Issue link: http://digitaleditions.uberflip.com/i/1192470
34 | WINTER 2019 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie "Paddy (Dowling), my goalkeeping coach with the Meath ladies was there too, so it was a great night for everyone. It meant a lot for me to have everyone there." This was McGuirk's second year back in the Meath squad, following a stint playing soccer with Peamount and UCD Waves in the Women's National League, but she had previously made her Meath debut back in 2011. Since her return to the squad McGuirk (28) and Dowling have struck up a great working relationship, and she points to that extra work as key to her development as a top goalkeeper. "Personally I feel like I have had one of the best years so far in terms of my performances. Our goalkeeping coach Paddy demands very high standards. He wanted me to be sharper and stronger as a goalkeeper. "Every training session is seen as a chance for us to improve and I could feel that in my game as well. Every week I tried to push myself that little bit further. We'd always go back on the game after it and review it too to see where I went wrong and then we'd work on it in the next training session to make sure it wouldn't happen again. "I suppose one of my strong points in my whole career has been my shot-stopping, but things like my kickouts and playing out from the back are things that I've worked a huge amount on this year. "Our kickouts are one of our strengths now, and working possession out from the back has gone well too. The girls at the back see me as another outfield player, so shot stopping is just one element of the job now. Being that link for your teammates is just as important."While the All Star is a sweet individual award for McGuirk, the team's second straight loss in the All-Ireland final still stings. Tyrone in 2018 and Tipperary in 2019 both denied Eamonn Murray's side and McGuirk says those defeats are already driving their ambitions for 2020. "In 2018 we played Tyrone and it was the first final that Meath ladies had reached in a long time and I think we got caught up in the event. In 2019 we went in fully focused on the challenge ahead. We went out to win it as much as Tipperary but unfortunately it didn't happen for us on the day. "But it will make us stronger and we're already focusing on 2020. We have the same targets again, we want to get back to the All-Ireland final, but we'll have to take each day as it comes to get there. "The changing room after the All-Ireland final this year was silence. We were all devastated, we really thought we could go out and win that game on the day. We were in it right up until the last ten or 15 minutes and we thought we could push on, but unfortunately Tipp won it in the end. We were so disappointed after it and we're all ready to go again in 2020. "We have the added bonus of playing Lidl Division 2 football in the new year, so I'd say it will be a massive thing for us. Playing that calibre of team will stand to us when the Intermediate Championship comes around. We are going in there focused on trying to win each game, and I think it will help us prepare for championship football." 'In 2018 we played Tyrone and it was the first final that Meath ladies had reached in a long time and I think we got caught up in the event.'