BYRNE WILL NEVER FORGET JOY OF 2021

FORMER Meath star Orla Byrne admits she still gets 'goosebumps' whenever she thinks about the Royals' breakthrough TG4 All-Ireland senior title in 2021.

- BY DAIRE WALSH

Given they'd secured a national intermediate title in the previous season, Meath were underdogs against a five-in-a-row chasing Dublin.

Yet with Byrne playing a pivotal role at right half-forward, Eamonn Murray's charges claimed a magnificent 1-11 to 0-12 win.

Meath's renewal of acquaintances with Dublin in tomorrow's Brendan Martin Cup decider at GAA HQ helps to evoke memories of this historic achievement and Byrne is hopeful the current crop of Royal footballers can produce a similar result.

"Every time I think of it, it still gives you goosebumps. You still nearly get emotional thinking about that day and what we achieved. I think it was because we were such underdogs. We had come up from intermediate the previous year," Byrne said. "No one had really given us a chance.

"We thought we had proved ourselves as to what we were capable of, but there was still a lot of doubts heading into the final.

"When I think back to those final few seconds and the hooter going off in Croke Park that day when we beat Dublin, it's just amazing.