Search icon

GAA

24th May 2018

Whole of Meath excited again after minors beat Dublin for second time in three years

Niall McIntyre

This is where it starts.

Meath football has been in the doldrums for a couple of years now. For a county with such a rich tradition in the game not to have won a Leinster title in the last seven years has to be considered something of a tragedy.

The Royals’ seniors endured a frustrating League campaign this year again with their leaky defence dragging them down to fifth place in Division Two.

The clubs haven’t been faring too well either, with Skryne the last team to make it to a Leinster club final way back in 2004. A Meath club hasn’t gone on to win in Leinster since the men of Dunshaughlin did it in 2004. The health of the club game in the county is often referenced as a huge part in the county’s struggles.

The only way is up for Meath football and Wednesday night’s defeat of Dublin in the Leinster minor football championship could be the start of it.

Plenty of hard work has been put into the underage structures in the county and throughout its club over the last few years and it appears that now, they are reaping the rewards from it.

Now winning minor games and championships is by no means a guarantee of senior success in the years to come, but the fact that the coaching structures are being put into place from the bottom up is only a good sign for things to come.

The green and gold army defeated the Dubs by two points in a ferociously contested Páirc Táilteann thriller last night, in what would be their second time to beat their bitter neighbours and rivals in the grade in the last three years.

Indeed, they would have three up on Dublin were it not for a ten point turnaround by the Dubs in 2017.

Let’s not forget, in 2016, they defeated Dublin by ten points.

There was a good spread of players on the Meath team, with two from junior club Moynalty starring, while Oldcastle, Clanne na Gael and Walterstown men also played key roles.

Dunshaughlin man Luke Mitchell was the star of the day, kicking six points from full forward.

Former Meath senior and current sprinter Eamon Wallace played tribute.

And here’s how the table stands now.

LISTEN: The GAA Hour – Klopp in Croker, flop in Kildare and the ‘worst fans’ award?