SLEEPING GIANTS AWAKEN
For very poignant reasons, on several occasions this year, the All Ireland winning Meath team of 1967 were brought to mind. This time round however, their mention is in a brighter context. Now read on…
Peter McDermott’s team way back then were – unthinkable as it might seem now – backboned by players from Kilbride. Foremost among them, the Mighty Quinn brothers but also several other of their fellow parishoners. I shall refrain from naming other names for fear of getting somebody wrong.
Following those heady days, the green and red faded from the front lines for what – given their illustrious history – was far too long but, slowly but surely, there have been rumblings of better days ahead. The development facilities came first, but, in hindsight, it has been the fielding of their own underage teams in more recent seasons which has really heralded their re-awakening.
Something which was only further endorsed by the presence of both Conor McWeeney and Josh Harford on the Meath panel which won the All Ireland MFC in 2021. So it was probably no surprise to see both young lads to the fore as Leo Turley’s youthful outfit made light of the horrendous climatic conditions in Cortown to have eight points to spare over a typically obdurate Moylagh side.
However, similar to the hopes expressed regarding Barry O’Connell following Walterstown’s eliminated, Sean Reilly is surely worthy of a phonecall from the man in the baseball cap after another eye catching campaign captaining the green and white.
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In Tuesday night’s other match of note, conditions were even more vile when a late Mark McCullen point guided Ballinlough past Syddan in the pristine surrounds of Moynalty.
Mind you, as with the victorious Kilbride team, it was stars of the present and very much for the future who were instrumental in guiding the red and white over the line.
All any team, club or county, wants is to have a few promising players coming through to offer some optimism for the time ahead. Ballinlough certainly find themselves in rude health in that department courtesy of the promise of rising stars such as Oisin McDermott and the Shine brothers, Daire and Tom.
MINOR PROMISE OF MAJOR HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
It has no doubt been mentioned here previously that here at Boylan Talks Sport HQ, there is quite an extensive archive of photographs/documentation, videos and DVDs, tape recorded interviews and much more.
Undoubtedly, among the most treasured artefacts therein is a photo of the St Peter’s, Dunboyne side which claimed the Meath Minor Hurling Championship in 1958 and retained it the following year. A team managed by my late uncle Jimmy in conjunction with George Gilsenan and Paddy McIntyre and containing a certain S. Boylan in their rank.
If the old storage unit on my shoulders is any way right, the next time we annexed that particular division in the grade was in 2004 when the Chris Kane-led outfit upset Kiltale’s finest who at the time were winning all before them.
Well, it would now appear the black and amber have their best possible opportunity to bridge that chasm. Indeed, at the time of typing, largely the same group of players are still with a chance of doing the double at Minor level.
As with the current advert pertaining to the Irish rugby team, let’s not jinx the situation. But it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the truly remarkable turnaround engineered by the lads in the hurling semi final against Na Fianna on Wednesday evening.
Trailing by 0-01 to 1-05 early on, slowly but surely, Dunboyne worked their way back into the contest. To the extent that there were only two points, 0-09 to 1-08, by the change of ends.
Their grip on momentum increased still further after half time when goals from county minor footballer John Harkin and Sean Cregan appeared to have put the issue beyond doubt.
But in typically doughty fashion, the Baconstown/Enfield combination refused to yield and it was left, perhaps fittingly, to the burgeoning Harkin to seal a Final date against Gaeil Colmcille/Loughcrew Gaels
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