What a weekend for the Ladies of Meath and, closer to home, the Girls of Longwood.

Gaelic Football may not be the be all and end all, but it can sometimes come very close, and this weekend was a case in point.

Firstly, we must applaud the amazing Meath Ladies team who shocked everyone (apart from themselves) when they derailed Dublin’s five in a row hopes on Sunday afternoon in Croke Park.

Right from the throw-in Meath seized the initiative and, after grabbing an early lead, they dominated the opening half scoring an unforgettable goal, some excellent points and attacking at every opportunity. They led by five points at the break and, while it was reduced to two points at the final whistle, there can be no doubt that the girls in green & gold were totally deserving winners.

Huge credit to Eamonn Murray and his management team and the fantastic panel of players. To win the All Ireland Senior title just eight months after claiming the Intermediate championship is a staggering achievement. They deserve all the accolades they receive.

And they will surely inspire the next generation of young girls playing football in Meath……….

……..as if to prove this point, Longwood’s U14 Girls overcame a strong opponent from Rathkenny when claiming the Division 5 LGFA league title on Saturday afternoon in Dunganny.

Just a week earlier the majority of the panel had tasted success when winning the U15 Féile title. Not satisfied, the girls were determined to secure more silverware for Longwood.

Rathkenny raced out of the blocks with two goals in the first quarter to leave Longwood with an uphill challenge. Channelling his inner James Horan, bainisteoir Kieran O’Donnell uttered some gentle words of encouragement to his players at the first water break. Whatever was said, it certainly worked the oracle and Longwood resumed like a completely different side and had reduced the deficit to just a single point at the half-time break.

The second half saw Longwood’s young stars give an exhibition of football. Despite a number of players carrying injuries, they imposed their will on the game and struck for home. Goals from Milly Rose Russell and Lucy Mooney were pivotal and gave the large contingent of Longwood fans plenty of reasons to celebrate at the final whistle. Captain Millie Cunningham accepted the Cup on behalf of her team and gave a wonderful speech.

It would be unfair to single out individual players – as with all victorious teams it is a collective effort, and that was the case again on Saturday. There were stellar performances from all the Longwood girls and the future for our young club certainly looks bright.

So congratulations to Kieran and his fellow mentors Audrey McDonnell, Linda Holton and Stephen King. But as always on such occasions, the real plaudits go to the players, each and everyone of them. The hard work has paid off girls - enjoy your success!

We may even see some of you donning the green and gold jersey in Croke Park in the years ahead!

Longwood: Ashling Alawiye, Katie Barker, Millie Cunningham (Capt), Lauren Murray, Aoife O'Shea, Ella O’Donnell, Amy Brady, Caoimhe Shields, Roisin Harvey, Ava Hurst, Hannah Gill, Molly McLaughlin, Katie O’Sullivan, Milly Rose Russell, Lucy McDonald.

Subs: Lucy Mooney, Ellie Bermingham, Katie Holton, Zoe Butler, Shannon Meagher

An Mhí agus Maigh Dearmhaí abú! 💚💛🤍🖤