Ladies Gaelic Football

FEATURE www.ladiesgaelic.ie | AUTUMN 2019 | 43 M ichelle Ryan knows how both Meath and Tipperary are feeling right now. She's experienced both sides of the coin. Ryan has experienced a TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship win, but also the gut-wrenching feeling that comes with Croke Park defeat. The one and only time that Ryan can remember being pictured crying after a loss was after the 2012 Final against Armagh at Croke Park. 2010 she could take, as Waterford were competitive against Donegal. But 2012 was different, as Armagh blew the Déise out of the water. "I genuinely felt we wouldn't get back there, we've had two shots now, is this ever realistically going to happen?" That was Ryan's thought process at the time but they did get back there, and they beat Kildare in 2015 to regain senior status. They've been a senior Championship team ever since, and a solid one too, contesting Munster Finals in 2017 and again this year. That's the goal for Tipperary now, after they bounced back to the Senior Championship at the first attempt. Intermediate Champions in 2017, Tipp were relegated last year. But from a long way out, they were favourites to win the 2019 Intermediate title, and they justified that status on the back of a successful debut season in Division 1 of the Lidl National League, when top-flight football again in 2020 was assured. Meath, meanwhile, gained promotion to Division 2, lost the Leinster Intermediate Final to Wexford but bounced back to reach the All-Ireland decider. In many people's eyes, they were coming in under the radar as underdogs and they gave Tipp plenty to think about in an enthralling Final. Ultimately, however, the history books will state that Tipperary won it by 2-16 to 1-14, and Meath are left licking their wounds following a second successive Final defeat. Ryan, who completed a 19 th inter-county season in Waterford colours, and is a participant on the LGFA's Learn To Lead programme, knows exactly how they're feeling. "It's very disappointing after all of the work they've put in" she says. "You nearly have to forget about it for a few weeks and, especially having been to one All-ireland, you're nearly in the mental space where you're thinking you'll make the wrongs of the last one go right this time. "Losing in Croke Park is tough – losing twice is incredibly tough. "Mental strength is what it's about for them now. It's going to take a few weeks of just going back to their clubs because if you start thinking and reflecting too soon, it's too raw, and you might make a decision that you'll regret come Christmas, or even next March or May. "It's going to be hard to do but at some stage over the winter period, they'll have to have a sit-down and, without Jackie Cahill talks to Waterford's Michelle Ryan about both sides of the coin for TG4 Intermediate Finalists 'THE GOAL' The Intermediate Final isn't

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