'She's given everything. This is a cherry on the top' - Dublin's retiring multi-sport star

THE ONE SOUR note in Dublin’s dominant All-Ireland win today was a late injury to Hannah Tyrrell.

The Irish sporting legend limped off in the closing minutes of their 2-16 to 0-10 victory against Meath.

This was billed as Tyrrell’s Last Dance, the 34-year-old sharing her plans to retire through the build-up.

There were worrying scenes through a lengthy delay as she received attention on the Croke Park turf, but one positive was she passed up the medical cart to walk off.

She participated in the celebrations, and confirmed to RTÉ that this was indeed her last game for Dublin. Tyrrell now bows out a two-time All-Ireland winner after her earlier rugby and soccer exploits.

"I'm privileged to be from this wonderful county and represent all these people. I'm looking forward to what's ahead." - Hannah Tyrrell, with daughter Aoife in her arms, confirms to @MartyMofficial she has played her last game for Dublin #RTEgaa pic.twitter.com/s7h5x30R1S — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) August 3, 2025

“I’m privileged to be from this wonderful county and represent all these people,” she told Marty Morrissey, holding her daughter Aoife.

“I was determined to walk off on my own two feet if it was going to be my last time in Croke Park. We’ll get a scan, we’ll have a look, a bit of rehab ahead I think.”

While her performance was cut short today, her 0-5 (3f) tally today brought her 2025 championship scoring to a whopping 8-38.

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Dublin joint-manager Paul Casey spoke warmly about Tyrrell in the press conference room.

“I’d say she’s happy,” he told The 42. “She seemed to have done something to the knee which hopefully it’s not a cruciate. She’s hobbling around there, but I’d say it could be a week or so before she’ll get to the bottom of that one.

“I thought she was fantastic. If she is injured, it’s a shame, but I think you saw with the ovation she got coming off the pitch. It was very fitting for her, albeit she would have wanted it in different circumstances. Hopefully she’ll be all right.”

Tyrrell’s sporting career is remarkable, having played at the top level in Gaelic football, rugby and soccer. She has won FAI Cup, Six Nations, and All-Ireland medals, and played at a Women’s Rugby World Cup, among much, much more.

“Adding a second All-Ireland medal to her collection is superb,” Casey continued, having hailed the goalkeeper-turned-forward during the week.

“I think everybody would have known that this, I’m not putting words in her mouth. I think she said it herself that this could be her last year.

“What you see on the pitch is only a fraction of what Hannah brings to the whole set-up.

“The way she talks to the younger players, to even the more experienced players, and she’s such a leader within that leadership group, within our squad, she’s just fantastic.

“I really, really hope she enjoys this because she’s worked so hard for it. She’s given everything at the age she is and all she has achieved. I think this is a cherry on the top.”

Tyrrell celebrates with Sinéad Goldrick. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

Casey hailed a dominant Dublin performance, as he and Derek Murray delivered the Brendan Martin Cup in their first season in charge. They stepped up from the backroom to fill the void left by Mick Bohan, who oversaw five All-Irelands in eight years.

“It’s absolutely fantastic. When you have so much experience as we have in that group, to get a day when they all bring that experience to the pitch is just superb. We knew when we met them this morning that they were ready for it. They’d had a pep in their step and they probably came in here bouncing, but it’s nothing like the way they’re going to leave here because it’s absolutely fantastic.

“A day when you’re hoping that all your big names and stars will turn up and give a performance, I think that they went over and beyond that. It was fantastic.”

Dublin ran out 12-point winners, having led by 13 at one point in the first half and 11 at the break. The 2011 All-Ireland winner spoke about wanting to “replicate what Kerry did,” continuing to turn the screw after second-half fightbacks in the men’s finals.

Casey pointed to the extra-time semi-final win over Galway, and a last-gasp group success against Waterford, as two turning points this season.

“They were a difficult group over the last couple of weeks, because I suppose they weren’t happy with their Galway performance. They left no stone unturned in terms of what they were demanding from us over the last couple of weeks . . .

“Look, who knows what would have happened if we ended up losing (to Waterford). We were very lucky. We could talk about learning a lot from defeats, but we were lucky that we learned a lot from games that we got a point in, or we got a win in.”

While he swerved talk of revenge for 2021, when Meath ended Dublin’s Drive for Five, Casey did say it kept Dublin “grounded”.

“After suffering a defeat like that, it makes you realise that if you do get back to another final, you have to be prepared for everything. We didn’t underestimate this Meath team and we knew we’d have to be at our very best to beat them and thankfully we did.

“A lot of the players were obviously involved in that, and the (quarter-final) defeat against Donegal back in 2022 would have stood to us and the Galway (quarter-final) defeat last year definitely stood to us. So you have to go through a little bit of hardship.

“In 2021, the team had been used to winning, winning, winning the whole time. Sometimes experiencing defeats like that makes these days all the sweeter.”

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