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July 19, 2025 @ 5:15 pm - 7:00 pm Glenisk O’Connor Park Tullamore

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Meath defeated Kerry by 2-12 to 1-9 in the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Semi-Final on Saturday July 19th at Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore.

Meath knock out champions Kerry to advance to TG4 All-Ireland SFC final

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final

Meath 2-12 Kerry 1-9

By Daire Walsh

Kerrie Cole and Sarah Wall struck goals in either half at Glenisk O’Connor Park in Tullamore on Saturday as Meath booked a return to the TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship final for the first time since 2022 by dethroning reigning champions Kerry.

Although their opponents raced two points clear in the early moments with unanswered efforts from Siofra O’Shea (free) and Anna Galvin, a Meath side that were buoyed by an excellent knockout triumph at home to Tipperary 13 days earlier subsequently edged in front with three scores on the bounce from Marion Farrelly, Emma Duggan and Ciara Smyth.

While a fine point from play by O’Shea had Kerry back on level terms, Meath rocked their Munster rivals on 18 minutes when Cole cut in from the right and smashed an unstoppable shot into the opposition net via the underside off the crossbar.

After Duggan converted a close-range Meath free, Niamh Ní Chonchúir chipped in with a much-needed brace for a Kerry side that spurned a number of scoring opportunities in the opening period. Traded points between Farrelly and O’Shea ensured the Royals brought a 1-5 to 0-6 cushion into the interval, but the Kingdom turned the game on its head when Rathmore attacker Danielle O’Leary bagged a superb goal within two minutes of the resumption.

However, Meath didn’t panic and they squeezed back into the ascendancy with points from Duggan and Aoibhin Cleary. Although O’Shea and Caoimhe Evans split the uprights for Kerry in a tense third-quarter, these scores arrived either side of an expertly-taken Meath goal by marauding defender Sarah Wall — whose sister Vikki got through a lot of hard work for the Royals — after 40 minutes.

Smyth and influential Kerry ace O’Shea added further points for their respective outfits as the second half progressed, but Meath were on the brink of victory when former team captain Shauna Ennis and current skipper Cleary registered quickfire scores to leave their side four ahead inside the closing 10 minutes.

The influential Duggan added a two-point salvo as the final whistle approached to make sure Kerry were kept at bay and the Royals — Brendan Martin Cup champions in 2021 and 2022 — can now look forward to a showpiece affair against the winners of today’s other semi-final between Dublin and Galway at Croke Park on August 3.

Scorers – Meath: E Duggan 0-5 (4f), S Wall, K Cole 1-0 each, A Cleary, M Farrelly, C Smyth 0-2 each, S Ennis 0-1.

Kerry: S O’Shea 0-5 (4f), D O’Leary 1-0, N Ní Chonchúir 0-2, A Galvin, C Evans 0-1 each.

MEATH: R Murray; A Sheridan, MK Lynch, K Newe; A Cleary, S Wall, K Kealy; O Sheehy, M Farrelly; M Thynne, N Gallogly, C Smyth; E Duggan, V Wall, K Cole.
Subs: S Ennis for Newe (32), K Bermingham for Sheehy (40), N McEntee for Cole (57).

KERRY: ME Bolger; E Lynch, D Kearney, C Lynch; A O’Connell, E Costello, A Dillane; M O’Connell, A Galvin; N Carmody, N Ní Chonchúir, C Evans; J Lucey, S O’Shea, D O’Leary.
Subs: R Dwyer for Lucey (37), R Rahilly for Kearney (39), K Enright for Galvin (50), F O’Donoghue for O’Connell (52), N Quinn for Dillane (53).

Referee: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan).

Saturday July 19
TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-finals
Kerry v Meath, Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore, 5.15pm – Live on TG4

Kerry and Meath get proceedings underway at Glenisk O’Connor Park – and they meet in the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship for a fourth successive season.

Meath won the 2022 Final at Croke Park but Kerry had the upper hand in quarter-finals in 2023 and 2024.

On the evidence we’ve seen to date, there won’t be much to choose between the sides and when they met in Division 1 of the Lidl National League in March, Kerry won by just two points.

In their recent quarter-finals, Kerry started slowly before coming good to see off Kildare, as Meath got the better of Tipperary.

Kerry and Meath have proven matchwinners in their sides, with the Kingdom’s Síofra O’Shea on song with 3-2 against Kildare.

That tally took O’Shea’s TG4 All-Ireland SFC tally to 5-10 and she’s Kerry’s leading scorer, ahead of Danielle O’Leary, who’s chipped in with 1-10.

They’re just two Kerry players that will need close watching but at the other end, the reigning champions will need to keep a close eye on Meath’s leading scorers, Vikki Wall (2-5 to date) and Emma Duggan (0-10).

Meath are unchanged after surviving the Tipperary test, while Kerry have made one change to the team that overcame Kildare, as Jadyn Lucey comes in for Rachel Dwyer in the inside forward line.

Kerry: M.E. Bolger; E Lynch, D Kearney, C Lynch; A O’Connell, E Costello, A Dillane; M O’Connell, A Galvin; N Carmody, N Ní Chonchúir, C Evans; J Lucey, S O’Shea, D O’Leary.

Meath: R Murray; Á Sheridan, M.K. Lynch, K Newe; A Cleary (capt.), S Wall, K Kealy; O Sheehy, M Farrelly; M Thynne, N Gallogly, C Smyth; E Duggan, V Wall, K Cole.

Match Coverage

This game will be shown live on TG4.

Venue:

  • Glenisk O’Connor Park Tullamore