'I didn’t officially come out and say ‘I have retired’, but I more or less have done'
IT HAS BECOME a familiar trip for the county in recent years, but former goalkeeper Monica McGuirk believes a youthful Meath side will be relishing taking on Kerry at Tralee’s Austin Stack Park in the TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship quarter-finals this evening (throw-in 5.15pm).
When home advantage was first introduced for the last eight of the Brendan Martin Cup in 2023, McGuirk was part of a Meath team that lost out on a margin of 2-8 to 0-10 against the Kingdom in Tralee. History repeated itself 12 months later when Kerry once again welcomed the Royals to Austin Stack Park and overcame their Leinster counterparts on the way to securing a first All-Ireland SFC title in 31 years.
Finishing top of Group 2 this year ensured Kerry will kick-start their latest knockout campaign on home turf, and it is Group 4 runners-up Meath who are set to provide the quarter-final opposition for a third time in just four seasons. This looks like a very tricky assignment on paper for the Royals, but they can take confidence from the county’s impressive All-Ireland semi-final win over Kerry at Glenisk O’Connor Park in the 2025 championship.
“The girls, they’ve had a massive transition from obviously a lot of new girls coming in, a young squad coming in. There’d be no fear in terms of playing Kerry, we’ve done it now for many years. We’ve got Kerry either in a quarter-final or a semi-final for the last I don’t know how many years,” McGuirk remarked.
“They’d be very familiar with playing them and I’m sure they’re all really excited and looking forward to the opportunity on Saturday. The fact that there is obviously so many new girls coming in as well, they’re going to be relishing the fact that they get to play in an All-Ireland quarter-final against one of the top teams in the country.”
While playing on home soil is always preferable at this stage in the season, Meath having progressed to the last-eight of the 2026 championship as a result of pulling off a big victory on the road. After losing out to Galway in the opening round of Group 4 in the All-Ireland series at Bective GFC on 7 June, the Royals paid a visit to Tyrone at O’Neill’s Healy Park in Omagh 13 days later and held off a late surge from last year’s All-Ireland intermediate football champions to record a 1-12 to 1-10 success.
“Tyrone obviously coming back up into senior football, it was a different challenge for the girls this year. It kind of went right down to the wire. I know the girls won by a few points in the end, but it was a close game. I’m sure they took nothing for granted when they were going up there to play them.
“Last year we had a home quarter-final and it is that added bonus of being at home. Getting the crowd behind you and playing on your own pitch and knowing what the expectation is of when you’re at home. Compared to when you have to travel, but the girls won’t be afraid of that.”
Interestingly, last year’s All-Ireland senior football championship quarter-final against Tipperary on their home turf of Páirc Tailteann in Navan looks set to be McGuirk’s closing appearance in a Meath jersey.
Although she never officially announced her retirement, McGuirk stepped away from the Royal panel following the conclusion of the 2025 season and acknowledges her time on the inter-county scene has likely come to an end.
While it wasn’t an easy decision to move on from the Meath set-up, the ex-shotstopper believes her position has been left in safe hands. That outing against Tipperary on 6 July of last year was as a 53rd minute substitute for Robyn Murray – who was subsequently selected in the number one spot on the All-Star team for 2025.
“I kind of knew going into that game, it was probably the last time I was going to be playing in a Meath jersey. I remember the stand was pretty full that day, to be fair. To get on and have those couple of minutes with the girls was special.
“I didn’t officially come out and say ‘I have retired’, but it is something I more or less have done. I’m obviously still going to be playing a bit of club and stuff like that, but in terms of inter-county football, I’m pretty much retired from that now. I can’t see myself coming back there at any stage in the future.
“Obviously Robyn and Aoibheann [Corcoran] have been there over the last couple of years. Robyn came in a couple of years ago and I knew it was going to be her. She was going to be the next number one. She is a top class goalkeeper. Leaving the position with regards to having strong goalkeepers coming into it, it’s massive for the county.”
Even though she was the substitute goalkeeper when Meath lost last year’s TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship final to Dublin in Croke Park, McGuirk departed the inter-county game with several lasting memories in a Meath jersey.
In addition to winning back-to-back All-Ireland SFC titles in 2021 and 2022, the Duleek/Bellewstown net minder was also part of Meath sides that won finals in the top three divisions of the Lidl National Football League and collected three All-Star awards.
“I sit in my house now and I see the All-Ireland medals I have or the All-Stars and I think back. I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without the team that was with me or the coaches that were with me over the couple of years. I wouldn’t have changed it for the world and all I do now is wish the girls the very best of luck in the years ahead,” McGuirk added.
“I’m sure a lot of people have read it in my interviews over the years, my only regret is not winning that Leinster senior title, but look you can’t have it all. Obviously I’m hoping the girls will do that at some stage over the years, but like I said, I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. I loved every minute of it.”
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