We're almost three weeks removed from that infamous All-Ireland final win on the 5th of September.
As I flick through the match programme on that very day, and see all the predictions for a Dublin win, it really puts things into perspective.
It can be easy to see Meath as clearwater champions after the fact. But their journey to the final will go down in footballing folklore.
From Senior demotion, to Intermediate champions, to months of lockdown restrictions and then All-Ireland Senior champions. Remarkable.
Duggan's Memorable September
Emma Duggan, now nineteen, was the fulcrum of The Royals attack that day as she turned on the style against the Dubs.
Her first-half chip of Ciara Trant, guarding the goal in front of the Davin Stand, was one of the moments of the gaelic football season.
Whether it was an attempt on goal, or an attempt at a point, Duggan left little to the imagination. "Goal, of course," she told reporters after the match.
Just two days prior, Duggan was receiving her Leaving Cert results at St Peter's College in Dunboyne. Juggling football and school wasn't an issue.
In fact, enduring this year's lockdown restrictions without football was the worst for her. "It definitely served as a great distraction for me," she said.
"Heading off to training, it's a very good mental break. Whereas now I'm stuck at home, training on my own. You are not socialising with your friends and teammates either."
But that's all behind her now, as manager Eamonn Murray recalled the Meath girls were fitter than ever coming out of lockdown.
Meath’s Emma Duggan with her The Croke Park/LGFA Player of the Month award for September, alongside Ina Iazar, Sales Manager at The Croke Park in Jones Road.https://t.co/dvsBfIEwXP pic.twitter.com/B6ZnWIfhBh
— sportsfile (@sportsfile) September 24, 2021
Years of hard work have paid off for The Royals, and now Duggan can enjoy the graft a little more after being named the Croke Park/LGFA Player of the Month.
It'll be hard to top the joyous season Duggan has had. She racked up 3-19 in total over the course of the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship.
Scoring 1-2 in the All-Ireland final contributed greatly to Meath's two point victory, the goal ending up being the deciding factor.
It's not every day you can call a nineteen-year-old a safe pair of hands or the dependable scorer on a team.
Duggan can look back fondly on her team's achievement, but also on the character she showed on helping the Royals to victory.
See Also: 'I Sent A Message To The Group Early In The Week, 'No Social Media''
