It will be a case of the road well travelled for Meath as the draws for the 2025 incarnation of the Provincial Championships – conducted on Saturday last – decreed that Robbie Brennan’s first outing as manager in the blue riband competition will be in Netwatch Dr Cullen Park against Carlow.
Without having actual figures in front of me at the time of typing, it would be ventured that our lads have opened their championship campaigns against the Barrowsiders more than any other county over the course of the last decade and a half or so. And, while in 99% of the cases, the green and gold have been more than capable of dealing with the challenges presented by the red, yellow and green, there’s always the sliver of a chance they could prove problematic.
Those of us of certain vintage remember how those who were then under the guidance of the late Bobby Miller actually started favourites for the meeting of the two sides in 1996. Sean Boylan having given seven U-21 players their debuts at a time when their opponents were backboned by members of the Eire Og club who were one of the finest teams at that level at that time.
All of which combined to have at least a few layers fancying Carlow to take Meath out. Instead, the ‘new’ Meath team recorded a 0-24 to 0-06 win which served as the first step en route to All Ireland glory. On another occasion, at the beginning of Mick O’Dowd’s tenure, those in his charge had put seven goals past their hosts, but the flip side of that coin was the occasion on which a replay was required to separate the sides.
So, as I suppose applies to all teams at that level, nothing about the challenge to be presented by the midlanders can be taken for granted. Not that it ever would be anyway, but, with the appointment of the ‘colourful’ Shane Curran as their manager, there’s bound to even more of a pep in the step of the scallion eaters!
Should our lads overcome the first hurdle, they will then face an Offaly team with the wily auld weasel Mickey Harte now in their corner. But that wouldn’t cause any undue worries. Respect, by all means, but not worry. Elsewhere, the pairings have thrown Donegal to take on Derry once again, while in Leinster, Dublin and Louth would once more appear to be on a collision course once more.
Also on that side of the draw in Leinster are Westmeath who this week seem to be on the verge of announcing former Cavan star Dermot McCabe as their new manager. The Gowna great – whose nephew Diarmuid featured with Meath in the O’Byrne Cup (Lord rest its gentle soul) this year – will forever hold rank as one of the finest midfielders the one seeing eye here ever perused.
Connacht senior football championship
Quarter-finals
New York v Galway
London v Roscommon
Mayo v Sligo
Semi-finals
Leitrim v Mayo/Sligo
New York/Galway v London/Roscommon
Leinster senior football championship
First round
Wexford v Laois
Carlow v Meath
Wicklow v Longford
Quarter-finals
Offaly v Carlow/Meath
Dublin v Wicklow/Longford
Kildare v Westmeath
Louth v Wexford/Laois
Semi-finals
Offaly/Carlow/Meath v Dublin/Wicklow/Longford
Kildare/Westmeath v Louth/Wexford/Laois
Munster senior football championship
Quarter-finals
Waterford v Tipperary
Limerick v Cork
Semi-finals
Limerick/Cork v Kerry
Waterford/Tipperary v Clare
Ulster senior football championship
Preliminary round
Donegal v Derry
Quarter-finals
Antrim v Armagh
Tyrone v Cavan
Fermanagh v Down
Donegal/Derry v Monaghan
Semi-finals
Antrim/Armagh v Tyrone/Cavan
Fermanagh/Down v Donegal/Derry/Monaghan
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