Tyrone captured their first All-Ireland Ladies Intermediate Football title since 2018 with a 2-16 to 1-13 victory over Laois in Sunday’s final at Croke Park.
Aoife Horisk and Katie Rose Muldoon scored goals in either half to help the Red Hands avenge last year’s agonising one-point decider defeat by Leitrim.
Niamh O’Neill top scored for Tyrone with 0-7, while Horisk finished with 1-3.
In a tight first half, Laois struck the first goal after 22 minutes when Shifra Havill emphatically fired the ball into the roof of Amelia Coyle’s net.
Tyrone were initially frustrated in their hunt for goals, being denied first by Laois corner-back Faye McEvoy’s goal-line clearance before Sorcha Gormley was denied from the penalty spot after Horisk was fouled.
But after Laois carelessly gifted possession back to the Ulster side, player of the match Gormley teed up Horisk, who drilled a low shot past Eimear Barry to help give Tyrone a 1-7 to 1-5 half-time lead.
Laois kept in touch after the restart with a couple of Mo Nerney points and Fiona Dooley’s score, O’Neill and Horisk ensured Tyrone kept a slender advantage.
The Leinster side’s hopes of overturning the deficit in the closing stages were dented when Ciara Crowley’s yellow card was followed by an O’Neill free.
Tyrone were a point up when Muldoon delivered the decisive blow, finishing low to the net from close range with six minutes remaining.
Having established a more comfortable cushion, O’Neill, Gormley and captain Aoibhinn McHugh sealed a six-point win and a place in the 2026 senior championship for Tyrone.
Tyrone scorers: N O’Neill 0-7 (3f), A Horisk 1-3 (0-1f), S Gormley 0-3, K Muldoon 1-0, A McHugh, S McCarroll, C McCrossan 0-1 each.
Laois scorers: E Lawlor (3f), M Nerney (3f) 0-5 each, S Havill 1-0, F Dooley, J Moore, E Lacey 0-1 each.
Tyrone: A Coyle; J Lyons, G McKenna, E Quinn; C Campbell, M Mallon, C Canavan; A McHugh, S McCarroll; E McNamee, S Gormley, A Horisk; N O’Neill, C McCrossan, M Corrigan. Subs: E McCanny for McCrossan (36), K Muldoon for McNamee (45), A McGahan for Campbell (53), C McCaffrey for O’Neill (58), J Barrett for Horisk (59).
Laois: E Barry; S Farrelly, C Dunne, F McEvoy; A Gorman, A Moore, A Moran; F Dooley, J Moore; S Havill, E Galvin, C Crowley; E Lacey, E Lawlor, M Nerney. Subs: L Kearney for Gorman (39), M Cotter for McEvoy (45), K Donoghue for Lacey (47), A Fitzpatrick for Havill (56).
Referee: Shane Curley (Galway).
