Meath bidding for title in one of four ladies finals
Meath captain Shauna Ennis is one of eight captains from the participating counties who has her sights firmly focused on the 2021 Lidl Ladies National Football League Div 2 finals this Saturday.
The four finals will take place on Saturday and Sunday at three venues.
The Division 1 and 2 Finals will form the basis of a Government-approved test event for spectators at Croke Park next Saturday.
Three of the competing teams are set for quickfire returns to the famous venue.
Cork, Dublin and Meath were all present at Croke Park last December for the TG4 All-Ireland Senior and Intermediate finals – with Dublin (Senior) and Meath (Intermediate) taking home the silverware.
And they’ll be back on the hallowed turf on Saturday for the 2021 Lidl National League Finals.
Meath will face Kerry in the Division 2 decider (5pm – Live on TG4) before Cork and Dublin meet in the Division 1 Final (7.30pm – Live on TG4).
On Sunday, attention switches to the finals in Divisions 3 and 4, with both of these games set to be streamed live on the Spórt TG4 YouTube Page.
In Baltinglass neighbours Laois and Kildare meet in the Division 3 decider, 4pm.
Leitrim and Louth will battle it out for Division 4 honours at Clones, 2pm.
For the launch of the finals, captains Sinead Aherne (Dublin), Martina O’Brien (Cork), Aislinn Desmond (Kerry) and Shauna Ennis (Meath) visited Croke Park ahead of Saturday’s finals, while Clare Owens (Leitrim) and Shannen McLaughlin (Louth) made the trip to Clones.
With local bragging rights at stake, Grace Clifford (Kildare) and Laura Nerney (Laois) met on border between the two neighbouring counties, by the banks of the River Barrow.
In the Division 1 final, Cork are aiming to retain the title they won in 2019 (the Lidl National Leagues were not completed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic).
The Leesiders are competition specialists – winners on 12 occasions and appearing in the Division 1 final for the 15th time since 2004.
The Dublin women are chasing just a second Lidl NFL Division 1 title, as they look forward to a third final appearance.
When Cork and Dublin met in the group stages of the League at the end of May, Dublin prevailed by a point and Mick Bohan’s charges also won the 2020 TG4 All-Ireland final between the counties.
In the Division 2 final, silverware and promotion are on offer, as both teams aim for top flight status in 2022.
Meath enjoyed a famous day at Croke Park when they defeated Westmeath in the 2020 TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate final.
After claiming promotion from Division 3 in 2019, winning the Division 2 crown would represent another significant step forward for the Royal County.
Kerry won by six points against Meath in the group stages, but were relegated from Division 1 in 2018, but are now just 60 minutes away from a potential return to the top tier.
There is also repeat meetings from the group stages in the Divisions 3 and 4 finals.
Laois and Louth will be looking to turn the tables on Kildare and Leitrim respectively and gain promotion into the bargain.
Laois edged out Kildare by three points in Portlaoise in May, while Leitrim were eight-point winners over Louth on the same day.
Looking ahead to four intriguing games, Mícheál Naughton, President of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, said: “Unfortunately, we could not conclude our Lidl National League competitions in 2020 but it’s wonderful to be in a position where we are about to hand over four pieces of silverware to the Lidl National League winners.
“Since the commencement of our 2021 Lidl National Leagues, we have witnessed some brilliant football and we’ve been privileged to view it all either on TG4 or via our live-streaming service, in association with Lidl.
“We’re all set for four great games and it’s heartening to be in a position to welcome spectators to the three Final venues – Croke Park, Baltinglass and St Tiernach’s Park.
“I wish to pay tribute to National League competition sponsors, Lidl, who are also our official retail partner.
“Since coming on board with us in 2016, Lidl have helped to elevate our game to new heights, and they provided significant investment which enabled us to live-stream 50 games during the 2021 Lidl National Leagues.
“This is #SeriousSupport for Ladies Football and yet another example of why this partnership has evolved and blossomed.”
Speaking on behalf of Lidl Ireland, Chief Executive Officer, JP Scally, added:
“As Chief Executive Officer of Lidl in Ireland, I am extremely proud of our partnership with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association.
“With 209 stores nationwide, we are part of communities all over Ireland and we are committed to supporting the organisation from the grassroots right up to county level and our sponsorship of the Lidl National Football Leagues.
“I want to wish all the teams taking part in the finals the very best of luck. It’s a huge achievement to get this far in the competition, particularly given how difficult a start to the year it has been for everyone.
"We look forward to the many better days ahead, starting this weekend.”
FIXTURE FILE
SATURDAY 26th JUNE
Croke Park - Kerry v Meath, Ladies NFL Div 2 final, 5pm (live on TG4); Cork v Dublin, Ladies NFL Div 1 final, 7.30pm (live on TG4).
SUNDAY 27th JUNE
Baltinglass - Laois v Kildare, ladies NFL Div 3 final, 4pm
Clones - Leitrim v Louth, Ladies NFL Div 4 final, 2pm.