a repeat of the 2021 All-Ireland decider with an early 0-2 salvo. 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 twelve 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. Advertisement 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 (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. Advertisement Earlier, Tyrone manager Darren McCann said he was confident all through that they had the measure of Laois at Croke Park to capture the TG4 All-Ireland intermediate title for the second time in history. 'On the sideline, we felt totally in control. We were creating chances but we just weren't taking them, which was frustrating for us,' said McCann. 'The whole group have serious heart and determination as a collective and that was a collective performance. I was really happy with their performance today and the key thing was getting on top and staying on top.' Goals in either half from Aoife Horisk and Katie Rose Muldoon proved pivotal as they edged out Laois by six points to deservedly capture the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup at Croke Park. Advertisement TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Intermediate Football Championship Final, Croke Park,Laois vs Tyrone. Photo: ©INPHO/Leah Scholes In the process Tyrone bounced back from last year's final defeat to Leitrim to capture the TG4 All-Ireland intermediate title for the first time since they sole success in 2018. Laois manager Stephen Duff said they were always chasing the game but he was very proud of their effort. 'We didn't perform in the game. There was a bit of relief that we weren't further behind at half-time,' said Duff. 'Whether the occasion got to us or it was just a bad day at the office, it just wasn't a great performance. Advertisement 'We kept in the game in the third quarter but we probably needed another goal at that time and they managed to pull away in the end. 'We're savagely proud of everyone and we'll just take it on the chin.' Tyrone enjoyed a 1-7 to 1-5 interval lead with Horisk's 27th minute goal cancelling out an equally superb finish from Laois' Shifra Havill four minutes previously. There was little to separate the teams throughout a nervy second half but the decisive moment arrived in the 54th minute as Muldoon left Laois goalkeeper Eimear Barry helpless with a shot from close range. It was Tyrone that seized the early initiative through points from Sorcha Gormley and Cara McCrossan before Laois struck back to level parity by the fourth minute courtesy of scores from Jane Moore and Emma Lawlor. Lawlor edged Laois in front in the seventh minute, immediately after their corner-back Faye McEvoy had produced a superb goal line clearance at the opposite end, with parity restored soon after through a Niamh O'Neill free. Parity continued as Emily Lacey and Aoife Horisk (free) traded points by the end of the first quarter with the Ulster county re-establishing their two-point advantage thanks to Sláine McCarroll and the lively Gormley. However, their inaccuracy up front undermined their general control as O'Neill placed her shot too close to Eimear Barry in the 22nd minute and that profligacy was punished in an instant as Lawlor worked well in releasing Havill for an emphatic finish to the roof of Amelia Coyle's net. Frustration continued for Tyrone in the 26th minute as Gormley was denied from the penalty spot following a foul on Horisk but the latter made no mistake a minute later as she drilled home from ten yards to edge her side two points clear by half-time. Laois wasted little time in getting back on level terms as Mo Nerney and Fiona Dooley both scored within three minutes of the restart. Crucially, Laois were unable to get in front as this time as O'Neill (free) and Horisk responded for Tyrone, with the latter becoming increasingly influential as the contest evolved. Tyrone wrapped up the issue when Muldoon followed up well to net after fellow substitute Emer McCanny had been denied and they pulled away by the final whistle thanks to insurance points from O'Neill, Gormley and captain Aoibhinn McHugh. TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Junior Football Championship Final, Antrim vs Louth. Photo Credit: ©INPHO/Leah Scholes Louth manager Kevin Larkin said hailed his charges as they recovered from a poor start to bounce back from losing last year's decider to Fermanagh by capturing the TG4 All-Ireland junior football championship title at Croke Park for a record fourth time. 'What a group to work with. All of Ireland has seen it there. Penalty, four points down and the girls just kept going, kept going and we went in a point up. There was 20 seconds on the clock before the break and we didn't stop. We didn't try and slow it down. We could have slowed it down and gone in with a draw. It wasn't good for us, but again, the players called that on the pitch themselves. They're just a brilliant group. 'I've been saying it to the girls, their mental strength and their resilience is their biggest weapon. They're just fantastic and even the control on the ball. Eimear Murray put in a tackle there. I thought Lara Dahunsi was through and I was like 'ah, no' and Eimear gets a hand in. Rachel Beirth did not give your one an inch. 'It's all over the pitch. I know obviously the forwards will probably get the headlines, but everywhere over the pitch we were just fantastic,' said Larkin. Antrim, also bidding to become the first county to win the TG4 All-Ireland junior title four times, didn't build on their superb start and joint manager Chris Scullion lamented not taking chances in the second half. 'There was a couple of opportunities presented to ourselves in the second half. It just didn't fall our way today. It seemed to be mistake after mistake sometimes and we were constantly trying to regroup the girls to go again, go again. "It maybe took a toll on them, but I'm not taking anything away from Louth. Louth were brilliant today. "They set up defensively, kept their same structure and they were able to break out and it caused us problems. They were able to work the ball around and get their scores. Fair play to them. 'Whenever they attacked, we tried to block them out the same way they were doing to us. It's just unfortunate we just couldn't get the final ball, the final pass to ourselves to break through. Maybe get our chance. It did present itself right there at the end, but we were trying to get that instruction onto the field five, 10 minutes earlier to press up and push up on their kick-outs. To try and get the turnovers because we were still chasing the game. It's just unfortunate it just didn't go our way,' said Scullion. It was the Ulster side who initially hit the ground running with team skipper Bronagh Devlin superbly drilling a third-minute penalty into the roof of the Louth net after Theresa Mellon was adjudged to have been fouled inside the square off a Maria O'Neill free that dropped short. Mellon followed up the goal with a fine point for the Saffrons and even though Louth eventually opened their account through Aoife Russell, Omolara Dahunsi reinforced Antrim's early authority by splitting the posts at the opposite end. Dahunsi also found the range in response to back-to-back points from Louth corner-forwards Russell and Ceire Nolan, but in the temporary absence of Bronagh Devlin for a yellow card offence, the Wee County cut their deficit to the bare minimum with impressive contributions from Flood and Shannen McLaughlin. Although Antrim sharpshooter O'Neill was on target not long after Devlin's return, unanswered points by captain Aine Breen and the ever-dependable Flood (two) ensured Louth brought a 0-8 to 1-4 cushion into the interval. An outstanding score from the increasingly-influential Kate Flood left Louth two points to the good moving into the final-quarter and they were a step closer to another junior crown when Breen and substitute Mia Duffy added points in the 47th and 49th minutes respectively. Lucy White subsequently increased Louth's cushion and even though a late surge from Antrim produced three points on the bounce by Ana Mulholland, Mellon and O'Neill (a goal-bound effort that was deflected over the bar), the Wee County ultimately prevailed in the end.
BBC News
03-08-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Dublin power past Meath to regain All-Ireland crown
A dominant first-half display paved the way for Dublin to regain the All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football title with a 2-15 to 0-10 win over Meath in Sunday's final at Croke Park. The Dubs, who were knocked out in last year's quarter-finals, started with intent and led 1-2 to 0-0 after seven minutes, with Nicole Owens finding the net after a couple of early Hannah Tyrrell scores. Niamh Hetherton also plundered a three-pointer to give Dublin a commanding 2-9 to 0-4 lead at half-time. Meath - who are managed by former Armagh boss Shane McCormack - started the second half strongly with a trio of scores, but were unable to get close enough to their Leinster rivals to set up a tense climax to the game. It is more disappointment for the Royals, who were searching for their third title after breaking through with back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022. The result also completes a clean sweep of wins for Dublin over Meath in 2025 after victory in the league meeting and two Leinster Championship fixtures, including the final. In front of a 48,089-strong crowd, former Ireland rugby international Tyrrell top-scored for Dublin with 0-5 in the final game of her inter-county career before hobbling off with an injury late on. Captain Carla Rowe and corner-forward Kate Sullivan struck 0-4 each for Dublin, who gained a measure of revenge after falling to a surprise defeat by Meath in the 2021 Duggan led the way for Meath with 0-7.
