Meath have been crowned Division One champions for the first time in their history after a pulsating back-and-forth with Donegal at Croke Park.
Niamh O’Sullivan’s wonderfully-taken goal midway through the second half proved the difference as the Royals edged it by two points, 2-8 to 1-9.
It completes a remarkable two years for Eamonn Murray’s side, who followed up Intermediate All-Ireland success in 2020 with the Senior All-Ireland last year.
And their first season back in Division One has yielded yet more silverware as the Meath juggernaut just keeps going ahead of this summer’s Leinster Championship.
If the All-Ireland win over Dublin last year was a game Meath always had control of, this was a much more chaotic affair.
Meath led by as much as seven points as half-time approached before falling behind amid a dramatic period that saw Mary Kate Lynch in the sin bin.
In truth, Meath’s big lead owed as much to poor Donegal finishing in the opening period as it did their level of control.
Donegal, who shocked Dublin with two goals in the last three minutes to book their place in the final, were lively and creative early on but their shooting let them down.
They dominated the first five minutes but, after Geraldine McLaughlin pulled a simple free wide, Meath capitalised with two quickfire points.
Roisin McCafferty’s goal-kicking repeatedly put Donegal under pressure as she struggled to find a teammate and allowed Meath to pick points off in twos.
Donegal did get on the board when Geraldine McLaughlin curled over a free, but Meath hit right back through Emma Duggan.
Karen Guthrie reduced the gap after Katy Herron was pulled down, but poor misses from Guthrie and Yvonne Duggan let Meath off the hook.
Meath hit the net for the first time just after the water break as Vikki Wall went on a powerful run through the middle and found Kelsey Nesbitt, who finished smartly in the corner.
Orlagh Lally made it a seven-point game with a fine score from distance before Bonner managed to get on the scoresheet at the other end. And then came the turning point.
Donegal’s slick passing paid dividends as Guthrie was put in position to shoot for goal and only a cynical trip from Mary Kate Lynch stopped her doing so.
The referee immediately signalled a penalty but worse was to come for Meath as Lynch was shown a yellow card and would sit out the next ten minutes.
Niamh McLaughlin, a former Shelbourne soccer player, faced former Peamount United keeper Monica McGuirk and rifled the ball into the top corner.
Guthrie and Geraldine McLaughlin reduced the gap to a point at the break, and the same duo delivered early in the second half to put Donegal in front for the first time.
And another game-changing moment followed as scintillating passing found Geraldine McLaughlin. She went for goal and McGuirk pulled off huge save to keep it out.
Lynch returned to the field having watched her side concede 1-4 in her absence, and had her goalkeeper to thank for keeping it at that.
Orlagh Lally levelled the scores as she picked off another poor McCafferty kick and, within moments, Meath hit the net again.
Niamh O’Sullivan picked the ball up ten yards out and, with great awareness, hooked the ball over her should and in off the far post.
Substitute Bridgetta Lynch then missed another big chance for goal as she hooked her shot wide under no pressure.
And Mary Kate Lynch atoned for her yellow card with a superb block to deny Bonner a shooting chance after the Donegal forward had taken a high ball beautifully.
Meath defending in deeper and deeper blocks as the clock ran down, though a brilliantly-worked move saw Geraldine McLaughlin make it a one-point game.
Vikki Wall curled over a virtuosic point on the run and, though she was sin-binned for a cynical foul in injury time, Meath held on for a two-point win.
Meath: Monica McGuirk; Katie Newe, Mary Kate Lynch, Shauna Ennis; Aoibhin Cleary, Emma Troy, Aoibheann Leahy; Maire O'Shaughnessy, Vikki Wall; Kelsey Nesbitt (1-01), Orlagh Lally (0-02), Megan Thynne; Niamh O'Sullivan (1-01), Emma Duggan (0-02, 0-01f), Stacey Grimes (0-01).
Subs: Bridgetta Lynch for Nesbitt 38, Niamh Gallogly for Leahy 52, Emma White for Thynne 52, Orla Byrne for Lally 56, Orlaith Duff for O'Sullivan
Donegal: Roisin McCafferty; Niamh Carr, Evelyn McGinley, Niamh Boyle; Tara Hegarty, Nicole McLaughlin, Amy Boyle Carr; Katie Herron, Roisin Rodgers; Blathnaid McLaughlin, Niamh McLaughlin (1-00, 1-00pen), Shelly Twohig; Yvonne Bonner (0-02), Karen Guthrie (0-03, 0-02f), Geraldine McLaughlin (0-04, 0-01f).
Subs: Niamh Hegarty for Tara Hegarty 40, Tanya Kennedy for Boyle 49, Emma McCrory for Twohig 56,
Referee: Garryowen McMahon (Mayo).
