'A testament to her': Dubs boss Casey hails ageless wonder Tyrrell

Dublin's defiant veteran, with 8-33 to her name in this year's championship, is a big reason why they are favourites to reclaim the Brendan Martin Cup

Sat, 02 Aug, 2025 - 06:19

Paul Keane

When Hannah Tyrrell kicked the long-range free to keep Dublin in their All-Ireland semi-final, taking Galway to extra-time, she didn't celebrate. Not even a flicker of a smile.

Later on, deep into extra-time, as Galway captain Kate Geraghty sprinted up the field with the ball, corner-forward Tyrrell remarkably chased her down, eventually cutting a 15-metre gap down to zero, and defying the 12-year age difference, before executing a textbook near-hand tackle to win the ball back and then force a free.

That one she celebrated with gusto, punching the air twice and releasing a roar of pure satisfaction to nobody in particular. With 1-6 also tucked away in Tullamore that evening, Tyrrell got the Player of the Match award.

At 35, there is no sign of the former rugby international slowing down despite conceding in a recent interview that she was 'done...out the gap' last winter. Her 8-33 haul so far in this year's championship is a big part of the reason why Dublin are favourites to win back the Brendan Martin Cup tomorrow.

"A bit of talking, a bit of understanding of her situation, and what she'd be able to give us," said Dublin joint manager Paul Casey, explaining how they coaxed Tyrrell back for 2025. "But she's been as committed as any other player. To see her at 35 years of age, tracking back in extra-time, making those sorts of tackles, it's a testament to her.

"I think I might have said after the game, we're lucky in this country, we have many, many great sports women but she's up there with them to have done it in soccer, rugby and to be still doing it at 35 in our sport, with a child at home. It's a testament to her commitment to anything she applies herself to."

Tyrrell wasn't long back playing football when Dublin ran into Meath in the 2021 All-Ireland ladies final and surprisingly lost. Two years later, she kicked up a first-half storm in the final against Kerry, blasting eight of Dublin's 11 points in that period, and finally got her medal.

Last season, however, was a giant anti-climax, Dublin's title defence ending at the quarter-final stage with a loss to Galway.

"Last year, we look back and ironically, we would have missed a lot of free kicks, I think of the one Hannah hit the post, it came back, and she hand-passed it into the net, and then the kick that she had the last day, that was probably a tougher kick the last day," said Casey. "It was tougher than any of the kicks last year and she slots it."

That's not just the mark of Tyrrell's determination, according to Casey, but of the team's. From the various injuries that have threatened to undermine their campaign - Dublin have had to use 30 different players in just seven championship games since the start of the Leinster championship - to needing Kate Sullivan to rescue a draw against Waterford, to the late heroics against Galway, they've consistently dug deep.

They sickened tomorrow's opponents Meath too, in the Leinster final, when reeling off eight late points in a row to win that one.

"I think the defeats we've had, the 2021 final, the following year to Donegal, against Galway last year, they've all really stood to the players that are still there," said former Dublin wing-back Casey.

"People talk about that 2021 final and will it be any motivating factor for us? I don't think so. I'm sure they're not looking back and saying they have to get revenge for the Leinster final. You're playing on the biggest day of the year, you're going out to try to win the game and that's motivation enough for any team."