AOIBHÍN CLEARY LAUGHS when she’s asked if she’ll get her partner, Cork dual star Hannah Looney, into a Meath jersey this weekend.
“I reckon I might have a chance, yeah,” the Royals’ captain grins ahead of their All-Ireland football final showdown with Dublin.
Roles may well reverse the following weekend, when Looney lines out in the camogie decider.
It’s a unique time for the couple, both preparing for All-Ireland finals, but the relatability is more than welcome.
“It’s great,” Cleary says. “Obviously we’re both very aware of all the emotions and stuff that you’ll be going through.
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“It’s obviously really exciting this weekend and it’s really exciting for her next weekend as well. I suppose it is nice that we can feed off each other that little bit or just understand what one another are feeling at any given time.”
For Cleary, it all must be a whirlwind. She is fully focused on leading Meath as they aim for their first Brendan Martin Cup since 2022 on Sunday, but the 26-year-old is Australia bound “pretty quick afterwards” to pursue the AFLW dream with Richmond.
Football has been balanced with online sessions and kicking a Sherrin around her back garden with her father. The round ball has naturally taken precedence through All-Ireland preparations.
“Before an offer was ever made, I made that quite clear: I had committed to Meath and that wasn’t going to change,” the Melbourne club’s first Irish recruit says.
“But from the start, they’ve been brilliant in terms of their support. They’ve been very supportive, very accommodating and very understanding of the situation. They’ve obviously been wishing me and the Meath team the best over the last few weeks. They’re delighted to see us in the final, I can only say great things about them.
“Obviously from their perspective it would have been nice for me to be out and training a bit earlier. But they also do recognise the value that having the season we’re having will bring to me even as a player. They definitely do see both sides and see how beneficial it is to be involved in a team that’s now back in an All-Ireland final.”
Meath’s rise has been well documented, the rags to riches story which saw them lift the Brendan Martin Cup for the first time in 2021 and end Dublin’s Drive for Five.
They went back to back in 2022, but two consecutive quarter-final defeats to Kerry followed. Shane McCormack’s side avenged for those losses by dethroning the Kingdom in this year’s semi-final, a convincing six-point win sending them back to the biggest stage.
Cleary speaks about “carrying that bit of hurt” and the motivating factor of proving to people they weren’t done yet as they gear up for their third final in five years.
“I think the belief in our group never wavered and we never thought that. I suppose you would probably hear whispers that maybe that was the case. But we knew what we had in the group and I think in the last two years we haven’t really been able to push ourselves to our potential.
“We knew we always had more to give and stuff and even this year as well. I think our management team, our coaches and the girls, we’ve all just had a really great belief in each other. It doesn’t really matter what’s going on outside that. We’re just focusing on what’s going on inside our camp.
“The last two years, in particular, it’s been hard being knocked out and then seeing the rest of the championship progress and not being involved. We definitely had a huge determination to not let that happen again.”
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The memories of ’21 and ’22 are treasured ones, but Meath aren’t “paying any heed to what’s happened in the past,” Cleary assures.
The focus is firmly on the future, and continuing an unforgettable 2025 for Meath football.
“There’s definitely been a great energy in the county and a great buzz around the county with the lads going on such a great journey as well. I think we’ve probably fed off each other’s energy, which has been great.
“It’s just great to be back in this position and to be that one step closer again to bringing back the cup. Obviously there’s a huge task ahead of us before we get our hands on that cup but we’re just really excited to be back in this position and to be that step closer.”
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Leading Meath, AFLW adventure, and a couple chasing All-Ireland glory
AOIBHÍN CLEARY LAUGHS when she’s asked if she’ll get her partner, Cork dual star Hannah Looney, into a Meath jersey this weekend.
“I reckon I might have a chance, yeah,” the Royals’ captain grins ahead of their All-Ireland football final showdown with Dublin.
Roles may well reverse the following weekend, when Looney lines out in the camogie decider.
It’s a unique time for the couple, both preparing for All-Ireland finals, but the relatability is more than welcome.
“It’s great,” Cleary says. “Obviously we’re both very aware of all the emotions and stuff that you’ll be going through.
“It’s obviously really exciting this weekend and it’s really exciting for her next weekend as well. I suppose it is nice that we can feed off each other that little bit or just understand what one another are feeling at any given time.”
For Cleary, it all must be a whirlwind. She is fully focused on leading Meath as they aim for their first Brendan Martin Cup since 2022 on Sunday, but the 26-year-old is Australia bound “pretty quick afterwards” to pursue the AFLW dream with Richmond.
Football has been balanced with online sessions and kicking a Sherrin around her back garden with her father. The round ball has naturally taken precedence through All-Ireland preparations.
“Before an offer was ever made, I made that quite clear: I had committed to Meath and that wasn’t going to change,” the Melbourne club’s first Irish recruit says.
“But from the start, they’ve been brilliant in terms of their support. They’ve been very supportive, very accommodating and very understanding of the situation. They’ve obviously been wishing me and the Meath team the best over the last few weeks. They’re delighted to see us in the final, I can only say great things about them.
“Obviously from their perspective it would have been nice for me to be out and training a bit earlier. But they also do recognise the value that having the season we’re having will bring to me even as a player. They definitely do see both sides and see how beneficial it is to be involved in a team that’s now back in an All-Ireland final.”
Meath’s rise has been well documented, the rags to riches story which saw them lift the Brendan Martin Cup for the first time in 2021 and end Dublin’s Drive for Five.
They went back to back in 2022, but two consecutive quarter-final defeats to Kerry followed. Shane McCormack’s side avenged for those losses by dethroning the Kingdom in this year’s semi-final, a convincing six-point win sending them back to the biggest stage.
Cleary speaks about “carrying that bit of hurt” and the motivating factor of proving to people they weren’t done yet as they gear up for their third final in five years.
“I think the belief in our group never wavered and we never thought that. I suppose you would probably hear whispers that maybe that was the case. But we knew what we had in the group and I think in the last two years we haven’t really been able to push ourselves to our potential.
“We knew we always had more to give and stuff and even this year as well. I think our management team, our coaches and the girls, we’ve all just had a really great belief in each other. It doesn’t really matter what’s going on outside that. We’re just focusing on what’s going on inside our camp.
“The last two years, in particular, it’s been hard being knocked out and then seeing the rest of the championship progress and not being involved. We definitely had a huge determination to not let that happen again.”
The memories of ’21 and ’22 are treasured ones, but Meath aren’t “paying any heed to what’s happened in the past,” Cleary assures.
The focus is firmly on the future, and continuing an unforgettable 2025 for Meath football.
“There’s definitely been a great energy in the county and a great buzz around the county with the lads going on such a great journey as well. I think we’ve probably fed off each other’s energy, which has been great.
“It’s just great to be back in this position and to be that one step closer again to bringing back the cup. Obviously there’s a huge task ahead of us before we get our hands on that cup but we’re just really excited to be back in this position and to be that step closer.”
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