Dominant Dublin ease past Meath to regain All-Ireland Senior title

CHAMPIONS: Dublin captain Carla Rowe lifts the Brendan Martin cup, alongside Uachtarán Cumann Peil Gael na mBan, Trina Murray, left. Picture: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile

TG4 All-Ireland SFC final: Dublin 2-16 Meath 0-10

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.

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.

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(with her seventh of the tie) all found the target for Meath as the final whistle approached, but although Tyrrell was withdrawn through injury late on, points from Hetherton, Niamh Crowley and the influential Rowe (two) ensured Dublin eased towards their second All-Ireland success in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.

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).

The 60 Second Report

The Turning Point: The game was up for Meath when they conceded their second goal after just 21 minutes. Dublin led by 2-8 to 0-2 at that stage and stretched it out to a 13-point cushion two minutes later. A side of their experience and quality was never going to cough up a lead like that.

Shape and Structure: Shauna Ennis made her first start of the year for Meath and, whilst she had spells in attack, generally played as an auxiliary defender. Dublin withdrew full-forward Niamh Hetherton to a deeper role and it worked a treat, clearing Carla Rowe to wreak havoc close to goal.

The Key Stat: Meath didn't score from play until five minutes into the second-half. They only managed four from play in the entire game. Back when they won their All-Irelands in 2021 and 2022 as a counter-attacking team, that might have sufficed but not now in more orthodox times.

Post Match Chatter: What is and isn't a free, particularly around contact being made by the defending player, continues to be a giant bone of contention in ladies football. Plenty of Gus Chapman's decisions left you wondering, 'But if he gave that one, what about the earlier one he didn't?' In the Sligo man's defence, it's a devilishly difficult rule to implement.

The Principal Player: Dublin had any number of standout performers. Defensively, they couldn't be faulted, conceding just 0-10 and only four points from play. Eilish O'Dowd was terrific at midfield, particularly in the first-half, while Kate Sullivan and captain Carla Rowe probably locked down their All-Star awards. But Orlagh Nolan, making her first start of the year after an ACL injury, outdid them all, the former All-Star covering so much ground and involved in most of their best work.

Man in Black: Gus Chapman annoyed Meath when he failed to give them an advantage in the final quarter. They were chasing goals at that stage and Vikki Wall complained so much that the ball was thrown up. Neither side could feel particularly hard done by regarding his decisions overall.

Next Up: That's it for Dublin and Meath in 2025. Dublin have made off with Leinster and All-Ireland titles and will celebrate them until the Lidl National League begins again next January. Meath will reflect on a breakthrough season, of sorts. They didn't claim silverware but reaching the All-Ireland final, and knocking out holders Kerry, was beyond expectation.