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42 | SUMMER 2021 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie PREVIEW Intermediate Championship " I think the standard in the Intermediate grade can be very much underappreciated," says Meath's 2020 All-Ireland winning captain Máire O'Shaughnessy. Based on the evidence we've seen thus far from Meath in 2021, she makes a valid point, too. It took Meath three bites of the cherry before they finally got their hands on the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup. They lost to Tyrone in the 2018 decider and Tipperary a year later but, last December, Meath would not take no for an answer as they produced an accomplished Croke Park Final display to see off the challenge of Leinster rivals Westmeath. Meath are now a Senior Championship team and they're here on merit. Just look at their march to Lidl National League Division 2 glory as they beat Cavan at the semi-final stage, before making up for a group stage defeat to Kerry by slaying the Kingdom in the Final. It might have taken a while for Meath to jump the Intermediate Championship hurdle but after doing so, they haven't looked back. ARE WESTMEATH THE TEAM TO BEAT? Jackie Cahill speaks to Meath players about the 2021 TG4 Intermediate Championship Team manager Eamonn Murray wore a smile as broad as the River Boyne after Meath secured promotion to the Senior grade. What Meath's victory also did was ensure that Leinster have two Senior Championship teams in the province now, along with Dublin. And Murray's predicting that Westmeath will swell that number to three on September 5. "Westmeath can go one better," Murray predicts. "Three (senior) teams in Leinster would be good." Reflecting on Meath's journey to the Senior ranks, Murray says: "We knew the first year that getting to the Final was brilliant. (But) Tyrone were way ahead of us in physical strength and skills. "We were never going to beat Tipp (2019) but last year, we were not going to lose. We conceded three early goals but the girls showed no panic and we continued tagging on the points. "We were building towards it – our turn came. "We never questioned if we were going to win it." Despite the onset of the Covid-19 ANNA JONES WESTMEATH WESTMEATH MANAGER SEAN FINNEGAN MÁIRE O'SHAUGHNESSY MEATH CONCEDE A 5 TH GOAL v TYRONE IN 2018 MEATH v TIPPERARY IN 2019 MEATH MANAGER EAMONN MURRAY