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www.ladiesgaelic.ie | SUMMER 2022 | 15 INTERVIEW was just relieved that Meath were ultimately able to come out on the right side of a tense last-eight duel. "Galway ran us right to the very end. We expected nothing else and we knew we had to go out there and give it our all. Obviously we were only up a point at half-time and we got a couple of points on the go there, which was great. "It literally went down to the last 10 seconds and it was Duggy who got the score in the end. I just saw the ball hitting the crossbar and going over the bar. It was absolutely brilliant and it's great to be in another semi-final again." In advance of throw-in time at O'Connor Park (7.15pm), Meath and Galway were aware that the prize on offer for the winner was a penultimate round meeting against Donegal at Croke Park seven days later. The O'Donnell County were facing Dublin for the second season running in a quarter-final tie at Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada in Carrick-On-Shannon, only this time they halted the march of their Metropolitan counterparts. Semi-finalists in each of the last eight championships, the Jackies were denied a rematch of the 2021 senior decider by Maxi Curran's pumped-up Donegal. This is the second time that the Ulster side have defeated Dublin in a knockout game this year - the previous occasion being a 2-8 to 1-10 success in a NFL Division One last-four clash back in March. Given Meath went on to overcome Donegal in the top- tier league showpiece, Duleek/Bellewstown netminder McGuirk isn't overly surprised that they will be providing the opposition at GAA HQ this weekend. "Donegal are an absolutely fantastic outfit. Come the semi-final when we're playing them, it's not going to be an easy battle. They're scoring goals in most games. They're going to be a force to be reckoned with. "I wouldn't have liked to get Dublin or Donegal. Obviously we played them in the League final and only won it by a couple of points in the end as well. It is what it is and we'll push on now for the semi-final." Prior to facing them in last year's All- Ireland final, there was much made of the fact that Meath hadn't played Dublin in a competitive game since 2016. That year also represented the last time the Royals had pitted their wits against Donegal - a 3-18 to 3-8 league reversal - but they finally renewed acquaintances in the aforementioned NFL showpiece at Croke Park a little over three months ago. Three meetings across this year's league and the Leinster senior championship has seen Dublin and Meath becoming familiar foes, but McGuirk believes her side are beginning to forge a similar relationship with their forthcoming opponents. "We hadn't played Donegal competitively in a long time [before the League final]. A lot of the focus was on the Meath/Dublin rivalry this year. The fact that we're playing Donegal now, that rivalry is going to be between us two now, which is great. Donegal themselves are a brilliant team. We need to refocus now." Long after the final whistle had been sounded last weekend, McGuirk and her team- mates were still on the pitch in Tullamore, mingling with the Meath supporters who made the journey to the midlands to see the county keeping their back-to-back All-Ireland aspirations alive for another day at least. Support has gradually grown for the team throughout their remarkable rise through the ranks of ladies football and McGuirk is hopeful of a big following for their seventh visit to Croke Park in less than two years. "I didn't know myself until a couple of weeks ago that the semi-final was going to be in Croke Park so it's great for another day out for all the young kids. I think the more games you play, there's more crowds coming to games," the two-time All Star added. "Even down to Tullamore, an hour and a half drive from Co. Meath, you see all the support. It's absolutely fantastic. We'll be definitely trying to get crowds up in Croke Park come the semi-final. Get those tickets out!" "IT LITERALLY WENT DOWN TO THE LAST 10 SECONDS AND IT WAS DUGGY WHO GOT THE SCORE IN THE END. I JUST SAW THE BALL HITTING THE CROSSBAR AND GOING OVER THE BAR." Left: Vikki Wall of Meath in action against Danielle Caldwell of Mayo during the Lidl Ladies Football National League Division 1 Semi-Final match between Mayo and Meath at St Tiernach's Park in Clones, Monaghan. 19 March 2022;