Dublin stroll to triumphant All-Ireland win over Meath as captain Rowe pays tribute to infamous city nightclub
In association with TG4
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.
And after the match, Rowe paid tribute to Dublin’s sponsors, and their friends at Copper Face Jacks nightclub.
“To GoAhead buses, Ballygowan, and our friends at Copper Face Jacks for their additional support and contributions to Dublin,” Rowe said. “A huge thank you it’s really appreciated,” she added, as those behind her at Croke Park let out a smirk.
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.
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