Years go by with scary rapidity. This weekend 20 years ago, Mick Cole hit a (very) contentiously awarded free four minutes into injury time at the end of the Meath SHC Final, for Rathmolyon against St Peter’s, Dunboyne. Now read on…
Well, that is to say he completely mishit it. With the very tip of hurl only grazing the ar*e of the sliotar as it went airborne. Meaning that it dropped well short of its intended target – the red spot of the crossbar in the ‘old’ St Loman’s Park in Trim. It’s deficit in longitude, though, meant it sat up just enough for Mick’s brother, Gary, to double on it and divert it beyond Stephen Reilly in the Dunboyne goal.
Thus giving ‘The Village’ a third Jubilee Cup success in 13 years and extending Dunboyne’s title famine to 82 years at that stage. That unwanted milestone currently stands at 112 years.
Indeed, perhaps ironically, at the time of typing, neither ourselves or Rathmolyon are presently at the top table of Meath hurling as Mick has taken over the role of county senior hurling manager on a three year term.
Mind you, while gut instinct is to be absolute in my conviction that hurling in the county is on the up, the weekend just ended saw something of a changing of the guard in the part of the Royal County where timber reigns supreme.
In that Kiltale bucked the trend of the last couple of years when putting a halt to Ratoath’s gallop towards a third Meath SHC in a row.
John Donoghue’s leading by 1-11 to 1-07 at the break with brilliant dual players Ross Ryan and Cian Rogers planting the goals for their respective sides. Now, given the prevailing climatic conditions you did wonder had the maroon corner done enough with the aid of the elements.
Mind you, when another dual superstar, Jacksie Regan tagged on the first two scores of the second half you got the impression the hurling home of those from Moynalvey and Summerhill were having one of ‘those’ days.
After all, it’s not all that long ago that Kiltale put a string of four or five county titles together themselves. That said, to their great credit Andy Darmody’s Ratoath side showed just why they have been such magnificent champions the last couple of years in the manner in which they valiantly set about trying to save their title.
The conclave of local GAA commentators have taken to calling Kiltale corner forward Peter Durnin Peter Pan as the vastly experienced citog continues to hurl as well as as ever. But his contemporary at the other end of the field Bryan McMahon is surely worthy of similar accreditation and it was the diminutive dynamo who yet again produced the ‘major’ which kick-started the salvation attempt.
And, though Podge O’Hanrahan and Daithi McGowan did tag on further scores, Donoghue’s durable deputies had done enough early doors to put enough of a buffer between themselves and their relentless chasers. So it will be a perhaps unexpected local derby on Sunday week.
Surprising because, for reasons which probably didn’t get as much investigation as they warranted, age old bastions of the small ball code in the county, Kilmessan, have not been performing with the efficiency generationally expected from the blue and white. Until this season again.
What exactly has brought about the resurgence is, from the outside looking in at least, hard to put a finger on. But the style, panache and class long associated with representatives of Donnelly-Loughran Park is all there and – maybe most significantly – the swagger which long set themselves (and Trim to be fair) apart from the rest has returned en masse.
A lot of the names are the same too, Horans, Smyth, Maguire and Gorman – either inside or outside the line – but, to the one seeing eye in this seat at least, the addition of Walterstown footballer Lorcan O’Connor (who at the time of typing remains in with a chance of a Championship double) has made the most discernible difference throughout their campaign to date.
So, after relatively decent spells at the head of affairs for the likes of Ratoath and Kildalkey, the pair left standing to contest Meath hurling’s top represent something of a changing of the guard. Even though in the very next breath both Kilmessan and Kiltale could be equally afforded said status as power bases of the small ball code in the county.
Anyway, of greatest interest in terms of the bigger picture will be to see who the new county Bainisteoir enlists to be part of his platoon. Or more to the point, who consents to being enlisted. For it is beyond question that some of the finest stickmen either weren’t sought by the previous regime or were but declined to make themselves available. Either scenario is a damning indictment of those – or at some thereof – who recently departed the roles inherited by Cole and others as yet to be confirmed.
Now, unquestionably, there are tendencies – probably wherever GAA exists – for whatever unfortunate souls happen to populate Co Boards – compliments are usually as scarce as the Corncrake but it is only right that credit be bestowed where it is rightly due to those whose brainwave it was to come up with B Championships across all grades in Meath hurling.
For several reasons. One – with the county seemingly insistent on having league and Cup competitions concluded prior to the commencement of the local championships, the additional grades give players the opportunity to hurl more at the time of year they should be hurling. Two – The more hurling players get, regardless of what grade it happens to be at, it can only be good for the overall standard of hurling in the county.
Which, as a direct result should naturally leave Mick Cole – or whoever happens to be in charge at a given time – with a better standard of player to pick from which can only have positive ramifications as a knock on effect. Before speculating on what fresh blood might be brought in, I want to first go back to the point above about enticing some of those in exile back into the fold.
Entirely at my own expense, it will be admitted that, from the time of the last offering in this space pertaining to the same subject matter, I have been enlightened by the snapper of all things Meath hurling Martin Costello that at least one of those this corner had pinpointed as being in absentia was in fact on the periphery of the setup but on the sidelines due to injury.
But still, there’s no doubt that the return of some or all of Shane Whitty, Jacksie Regan, James Kelly, Nicky Potterton, Evan Fitzgerald, Paddy Barnwell, Sean Quigley, Cian Rogers, Colm O’Riordan and/or any of the McGowan brothers would considerably bolster the depth available to Cole’s crew.
That said, to concur with the commander of the camera, you’d hope that if some of the absent friends do return to the fold that it is not at the expense of the many gifted young devotees of the sliotar setting out what have the potential to be very exciting journeys at the highest level.
One is always loathe to mention names because no matter how you mention it will be whoever you leave out will be lit upon by the observers.
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