Before 1997, I’d never been in Bective. Thereafter however, it would be a GAA ground with which I would become familiar. Always receiving a wonderful welcome whenever wheels with yours truly aboard touched down thence.
It has always been a happy hunting ground for Dunboyne teams too. Early in ’97, our U-14 hurlers won their county championship at the picturesque venue. I missed that particular match as there was an adult fixture on at the same time. Though I was in situ when ourselves and Trim played out two wonderful games in the U-21 FC.
The match was actually originally fixed for Walterstown, but, being early December, waterlogging wouldn’t be unexpected. Mind you, my first voyage to the home of the 1997 JFC winners wasn’t without adventure either. Having gone in under the railway bridge, the first thing that was noticed was the considerable plinth around the pitch, below which all vehicles seemed to be parked.
So, how was yours truly going to get out on the pitch? With the type of spirit of togetherness that puts Gaeldom on a footing all on its own for going above and beyond for community betterment. Thus, Bective bastions Joey Geraghty and Mick Morris facilitated our van boldly going where no vehicle normally went, up on the grass beside the gate to the pitch.
The following year, ourselves and St Colmcille’s were involved in an epic U-16 FC semi final draw and replay at the same venue. Our opponents were missing their talisman for the two encounters – one Niall Ronan who went on to have a distinguished career in rugby with Leinster, Munster and Ireland and is currently part of Meath senior football manager Andy McEntee’s backroom team – and we eventually inched through by a point.
The match was thought to be Ger Robinson’s last game of Gaelic football (thankfully that didn’t turn out as such) before he headed off to Middlesbrough so thereafter our club had planned to make a presentation to him thereafter. Unknown to me, however, they wanted the occupant of this seat to do the handover. So again, the Bective lads went above and beyond in readying the presentation area so the deed could be done.
So in one way it wasn’t the greatest surprise to see somebody from the area step forward again in the name of progress and development. In this instance, the relatively new owners of Bective Stud, Noel and Valerie Moran, who were this week announced as incoming sponsors of Meath teams up to and including U-20.
The high-flying business couple, who sold their company EComm Merchant Solutions for in excess of €300m will also have their brand on the senior team’s kit along with main sponsors, Devenish Nutrition. They are also major players in the horse racing and bloodstock industries. Being most closely associated with the Gordon Elliott stable here in Ireland and that of Olly Murphy Britain. To their immense credit, they stayed loyal to the Longwood-based handler when a lot of others jumped ship as soon as the vessel hit choppy waters.
The Morans’ green and white hooped silks are, I suspect, a nod to the kit of Bective GFC. As there have been members of the family involved with the club for as long as this writer can recall. For their part, the Meath Co Committee have shown the vision required to take the county forward. Building on the significant progress made at underage level in recent times. The pinnacle of which was the annexation of the All Ireland MFC at the end of August.
If you recall the interview with both Andy McEntee and Pat Gilroy – which essentially turned into a party political broadcast by the latter on behalf of Dublin – the Meath boss made the salient point that proper structures from which to better any county’s standing if the funding to backbone same was in place.
To that end, the Brains Trust in the Royal County are to be commended for enlisting businesses like those featured here to bolster the regeneration operation regarding the prospects of the green and gold going forward. More than that, though, the coaching structures which have already proven themselves to be as yielding as this year’s harvest have been appended with the continuity required to ensure crops deliver their full potential.
Thus, John McCarthy – who led the county to Leinster MFC glory in 2020 – will take charge of the U-20s in both 2022 and ’23. Of equal significance, mind you, is the fact the Walterstown native will have Sean Kelly and Colm Coyle alongside him as selectors. Kelly, of course, ended up being a selector with the same age group this year after Bernard Flynn and his entourage jumped ship weeks before Meath played Dublin.
Coyler has, as far as can be recalled, been involved with some of the younger underage teams in the last couple of seasons so should be very well versed in those coming off the production line for the next couple of years. The feeling that Meath could be onto a winner by going for a horses for courses approach to the management of their teams is only cemented by the fact that Cathal O’Bric – who masterminded the plunder of the Tom Markham Cup a couple of months ago – lined up to then take over the U-20 team.
For reasons that hardly need any elabortion here, a very large part of me cannot wait for this year to be over, but, in a more positive sense, I am excited and optimistic to see the new arrangements at work. In the meantime, hopefully the Moran horses can continue to put a few bob in these here pockets!
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