By Alan Rodgers

DEFEAT in the 2024 All-Ireland final combined with the experience of having playing top flight National League football this year have heightened the resolve of the Tyrone ladies as they bid to make the most of their latest Croke Park opportunity.

It has been a roller-coaster few seasons for the Red Hands as they prepare to face Laois in the decider.

Promotion to Division One last season was followed by the IFC final loss, so to bounce back this term has contributed to a new sense of purpose.

Hopes will now be high that all of this stands to them against Laois on Sunday. The O’Moore County defeated former senior kingpins Monaghan in the semi-final, and the stage is most definitely set for an intriguing encounter.

Dungannon’s Meabh Mallon, though, has seen it all before. She was a member of the 2018 team that won the All-Ireland and is understandably relishing the chance to experience the euphoria of a Croke Park success once again.

“We are feeling very privileged to get back again, and hopefully rectify the disappointment of last year,” she said. “Everybody is just buzzing to be playing in Croke Park in the All-Ireland final.

“The majority of the players who were there last year are back again. It’s a big occasion getting to play in Croke Park and I think being there last year will stand to us this time.

“We’ve been there and taken in the whole experience of a big match. Now we know it’s just another game and everyone is ready to meet the challenge in front of us.

“It wasn’t easy getting back to the final. Obviously, both our quarter-final and semi-final went to extra-time. We maybe didn’t reach our potential in some of those performances, but we showed resilience and fight and teamwork to get through. It has definitely been a journey.”

Tyrone, of course, won promotion to Division One after reaching the Division Two final in 2024 where they lost to Kildare.

The experience of meeting some of the top counties in Ireland has been a profitable one, even though the results didn’t go according to plan. Relegation back to Division Two has been Tyrone’s lot following that league campaign. Still, their performances were strong, and the manner in which they have bounced back in the championship has been admirable.

“I think playing in Division One against those counties like Kerry and Dublin will definitely stand to us,” added Mallon.

“We know that we’re there or thereabouts, that we can take on those bigger teams and we know in the team that we’re well fit to compete against them.

“Those Division One teams have all the experience and playing against them has definitely boosted our confidence. We did well against them and know that we’re capable of meeting that standard. So we know we’ll be ready for Laois.

“They’re going to be a good side, especially after defeating Monaghan in the semi-final. They are going to be tough opponents, we’ve done video analysis of them and that it’s not going to be an easy game.

“But this Tyrone team has played well all year. Although we lost out in Ulster to Down and that was disappointing. But we gathered ourselves again after that and our next big goal was to get to the All-Ireland final. That goal was met and we’ve one more step to go.”

There’s no doubting then the talents within this Tyrone team. New team manager Darren McCann took over from Sean O’Kane last year and will be hoping that the experience of 2024 will stand to the players now one year on.

They were down by four points with just minutes left against Westmeath, before battling back and gaining the win. More of the same would do nicely indeed against Laois, and they can rely on an enthusiastic and large contingent of Tyrone fans to cheer them on.

“When you’ve been there and experienced that winning feeling in Croke Park, there’s nothing better and that’s what we want again. We have experienced, too, the hurt of losing there and all we want is to get the cup and bring it home,” Mallon added.

“There is great support for the team. The clubs have really come together. My club Dungannon have two buses, there’s family and friends, and it’s great for all the younger girls who will hopefully be inspired by what we are doing.

“They look up to us as role models and the support from them is very important for us and we definitely love to have them all down.”