ROYAL REDEMPTION: Cleary Eyes Long-Awaited Leinster Crown
By Daire Walsh
Whereas there wasn’t a huge sense of familiarity with the venue when she first joined the panel in 2016, Aoibhin Cleary and a plethora of her Meath team-mates are now well accustomed to big outings in Croke Park.
Although Megan Thynne featured for the county at the ground in a drawn All-Ireland intermediate camogie championship decider against Cork in September 2017, it wasn’t until the following year’s All-Ireland intermediate final showdown with Tyrone that the Meath ladies footballer first lined out in GAA HQ.
Cleary started that game and has also been a part of the Royals starting line-up for the 10 encounters they have played on Jones’ Road since then. This has included three All-Ireland successes (two senior and one intermediate) as well as Lidl National Football League Division 1 and Division showpiece victories.
She was also part of the Meath team that faced Dublin in Leinster LGFA senior championship finals in 2022 and 2024, and will now lead out her native county as captain for their latest top-tier provincial final against the Jackies in Croke Park.
“Back when I would have started and the first time the team got to Croke Park at that time was the 2018 All-Ireland, intermediate All-Ireland against Tyrone. At that time it was huge. I suppose growing up, it was something that was a dream of a lot of ours. A lot of time it didn’t seem really attainable. When it did come to it, it was a massive occasion,” Cleary acknowledged.
“I suppose now as the years have gone on, there’s a couple of players who have played there numerous times. Especially across 2020, 2021, 2022 and then there’s still some players that are on the panel now this year who have never played there yet either. It is a special place to play and it’s a huge prize.
“The Leinster championship, getting to play the Leinster final in Croke Park and hoping lifting it as we never have before. It’s definitely a huge prize to get to Croke Park. It’s always such an honour to get to play there.”
As Cleary alludes to, a Leinster senior title is the one piece of silverware that the current crop of Meath footballers are yet to get their hands on. The Donaghmore/Ashbourne did kick a point when the Royals defeated Wexford to secure the Leinster intermediate football championship at Netwatch Cullen Park on July 10, 2017, but since returning to provincial senior action in 2022, Cleary and Meath have suffered three consecutive final defeats to Dublin.
The Royals had previously enjoyed considerable success in to the top-tier of the Leinster LGFA, winning four senior titles on the bounce from 1997 to 2000. Understandably, Cleary would dearly love to end their 25-year barren spell in Croke Park later today against a Dublin side that are searching for a 12th Leinster senior crown in-a-row.
“Leinster is one thing we have been chasing for a few years now and haven’t managed to get our hands on yet. It’s definitely a big aim for us this year. Getting to the Leinster final and then hopefully eventually getting up those steps to lift it.”
Of course, as back-to-back winners from the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 2021 and 2022, Meath’s ambitions for 2025 will extend beyond the provincial series. Having gotten the better of Kerry to retain the Brendan Martin Cup three years ago, the Royals saw their All-Ireland SFC campaigns ending in quarter-final defeats to the Kingdom in the past two seasons.
Should Meath triumphed in GAA HQ later today, they will enter Group 4 of the All-Ireland senior championship along with the runners-up from the forthcoming Munster final and Leitrim. If they come out on the wrong side of the result this afternoon, they will join the victors of yesterday’s Ulster final at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones and Kildare – who the Royals defeated by a single point in the provincial championship at Cedral St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge last weekend – in Group 3.
“I suppose our last two seasons we’ve finished disappointed, losing out to Kerry in the quarter-final both years. We 100% want to push on further than that,” Cleary added.
“That’s a good bit down the track at the minute, but we 100% want to push on and be getting to semi-finals and finals again. It’s a long way to go before we’re even looking at a potential quarter-final.”