Meath Sports Awards... Royal County ladies reach the top of the mountain

After a series of setbacks Meath finally claimed the All-Ireland IFC title and secured their place in the senior ranks for 2021 - and once in the top flight there was simply no stopping them. They shot all the way to the top of the mountain at their first attempt.

Few would have backed them to go all the way at the start of the championship. They were, after all, newcomers to the top table but they kept defying the odds. They weren't given much hope against Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final but they overturned the odds and won after a dramatic contest. Seven points down with normal time almost up they drew level before winning in extra-time.

Any Meath GAA supporter who was at the All-Ireland SFC final will long remember that special day. The drama of the game itself, the quality of the football, the victory achieved with Eamonn Murray's side getting the better of favourites Dublin by 1-11 to 0-12.

At half-time in that heart-stopping encounter Meath led by 1-8 to 0-6 with the goal scored from an audacious lob by Emma Duggan. In the second-half Dublin reduced the deficit to just two points but somehow Meath found the confidence to push on.

"They are a very special bunch of players we are dealing with," said manager Murray afterwards. There were wild scenes of celebration as captain Shauna Ennis and her team returned to the Royal County later that evening with the Brendan Martin Cup. A reception was held at the Knightsbrook Hotel when a huge crowd awaited to welcome the team back home. It was a raucous, memorable end to a special day.

No-one was arguing with the manager's description of the players. A very special bunch indeed. They had shown that during an extraordinary year when they also won the NFL Div 2 title.

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