On the night Colm O’Rourke appeared on the Tommy Tiernan Show last February, his Meath charges had just been soundly stuffed by Derry in the third round of the National League at Owenbeg.
Now, hindsight has proven that to be not that big of a deal because, were it not for a horrendous decision by Joe McQuillan, those who had their season disrupted by outside forces, may well have been the best team in the country.
On that wet Saturday night, though, when the former student asked the ex teacher what would define his term as term as manager, the response came rapidly “Being able to get the better of Dublin”.
Right, so he was always going to say that. Perhaps as much for self affirmation as anything else. But if he genuinely believes he and his players will be able to germinate what it takes to pick the lock on Dublin’s 13 year chastity belt around the Leinster SFC, they won’t have long to wait to prove it. Hopefully.
To earn the right to make what would be the greatest statement by a Meath football team since the Leinster win of 1986, they will first have to negotiate the potentially dangerous assignment of tackling Longford in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park.
Meath will, of course, enter Championship 2024 with the supposed safety net of being guaranteed a place in the All Ireland Series by virtue of having won the Tailteann Cup.
That does, in theory, bleed some of the air out of the valves in relation to the National League. Thus presenting the opportunity to blood new talent. Which will seemingly be a requirement, as this writer understands some of the county’s greatest warriors of the past decade or so won’t be in active service.
Anyway, elsewhere, there’s no doubt, the blockbuster listing of Jim McGuinness’s Donegal attempting to dethrone Derry – now under the direction of Me Fein Mickey – while down south Clare appear to be the relative winners with the Old Firm likely to collide in the semi finals.
The 2024 provincial football draws in full are:
Munster SFC
Quarter-finals
Tipperary v Waterford
Limerick v Cork
Semi-finals
Clare v Tipperary or Waterford
Limerick or Cork v Kerry
Ulster SFC
Preliminary Round
Monaghan v Cavan
Quarter-finals
Down v Antrim
Fermanagh v Armagh
Derry v Donegal
Monaghan or Cavan v Tyrone
Semi-finals
Down or Antrim v Fermanagh or Armagh
Derry or Donegal v Monaghan or Cavan or Tyrone
Leinster SFC
First round
Westmeath v Wicklow
Carlow v Wexford
Longford v Meath
Quarter-finals
Kildare v Westmeath or Wicklow
Louth v Carlow or Wexford
Dublin v Longford or Meath
Offaly v Laois
Semi-finals
Kildare or Westmeath or Wicklow v Louth or Carlow or Wexford
Dublin or Longford or Meath v Offaly or Laois
Connacht SFC
Quarter-finals
New York v Mayo
London v Galway
Sligo v Leitrim
Semi-finals
New York or Mayo v Roscommon
Sligo or Leitrim v London or Galway
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