DUBLIN got their TG4 Leinster defence underway with victory against old foes Meath at Páirc Tailteann. The Dubs were the dominant force early and looked out of sight when Hannah Tyrrell dispatched a penalty for 1-2 to no score. They kept Meath scoreless until 21 minutes when a Vikki Wall free halted the bleeding for the Royals. And after Tyrrell added another a free, Emma Duggan converted a penalty too after Wall was fouled to leave three in it at half-time. On the resumption, Meath moved the ball quicker but were sickened further when Sophie McIntyre hit the net on 35 minutes. Duggan’s frees kept Meath in it and a wonderful long-ranger from her made it a three-point contest again. Chloe Darby and Niamh Hetherton’s scores saw the Dubs pull away once more. But after Duggan hit a brace of frees, it was left to Dublin to finish with four unanswered. DUBLIN: A Shiels; J Tobin, L Caffrey, N Donlon; H McGinnis, M Byrne, A Kane; É O’Dowd, G Kós; C O’Connor 0-1, C Darby 0-3, 2f, S Goldrick; S McIntyre 1-0, N Hetherton 0-2, H Tyrrell 1-3, 1-0pen, 2f. Subs: L Magee for McGinnis 29 mins, A Timothy 0-1 for Darby 46, A Curran for McIntyre 52, N Crowley for Donlon 56, J Egan for Hetherton 61. MEATH: R Murray; Á Sheridan, MK Lynch; K Newe; A Cleary C, S Wall, K Kealy; O Sheehy, M Farrelly; M Thynne, N Gallogly, C Smyth; E Duggan 1-5, 1-0pen, 4f, V Wall 0-1f, M Collins. Subs: N Troy for Sheridan 40 mins, K Cole for Collins 40, K Birmingham for Kealy 46, A Gaffney for Thynne 46, O Callan for Farrelly 50. REFEREE: E O’Neill (Laois).