Young gun Smyth aiming to shoot down the Kingdom

When Dublin were winning what felt like a million All-Irelands under Jim Gavin, one of the key factors of them staying at the top was the manager's method of giving a couple of young players every year a chance to cement their place in the starting 15. The stream of talent coming through the ranks has slowed down in the capital, and they have suffered as a result, writes Tom Gannon.

The Meath Ladies could have suffered a similar fate after All-Ireland victories in 2021 and '22, and while they did have to go through somewhat of a transitional period, it is players like Skryne's Ciara Smyth that have been key to the quick revival of the Royals.

"It's been an incredible journey. It was hard to break into a team that was off the back of winning two All-Irelands. I just had to keep trying and keep my head down, and eventually I got my chance. The girls who featured heavily in that team are very talented and competition for places was high, it still is. So I was delighted to be given an opportunity," said Smyth.

"I'm obviously a lot younger than Vikki Wall and Katie Newe and all those players who starred in those All-Ireland victories. They are so good at welcoming in new players into the fold. You actually don't feel any different to them. They make everyone feel a part of the team which is really good and there is never any divide or split in the dressing room."

Smyth was in the background for those two glorious years and it inspired her to try to push on and play a bigger role in a Meath side that reached that level of success.

"I was in the background for those two All-Irelands. So I know what it's like to be around a team that has achieved All-Ireland glory. I want to get there myself though, in a team that I have a bigger impact on. At the time, I was young and I was just there for experience but it was incredible. Vikki (Wall) and Emma (Duggan) and the rest of the girls were my heroes. It was class."

It hasn't taken long for Shane McCormack and his management side to get Meath back at the top table of Ladies football. They never strayed too far away from the big contenders but it could have gone south had the right set-up not been in place. Smyth praised the management team for the buzz that they have created within the squad.

"Shane (McCormack) is such a brilliant manager and he is very passionate. All the management put everything they have into it. We are never left wanting for anything. They are all so nice and there is a brilliant buzz around between the management and the players."

Both the Meath men and the Meath ladies will look back at their defeats on Leinster Final day as being a key turning point in their seasons. For Smyth and the rest of the Meath Ladies, even though they lost, it proved that they are more than capable of competing with the best in the country.

"Even though we were beaten, we put in a massive performance against Dublin in the Leinster Final. I'd say that game was definitely a turning point for us in the Championship. It proved that we are very capable of competing with the best teams in the country. I know the scoreline probably didn't reflect it but we ran Dublin very close that day. We knew then that we had it and we have been improving with every game since." said Smyth.

"The fact that we performed on a big day for Meath GAA in Croke Park. The results didn't go either our way or the lads' way but the crowd that day was immense. I think the lads going so well drives us on a bit as well. There is so much support for football at the moment in the county and we are seeing the benefits of that."

That support for the Royal Ladies was very evident in their demolition of Tipperary in the quarter-final and Smyth spoke about how the fans drove them on that day to success.

"We saw the benefit of that support against Tipperary the last day. The atmosphere was class. The stand was completely full and we weren't actually expecting that. It makes a huge difference and it really does drive you on." said the TUD student.

"Our preparation for that Tipperary game was excellent. We had a three-week break before it and we did a lot of work on them. We all just really want it so bad this year and that showed in that game. We threw everything at it and we will continue to give it everything."

Smyth says the fact that Kerry have knocked Meath out of the championship for the last two years is a huge motivational factor heading into Saturday's All-Ireland semi-final clash at Tullamore.

"We don't want Kerry to knock us out of the championship again and that is a big motivational factor heading into the semi-final. It feels like an All-Ireland final for us. They are a very physical side and they have been at the top of their game for a long time. We need to do a lot of work on them. We will be well-prepped and ready for them though."

Finally, the health and nutrition student believes that Meath are capable of regaining the Brendan Martin Cup this year.

"We have a great team this year and we have the capability of winning the Brendan Martin Cup. That's the end goal and that is what we are all pushing towards."