'A huge challenge' - Donegal's McLaughlin ready for Royal rumble

With three minutes of normal time remaining, Dublin were four points to the good against Donegal in the Lidl National Football League Division 1 league semi-final.

Yet, it took no more than 23 seconds three weeks ago for the reigning champions to lose their grasp on another trophy as Emma McCrory and Yvonne Bonner raised two green flags to victory and booked Donegal's place in the final.

"It was a bit manic," Donegal's Niamh McLaughlin told RTÉ Sport ahead of today's final against Meath.

"You go from chasing the match to needing to protect it, we've two minutes to see it out. It was a good way to find it though, not good for the heart but good for the neutral.

"I know a lot of people didn’t actually see the end of the match, they had switched it off and they were like, 'Oh you won?’ So, it was a bit crazy.

"When you win a game like that there’s always a massive buzz on the pitch first because you're thinking ‘has that actually just happened?’ but it was back to work on the Monday and get the heads down and preparing that day."

Should Donegal go one step further and beat the current All-Ireland champions this weekend, it will be a first Division 1 title for the county. Their last appearance at this level was in 2017 where they faced a strong Cork side that were one point winners to become five-in-a-row title holders.

"I was injured so wasn’t part of the playing squad [that year]," said the qualified physiotherapist.

"Micheal Naughton was in charge at the time and we had a very talented bunch of players. We did well to get to the final and push Cork close. It was in Parnell [Park] that year it, wasn’t even in Croke Park so it’s nice to be back in a final.

"It’s not something we set out for at the start of the year to say we wanted