Dubs hammer Meath to claim seventh All-Ireland title
Kate Sullivan rescued a late draw against Waterford and it took a memorable Hannah Tyrrell free from downtown to take Gaway to extra-time at the semi-final stage.
But when the final rolled around, on the grand stage of Croke Park in front of 48,089, the Dubs hit Meath hard and early, summoning their very best form and virtually wrapping up a landmark seventh title success by half-time.
Dublin led their neighbours and old rivals Meath by 2-09 to 0-04 at that stage and, hand on heart, must have already been considering just how good the celebrations were going to be.
It will certainly be an enjoyable winter after capturing their second title in three seasons and their first since long-serving manager Mick Bohan was replaced by Paul Casey and Derek Murray.
They battled various setbacks throughout the season - spare a thought for Lauren Magee who suffered an ACL setback mid-season - but a deep panel ultimately pulled them through.
Captain Carla Rowe, who struck 0-04, Sullivan, Eilish O'Dowd and Player of the Match Orlagh Nolan all had huge games while Nicole Owens and Niamh Hetherton supplied the crucial goals.
There was a superb defensive effort too as Meath were restricted to just four points from play overall.
For the seven Dublin starters who also lined out in the 2021 final, when their five-in-a-row bid was undone by Meath, it will go down as a particularly sweet win.
Meath supporters figured beforehand that despite being beaten three times this year by Dublin, once in the league and twice in the Leinster championship, the results were trending positively for them.
Dublin beat Meath by 2-19 to 0-09 in the league last March but just seven points separated them in their provincial championship group game.
And Dublin had to come from behind with eight unanswered points late in the Leinster final to secure a 12th consecutive title.
Meath went with the same side again too, bar the injury enforced absence of corner-back Katie Newe who was replaced by the ultra experienced Shauna Ennis.
Two-time All-Ireland winning captain Ennis started and finished the first-half in the inside forward line though played the majority around the half-back line.
She was part of a Meath defence that was under siege for long spells in that opening half.
Tyrrell, who'd sniped 8-33 in seven games between the start of the Leinster championship and the final, was picked up by Aine Sheridan, who fared well overall.
Tyrrell did open the scoring when fed by the busy Sinead Goldrick but that was her only point from play until the 43rd minute.
Team skipper Rowe was more influential, winning a free that Tyrrell converted before feeding Owens for the opening goal in the sixth minute.
Suddenly, Dublin led by 1-02 to no score and Meath were already in serious trouble.
Meath didn't get their opening score until the 10th minute and, by that stage, Dublin had 1-03 on the board.
Meath didn't score from play at all in the opening half, Emma Duggan converting four frees.
Niamh Donlon, just in the team in 2023 when Dublin won their last title, picked up Duggan who was frustrated to drop three score attempts short.
Dublin really turned it on between the 14th and 23rd minutes, hitting 1-05 without response and effectively wrestling the Brendan Martin Cup their direction.
Rowe struck the point of the game during that blitz, starting on the left sideline and dancing by a couple of Meath defenders before blasting over into the Davin End.
Meath goalkeeper Robyn Murray was under pressure with her kick-outs and Dublin gathered one of them and turned it into a Sullivan shot that Murray did well to tip over.
From the next kick-out, Dublin won possession again and Leitrim native O'Dowd helped set Hetherton free for the second goal.
O'Dowd was involved again two minutes later for a Sullivan point, leaving the favourites 13 points in the clear, 2-09 to 0-02.
Meath manager Shane McCormack made his first change moments later, taking off midfielder Marion Farrelly despite being one of the stars of their run to the decider.
The former team physio was brought back on in the third quarter for Ennis, with Ella Moyles also introduced at that stage.
Things had improved slightly for Meath by then as between two points late in the first-half, and three more after the restart, they hit Dublin for five without response.
Included in that was their first from open play in the 35th minute, by Duggan, while Vikki Wall took a quick free from Kerrie Cole and opened her account too.
Wall, who will return to AFLW holders North Melbourne shortly, got through plenty of work as usual but couldn't turn enough of her possessions into scores or assists.
Dublin, now leading by 2-09 to 0-07, hit the afterburners again with three points in a row from Rowe, Tyrrell and Sullivan.
It wasn't all one-way traffic anymore as Ciara Smyth, captain Aoibhin Cleary, also bound for AFLW duty and Duggan nicked points for Meath.
But Dublin simply had too much of a cushion built up to be caught and were never in any great danger in the closing minutes as the goals Meath needed never came, nor looked like coming.
Tyrrell suffered a leg injury that forced her withdrawal late on but, thankfully, she was able to walk off the pitch and took a part in the onfield celebrations immediately afterwards.
Dublin: Abbey Shiels; Niamh Donlon, Leah Caffrey, Jess Tobin; Sinead Goldrick, Martha Byrne, Niamh Crowley (0-01); Eilish O'Dowd, Hannah McGinnis; Nicole Owens (1-00), Carla Rowe (0-04, 0-02f), Orlagh Nolan (0-01); HannahTyrrell (0-05, 0-03f), Niamh Hetherton (1-01), Kate Sullivan (0-04).
Subs: Sophie McIntyre for Owens 48, Aoife Kane for McGinnis 50, Hannah Leahy for Donlon 53, Laura Grendon for Tyrrell 54, Chloe Darby for Sullivan 56.
Meath: Robyn Murray; Karla Kealy, Mary Kate Lynch, Aine Sheridan; Shauna Ennis, Sarah Wall, Aoibhin Cleary (0-01); Orlaith Sheehy, Marion Farrelly; Megan Thynne, Niamh Gallogly, Ciara Smyth (0-01); Kerrie Cole, Vikki Wall (0-01), Emma Duggan (0-07, 0-06f).
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