"Everyone is looking at women's Gaelic football as a serious thing now, it's no joke anymore and it's not a reason just to get the women out of the kitchen - they're playing it because they want to win." So says Waterford's Noreen Walsh, who predicts a "spectacular" game of football tomorrow afternoon at Croke Park when her team meet defending champions Monaghan in the 24th women's Senior All-Ireland final.

"There's a huge, huge improvement in the standard, it's unreal. Players are faster, a lot more skilful, a lot more passionate about it - they really mean business. We all go out and enjoy the game, but the days when women played football as a hobby are gone. If you're playing it these days and you want to get to Croke Park it has to be like your second job," says Walsh.

In the two months leading up to last year's final, Monaghan, under the guidance of Des Patton, embarked on a gruelling training programme that involved eight-mile hill runs twice every week. The work paid off when they won their first senior All-Ireland title, beating Laois in a replay after two outstanding games of football.

This year, under Mickey Morgan and Paul Swift, Monaghan's preparations have been no less intense and they go into the final as slight favourites, fielding 11 of their starting line-up from the victory over Laois. Since they beat Waterford for the first time in last year's All-Ireland semi-final, Monaghan have had the upper hand on the four-time champions, beating them again in this year's National League final after a replay.

What Monaghan have so far failed to do, however, is beat Waterford in Croke Park, having lost to them in both the 1994 and 1995 finals. Michael Ryan, the Waterford coach, has named a team with a wealth of experience, with 40 All-Ireland winners' medals between them.

Seven of the team played in the county's four previous final appearances, all of which they won - Regina Burns, Martina O'Ryan, Noreen Walsh, Fiona Crotty, Catriona Casey, Geraldine O'Ryan and Aine Wall. Only Deirdre O'Rourke and Sara Hickey, the captain of the minors, are yet to win a senior title.

In the absence of the injured Marie Crotty, Waterford will be captained by Martina O'Ryan, who is joined in the line-up by her twin sister, Geraldine.

"Let me tell you a story about them," says Marie Crotty. "They were on the under-14 Waterford team that I coached in the Community Games a few years back. At half time in the final - which, luckily, we won - they weren't happy with their positions and one of them was tired so they swopped their jerseys, never said anything to me and Martina, who was playing midfield, ended up at full-back and Geraldine came out in to midfield.

"I never copped on because they were identical then - I don't think they told me until a few years later," she says. "Hang on, I'm just wondering now - we could have been thrown out of that final, that would be illegal . . . but sure no-one knows," she says. God, that was very dishonest of them. "It was," she says, grinning. And Martina's captain this year? "She is. And you'll never guess what her job is." What? "She's a Garda." It will be the first time in the women's game that two former AllIreland champions contest the senior final, and Cumann Peile na mBan are hopeful that Sunday's attendance will, for the first time, top the 20,000 mark.

Meanwhile, the runners-up for the past two years, Tyrone and Longford, meet in the Junior final. Longford lost out to Clare last year while Tyrone were beaten by Cork in 1995 - both counties are looking for their first All-Ireland Junior title.