It was only hearing Robbie Brennan reply to David Sheehan’s tentative opening query with “God it feels like so long ago” that the realisation dawned that, Jazus, it is heading for five months ago. ‘It’ being Meath’s elimination from the 2026 All Ireland SFC. June 21st. The longest day of the year. Though it was the days, weeks and months which followed it which have felt like, to quote Billy Joel, The longest time.
You know it’s funny, if I was a Mayo devotee after their escape that night in MacHale Park, I might have been tempted to lob on a few bob on them. Although, did anyone honestly think that night that five weeks later, 75 years of hurt would be erased?
Yet, if its considered that Kevin McStay was treated very harshly by the governing body in his own county – having a season previously guided them to a National League Div. 1 title, the green and red have never been considered to be that far those thought of as elite.
Thus, to borrow a bit of racing parlance, if you draw a line of form from the Connacht side to the Royal County, it could leave disciples of the latter with reasonable cause for optimism. Especially as the visitors to the Castlebar venue that night only ended up a kick of the ball off their hosts. Allied to the realisation that, if they had got a semblance of fair play from the match officials, the outcome would most likely have been different.
Inches. Inches that broke in the wrong direction. If the referee had looked ten seconds earlier and saw Jack Coyne hitting Ronan Jones first. If RJ could’ve given the resident red mist a night off. Moreover, if Meath had been awarded the free they were entitled to prior to the incident with our lad and the Mayo skipper, the latter never happens and we finish the game with the full compliment and who knows what way things pan out.
Though as I said on the night and have no problem repeating now, gut feeling is matters were beginning to get away from our lads at the time anyway. And you can’t have many complaints when you have what at one stage was a 12 point lead and allow it to be eroded. After all, young Royal fans of a certain generation took great glee in chanting Six point lead and you couldn’t beat Meath on a couple of occasions three decades ago!
These things always come back to bite you in the ar*e. See Kerry 2001 as a reference point. So it was little wonder Brennan cut an air of rueful frustration when the Bective broadcaster mentioned – about 40 seconds into the interview – mentioned their rather fortuitous conquerors going on to lift Sam 29 days later.
Still, to maintain his mantra of necessary positivity, An Bainisteoir managed to just break a smile when quipping “Well, I suppose if you’re not that far off them you’re still going the right way”.
And so say all of us. From a long way out, getting up to Div. 1 of the NFL was the stated aim for the 2026 season. Achievement of same represents meaningful and significant progress. As maintaining top flight status would also be.
For that reason, continuity is of the utmost importance. On that, it would surely be a source of relief if Robbie and his backroom team were given the extension to their initial term which they absolutely deserve. That said, from a practical perspective, what’s even more important is maintaining as much continuity as possible among the playing pool.
To that end, he and anyone with even a scintilla of interest in or passion for Meath football will be amazed, relieved and delighted to hear that the incomparable, indefatigable and immeasurably inspirational Donal Keogan has committed his incalculable influence to the green and gold for one more year at least!
Now, Robbie did say that he may have a bit of a job convincing the other oldest swinger in town, Bryan Menton, to go again. But, if life has taught me anything, it’s to never say never. Equally however, if the great man does decide to bow out, he will do so with his legendary status assured, owing nobody anything and leaving a legacy that will inspire generations to come.
For now though, no news is good news. He’s in until he’s officially out. Mind you, if you then consider that we are down four players at the minute with cruciate ligament injuries – Sean Coffey, Conor Gray, Ruairi Kinsella and Jack Kinlough. Ronan Jones is also battling another long term injury.
What all that in turn does is open up opportunities for others to step up to the plate.
Obviously, those who attain prominence during the club championship are going to put their hands up highest. On that score, it was interesting and very understandable to hear the gaffer name check Thomas O’Reilly and Saran O’Fionnagain and Oisin Martin as players who were ‘in’ before but could again get an invite.
Of those who – to the best knowledge of yours truly – haven’t got the call yet, Sean Penny, Kyle Moran and Caolan Ward and the Wolfe Tones side and Evan Quinn, the McGovern twins and Zach Thornton also received favourable mention during the interview.
Incidentally, the chat itself took place on the periphery of the launch of the Brady’s Skoda Regional Football Championship. The race for the Richie Barry Cup having been revamped as reported in this space previously.
Again, I will make no bones about admitting to having serious reservations about the rejig to the inclusion of the senior teams in the Regionals. Purely because the inception of a local equivalent to the Divisional Championships down south was to give players from Junior and Intermediate a shop window in which to put up their hands.
What’s more, the overhaul to include the senior clubs would be a big enough alteration to adjust to without the additional caveat that half of the original teams have been discarded and subsumed into what must be going to be extra large panels.
Thus, while the reduced amount of teams might make the matches more competitive, does it not conversely reduce the opportunity for players who may otherwise have got plenty of airtime to demonstrate what they can bring to the county team setup.
It would be a great pity if the needless tinkering was to put the concept on a road to self destruction. Such doesn’t have to be the case and it is at least encouraging not only to see the calibre of some of the people brought in to assist with the regional teams but also that each of the four will have a member of the senior management as a sort of liaison.
If for no other reason than more eyes =more opinions and the net being cast as wide as is possible. On the other point, whether a ploy of Robbie and his entourage or someone elsewhere in the food chain, keeping Trevor Giles on board and getting Shane O’Rourke involved are very welcome developments indeed.
Regarding the Skryne clubman, with there seemingly being an internal rule precluding him from being involved with the Meath Minors if his own lad Oisin involved, allied to the fact he has made no secret of the fact that he wishes to stay involved around Meath teams, this course of action is great to see.
With Rourkey, many people will know of the bond I have been blessed to have with him and several branches of the family since the first time he was seen on a pitch as a gangly U-12 playing full back against Dunboyne.
I am forever conscious of the blessing it has been and is to be in that position. But what that has also done has been to afford a close up view of the torture the lad went through with injuries and what he put himself through to keep playing for as long was the case.
To my mind there’s simply no way the Keegan Cup would have spent two seasons in blue and navy ribbons without him. That’s coming from someone whose club he wreaked absolute havoc against in both seasons.
For that reason and many others, the what might have been of Shane’s career will always rank as one of the great pitys in Irish sport. Now, despite his protestations to the occupant of this seat that management is not for him, methinks it probably didn’t take much arm twisting to get him on board for the Regionals. There may well have been a bit of persuasion from the elder statesman as well. After all, the race for the Richie Barry Cup was his Brainchild.
Mention has been made in this space several times over the years that Meath have very much got their act together in more recent times with regard to Development Squads, player pathways and the likes.
The cornerstone of all that is young players looking up to those who are their heroes and wanting to emulate them.
In Meath we are blessed with both plenty of talented young players and hordes of former stars for them to learn from. It boils down to making optimum use of the resources at your disposal.
We can but hope!
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