Olivia Divilly: Meath have given other counties hope

Galway's Olivia Divilly has had a good start to 2022.

In January she helped to her club Kilkerrin-Clonberne to a first ever senior All-Ireland football title as they overcame Mourneabbey. It was also a first senior club football triumph for a side from the county in 40 years.

Her performances saw her honoured with The Croke Park/LGFA Player of the Month award.

"Every time I think back on it, I can't stop smiling," Divilly says of the victory at Birr.

"It was just amazing. We had such great celebrations for the month or two afterwards. And still, occasionally, we have a get together.

"We had a social there and in April, getting presented the medals. It was just amazing. There was such excitement, but also such relief to finally get over the line.

"When I think back to the final whistle, you could hear the fans singing The Fields of Athenry in the stand, you could just see your Mom and your Dad and all your best friends. It was just amazing, and probably something that we'll never experience again to that extent. It was just unbelievable."

A steady league campaign followed for the Tribeswomen, before they beat Mayo in the Connacht final last month.

"It was great to get the win in the Connacht final," Divilly acknowledges.

"I think we had lost three times in-a-row to Mayo, between league this year and two performances last year, so it was very important that we came out and set a marker for the start of championship. It's definitely a performance that we can look forward to building on."

Galway are alongside Kerry, who lost the Munster final to Cork last month and will provide their first opposition this evening, and Westmeath, who were relegated from Division 1 of the Lidl League in the spring, in Group 3 of the All-Ireland