‘Every time I think of it, it still gives you goosebumps. You still nearly get emotional thinking about that day and what we achieved. I think it was because we were such underdogs’
BY DAIRE WALSH
IT is almost four years since the game took place, but former Meath star Orla Byrne admits she still gets ‘goosebumps’ whenever she thinks about the Royal County’s breakthrough TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship success of 2021.
Given they had only just secured a national intermediate title in the previous season, Meath found themselves as underdogs heading into a top-tier showpiece bout against a five-in-a-row chasing Dublin at Croke Park on September 5 of that year. Yet with Byrne playing a pivotal role at right half-forward, Eamonn Murray’s charges pulled out all the stops to claim a magnificent 1-11 to 0-12 victory.
Meath’s renewal of acquaintances with Dublin in tomorrow’s Brendan Martin Cup decider at GAA HQ helps to evoke memories of this historic achievement and Byrne is hopeful the current crop of Royal footballers can produce a similar result in their latest showdown.
“Every time I think of it, it still gives you goosebumps. You still nearly get emotional thinking about that day and what we achieved. I think it was because we were such underdogs. We had come up from intermediate the previous year,” Byrne said.
“No one had really given us a chance. We thought we had proved ourselves as to what we were capable of, but there was still a lot of doubts heading into the final. When I think back to those final few seconds and the hooter going off in Croke Park that day when we beat Dublin, it’s just amazing.
“I’d love to experience it again, but it was a special feeling and one I’ll never forget. We all have such special memories from that time. I’m hoping the girls will be able to experience that again now on Sunday.”
That maiden senior championship triumph with the Royals in 2021 was made all the better for Byrne by the presence of her sister Kate on the panel for the game. The gifted siblings from Duleek/Bellewstown had experienced some difficult days in the early part of their Meath careers and this made it extra sweet when they eventually reached the top of the ladies football ladder.
“There is only a year and a half age difference between myself and Kate, so we would have played a lot of underage football together as well. We played most of our careers together with Meath. I suppose it was really special that myself and Kate got to experience good days in the last couple of years of our career playing with Meath.
“Get to enjoy the success after putting in the years of disappointment. Every year committing again and again, even though it was tough and we weren’t getting much joy out of it. It was really nice to finally be able to say we achieved the ultimate dream of playing in Croke Park initially and then obviously winning an All-Ireland in Croke Park.”
After appearing off the bench in a Lidl National Football League Division 1 final victory over Donegal in Croke Park on April 10, 2022, Byrne played a similar role in the same venue just under four months later when Meath defeated Kerry to defend their TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship crown.
Orla Byrne of Meath during the 2022 TG4 Leinster Senior Ladies Football Championship Round 2 match between Dublin and Meath at Parnell Park in Dublin (Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile)
However, in the wake of these successes, she ultimately opted to bring her inter-county journey to an end. Although a career break from her job as a primary school teacher at Realt na Mara GNS in Donacarney came further down the line – she is due to make a return to this post in September – Byrne acknowledged a number of factors came into play when she decided to step back from Meath duty.
“After 2021, I just didn’t feel ready to go because it had been such a successful year and a year that I really enjoyed. I said I’d give it one more year then after 2021. I kind of knew then, even though it was very hard. After the 2022 season, it was in the back of my head ‘will I give it another go?’
“I was very much on the fence for a couple of months right into pre-season. I think the time was right. It was probably a mixture of reasons. Just mainly I had put so much of my life into playing with Meath. Had put a lot of stuff in my own personal life to the side.
“It is only probably when you step away and you come out from it that you realise how much time you can give to other things then as well. I left in 2022, so I went back to teaching and then took my career break the following year. I’m happy and I feel like it was the right time for me to step away.”
While Byrne acknowledged it was a big change when she transitioned from being a Meath player to a supporter, she also feels she is able to relax more as a spectator at games.
Nevertheless, she will be anxious for her former team-mates and a plethora of recent additions to the panel to get over the line in Croke Park tomorrow.
The Royals have already faced Dublin at the venue in 2025 as their TG4 Leinster senior football championship final encounter with the Jackies on May 11 was held in Croker as part of a double bill with the men’s provincial showdown between Louth and Meath.
Shane McCormack’s outfit fell to a 2-13 to 1-12 reversal after leading for large stretches of this game, but even though there was a sense this was one that got away, Byrne believes Meath showed on that day how they are more than a match for the Sky Blues.
“I know the girls were quite disappointed that day. Because I definitely think they felt they left it behind. They were dominating most of that game and I do feel like after that game and going into this Sunday, they know they have the beating of Dublin,” Byrne added.
“They’re well capable of doing it. Just hopefully they can bring it all on the day and put in the performance they’ll need to beat them. They’re definitely up there with Dublin and have everything in them that they can do it on Sunday.”
Meath players, including from right, Emma Duggan, Máire O’Shaughnessy and Orla Byrne celebrate after their side’s victory in the 2021 TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football Championship Final match between Dublin and Meath at Croke Park (Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile)
