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www.ladiesgaelic.ie | WINTER 2020 | 15 NIAMH O'SULLIVAN INTERMEDIATE FINAL INTERVIEW By Daire Walsh 'What a difference a year makes' is a well-worn saying in the lexicon of competitive sport but, in the case of Meath ladies footballer Niamh O'Sullivan, it is a rather apt one. A designated water carrier for her county's TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Final defeat to Tipperary 15 months ago, the Dunshaughlin Royal Gaels club star returned to play a starring role at Croke Park on December 20, as Meath finally regained senior status with a 2-17 to 4-5 victory against rivals Westmeath in a compelling Mary Quinn Memorial Cup decider. Having captained the Royals during their Intermediate showpiece reversal to Tyrone in 2018, O'Sullivan subsequently ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament while travelling abroad. Nevertheless, she was made to feel at home upon her return to these shores and this encapsulates the indomitable spirit of a gifted Meath group. "The amount of people that told me I was mad to go (travelling), but the girls were brilliant. Unfortunately when I went away I got an ACL injury, but Paul [Garrigan, Meath joint- manager] was unbelievable to me and kept in contact with me. The minute I landed back in Ireland, they got me down to a training session straight away," O'Sullivan explains. "They roped me in and made me feel part of the team. To be playing in Croke Park a year later, I didn't think that would come true. Having come through an ACL injury. No words can describe how happy I am. Only for the girls, the Meath management, my club and everyone behind me, I wouldn't be back here." In reaching the summit of the All-Ireland Intermediate Ladies Football Championship, Meath had to overcome considerable adversity. Inside the opening six minutes of an unprecedented Christmas time affair, they had conceded three goals to a rampant Westmeath attack. Instead of tearing up the script at this point, O'Sullivan and her team- mates never panicked and ultimately banished the heartbreak of final defeats in the past two seasons. "We were always going to press up for their kick-outs and we knew they were going to go long. There was a chance they'd win breaking balls and they'd let the ball in quick. We stuck to our game plan, we never reverted to anything else. I think the most important thing was we answered any score they got. We went up to the other end of the field and we got a point or a goal. "We had Máire (O'Shaughnessy) there. She's a fantastic captain, she drove us on. Vikki (Wall) was there getting crucial scores for us. There was something different this year. I knew coming to Croke Park, there was To be playing in Croke Park a year later, I didn't think that would come true. Having come through an ACL injury. No words can describe how happy I am. Back with the Big Guns