Aghadrumsee’s Aoife McCabe played a pivotal role in Fermanagh’s All-Ireland semi-final win over Limerick last month and will be hoping to have the same impact again this Sunday.

The half-forward hit 1-01 at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park while also being denied a second goal after being brought down when in on goal, but that trademark burst of pace is what led to the Cork official awarding a Fermanagh penalty that saw Eimear Smyth re-establish the Erne lead.

“I was so pleased with the whole team’s performance, it was a really good group of hard-working girls there and it took 30-35 for us to get over the line that day,” McCabe said on the semi-final victory.

“Everyone played a big part and everyone stepped up. CJ (McGourty) always says big players stand up on big days, and every single one of the girls stepped up that day and got us over the line. It was a brilliant win for us.”

The 20-year-old made her Erne debut back in 2020, the same season Fermanagh last won an All-Ireland title, with the win coming at Parnell Park in Dublin under heavy lockdown restrictions.

The Erne side saw off Wicklow by three points that year, after a defeat to Louth in 2019.

While there are some familiar faces in the Fermanagh squad, McCabe also mentioned that an influx of fresh faces has aided the squad, as they look to push on in the coming years.

“We have had new people come in, we have girls who have been there a few years, different people with different experiences, that’s benefitting everyone individually and collectively as a team,” she added.

“I think we’re a good enough team to be playing in a division above us, but we just have to focus on Sunday and get over the line first before we start thinking about next year.

"The training has been so good, there’s been good vibes and a great attitude towards it. Everyone is arriving early, ready to go and there’s a really good buzz about the group.

"For some people it's their first time playing in Croke Park, for others it's their second or third, but we’re all really really excited and it’s the weekend we’ve all been looking forward to since October, so, yeah everyone is buzzing to get there and to start the game.”

Fermanagh have had their fair share of challenges in the All-Ireland group with Sligo, Carlow and Derry providing stern tests before a final group game hammering of London.

When asked about the run-up to the final, McCabe said: “Tough games are the ones that stand to you and we’ve had really good competition leading up to it, that’s only going to benefit us in the long run.

"We’re so pleased with all the performances and all the hard work we’ve put in it’s always sweeter when you put in the hard work and that’s exactly what we’ve done.

"We’ve put our all into the games and thankfully we’ve got the results we wanted to get to Croke Park on Sunday.”

The arrival of manager CJ McGourty has proved to be a popular decision in the Erne camp as McCabe was quick to praise the new management team.

“It's been absolutely brilliant, I have to say,” she continued.

“They’ve really put the foot down, they’ve had everything planned out and the things they’ve taught us, as individuals and a group, they’ve brought us on leaps and bounds and took the standard to the next level.

"There’s a really good atmosphere and you can tell the management is looking forward to it just as much as the players and that’s a really good sign.”