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16 | AUTUMN 2022 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie PLAYER FOCUS: ORLAGH LALLY By Daire Walsh W hen Orlagh Lally broke into the Meath senior squad as a teenager in 2018, the notion of playing just once in Croke Park was something she would have readily settled for. While they narrowly lost out to Tipperary in the penultimate round of the previous year's All-Ireland intermediate championship, you had to go back to 1994 for the last time the Royals had featured on Ladies football finals day. On that occasion, Linda Fitzsimons helped herself to a hat-trick as Meath convincingly defeated Donegal in a TG4 All-Ireland Junior Football Championship decider. Fast forward to July 31, 2022 and Lally was playing a significant part in another outstanding success. On this occasion, a 3-10 to 1-7 success over Kerry propelled Meath towards a second successive TG4 All-Ireland senior title. Remarkably, this was the fifth year on the bounce that Lally played in an All- Ireland showpiece at Croke Park - three at the intermediate grade followed by a brace of top-tier finals. When you throw numerous semi-final appearances, this year's Leinster showpiece and two Lidl National Football League deciders into the mix, lining out at the Jones' Road venue is now second nature to the Clann na nGael ace. "The first time we came onto the panel, it was all of our dreams to get to Croke Park, but we thought it was so far out of our reach. Then I think someone told us that today was our 10th or 11th time playing here," Lally remarked in the direct aftermath of their All-Ireland win. "Every day we walk out onto that pitch we're so privileged, because it's so easy to play 20 years of football and never get out onto Croke Park. To be able to go out there and step out onto that pitch 10 or 11 times is an absolute privilege." In the previous year's final, Meath caused a major upset in toppling their five-in-a-row chasing Leinster rivals Dublin to claim the Brendan Martin Cup for the very first time. Any suggestion that this was a flash in the pan was well and truly dismissed by Lally and her on-field colleagues, but she insisted the Royals weren't motivated by the desire to prove anyone wrong in 2022. "TO BE HONEST, I DON'T THINK WE HAD TO PROVE ANYTHING TO ANYONE. LAST YEAR WE PROVED OURSELVES THAT WE WERE GOOD ENOUGH AND THIS YEAR WAS A MATTER OF US COMING OUT AND DOING THE SAME AGAIN." Royal Orlagh Lally's Fairytale..