Footballers join Christy Ring heroes already honoured this week
Eight members of Meath’s Tailteann Cup winning team have been selected on the Team Of The Year for what I like to think of as the All Ireland Intermediate Football Championship. No doubt, the knockers and begrudgers will sneer at such a thing being celebrated but, in hurling, the McDonagh, Ring, Rackard and Meagher selections are, rightly, regarded as a big deal and the Tailteann Cup should be treated the exact same.
It certainly will be in Meath. Personally, I would be disappointed that Ronan Ryan or Ronan Jones or Sean Coffey or Aaron Lynch didn’t get the nod, but the acclaim afforded to Sean Brennan, Adam O’Neill, Donal Keogan, Padraic Harnan, Conor Gray, Jack Flynn, Jordan Morris and Mat Costello is testament to the fact that Meath football is in a good place and there are surely more good days afoot.
Tailteann Cup Team of the Year 2023
1 Seán Brennan (Meath)
2 Adam O’Neill (Meath)
3 Pierce Laverty (Down)
4 Padraig Faulkner (Cavan)
5 Donal Keogan (Meath)
6 Padraic Harnan (Meath)
7 Danny Magill (Down)
8 Odhran Murdock (Down)
9 Conor Gray (Meath)
10 Jack Flynn (Meath)
11 Ross Dunphy (Carlow)
12 Liam Kerr (Down)
13 Jordan Morris (Meath)
14 Mathew Costello (Meath)
15 Ruairí McCann – (Antrim) St Mary’s
Having said all that, I am somewhere between mystified and disgusted that Charlie Ennis didn’t get the goalkeeping position on the Christy Ring line up. After all, not only is the Trim clubman one of the victorious Joint Captains of the Meath team – the other, Jack Regan, was, naturally, picked – but Ennis is regarded far and wide as one of the best netminders in the game.
For what it’s worth, I also think it’s bitterly disappointing that none of Mickey Burke, Martin Healy or Nicky Potterton were honoured either. However, as with the footballers, the fact that our hurlers are competing to such a high level too is a glowing tribute to the work being done at club and county level both with underage and adult level.
Champion 15 Team of the Year 2023
1 Luke White (Donegal – Nickey Rackard)
2 Seán Geraghty (Meath – Christy Ring)
3 Andrew Kavanagh (Wicklow – Nickey Rackard)
4 Simon Ennis (Meath – Christy Ring)
5 Richie Mullan (Derry – Christy Ring)
6 James Toher (Meath – Christy Ring)
7 Danny Cullen (Donegal – Nickey Rackard)
8 Cormac O’Doherty (Derry – Christy Ring)
9 Niall Garland (Monaghan – Lory Meagher)
10 Conor Madden (Lancashire – Lory Meagher)
11 Jack Regan (Meath – Christy Ring)
12 Éamon Óg Ó Donnchadha (Meath – Christy Ring)
13 Christy Moorehouse (Wicklow – Nickey Rackard)
14 Andy O’Brien (Wicklow – Nickey Rackard)
15 Niall Arthur (Monaghan – Lory Meagher)
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