Meath GAA discussion thread

Hammer Archer

SFC Group A
Seneschalstown 4-12 Blackhall Gaels 0-7
Donaghmore Ashbourne 1-12 Simonstown 1-12
Dunboyne 0-14 Dunshaughlin 1-11

SFC Group C
Wolfe Tones 0-10 Rathkenny 0-7
Ratoath 1-11 St Colmcilles 1-5
Moynalvey 2-11 St Pats 0-8

IFC Group B
Longwood 0-15 Drumbaragh 1-12
Dunderry 1-12 Meath Hill 0-10
Syddan 0-17 Kilmainham 0-10

JFC Group A
St Brigids 3-13 Clann Na nGael 1-9
Clonard 5-12 Drumconrath 0-9
Carnaross 1-14 Moylagh 1-8

Dunboyne dropped their first point but still top the group. Simonstown's draw was enough for them to squeeze into second with Don/Ash third. All three go straight into the quarter finals. Blackhall unsurprisingly go into the relegation playoff.
Ratoath beat a heavily depleted Cilles side to top group C. Wolfe Tones got by Rathkenny to make the preliminary quarter final. Pat's go into the relegation playoff.

In Intermediate group A, Dunderry won the winner takes all game against Meath Hill to make it to the knockout stages along with Syddan and Longwood. Drumbaragh came from 8 points down in the second half to draw with Longwood and send Kilmainham to the relegation playoff.

In junior A, Carnaross maintained their 100% record to top their group. Brigid's and Moylagh are also through. Drumconrath will play either Cortown or Kilmainhamwood in the relegation playoff. Who gets relegated depends on the winner of junior B.

In ladies' football, Meath are all but through to the All Ireland Intermediate final as they lead Roscommon in the semi final by 3-17 to 2-4 with 5 minutes to go.

Hammer Archer

SFC Group B
Summerhill 3-16 Na Fianna 1-9
Gaeil Colmcille 4-22 Curraha 0-8
Skryne 1-21 Navan O'Mahonys 1-11

IFC Group C
Ballinlough 6-8 Castletown 2-13
Oldcastle 5-13 Donaghmore Ashbourne 1-9
Duleek Bellewstown 2-12 Bective 0-12

JFC A Group B
Kilmainhamwood 2-10 Cortown 0-11
Ballivor 2-11 St Vincents 0-10
Dunsany 0-13 Moynalty 1-10

JFC B Group A
Kilbride 1-13 Boardsmill 1-11
Slane 1-19 St Marys 1-10

Knockout stages for the various championships are below:

SFC Quarter Finals
(1) St. Peter's Dunboyne v Wolfe Tones/Gaeil Colmcille
(2) Summerhill v St. Colmcilles
(3) Ratoath v Donaghmore/Ashbourne
(4) Skryne v Simonstown Gaels

IFC Quarter Finals
(1) Ballinabrackey v Dunderry/Duleek-Bellewstown
(2) Syddan v Oldcastle
(3) Ballinlough v St. Michael's
(4) Longwood v Trim

JFC A Quarter Finals
(1) Carnaross v Dunsany/Wolfe Tones
(2) Ballivor v Dunshaughlin
(3) St. Peter's Dunboyne v Moylagh
(4) St. Vincent's v St. Brigid's

JFC B Quarter Finals
(1) Kilbride v St. Patrick's/Donaghmore-Ashbourne
(2) Na Fianna v St. Peter's Dunboyne
(3) St. Colmcille's v Boardsmill
(4) Simonstown v Slane

All semi finals are (1) v (4) & (2) v (3)

Relegation playoffs are as follows
SFC: Blackhall Gaels, Curraha, St. Patrick's
IFC: Castletown, Kilmainham, Castletown
JFC: Drumconrath, Cortown - if a first team wins Junior B. NOM will be relegated automatically otherwise.

Think it'll be Dunboyne's year in the Senior. They should have enough for Tones or Kells and I have a feeling Skryne will end Simonstown's 3 in a row bid.
I feel the Intermediate winner will come from whoever wins the first quarter finals (Bracks/Dunderry/Duleek-Bellewstown).
In the Junior, Carnaross and Ballivor are the two first teams that have the best chance but I have a feeling that Dunboyne could actually win this as long as they don't lose too many more players to the seniors.

rpurfield

Had a few bits on so I got no games in this weekend, I think Skryne are testament to two things, having the county lads they missed last year back on a full time basis, and also having a good league run. At the start of the year I thought they'd level out come championship when everyone has the county players back, but they've put up some good results. I don't think they'll win the Keegan though.

On the 16 team thing yes it should happen. We're not good enough for senior football at the minute, getting out of the group last year was almost a blip, but in reality Blackhall being so bad will more than likely keep us up. It's no addition to the championship or even us as a club as it won't encourage young lads coming through to be bet week after week, but I know if I said that in the wrong company locally I'd be shot

Hammer Archer

I think Pat's are the strongest of the three relegation candidates. I thought Blackhall would be certs to go down but Curraha have shipped some huge defeats. Without their main players I can see them going straight back to intermediate.

The tender is out for the first stage of PT's reconstruction. Looks like their redoing the main terrace first.
https://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/publicpurchase.asp?PID=134225

rpurfield

I don't know the exact in's and out's Hammer but it wouldn't suprise me if Curraha suddenly have a full deck come the play offs! I'd agree with you that we should be good enough to stay up, but ultimately it's probably going to be a struggle again next year, and that's no addition to us, the clubs were playing or the standard of the SFC in general!


Just on the redevelopment glad to see it's out to tender, have many of ye bought a ticker for the house draw?

Hammer Archer

Hopefully going to get mine at the weekend. Think it's a good initiative especially when the clubs get a percentage of the ticket sales.
Hope it's being well supported.

rpurfield

Yeah I signed up to the three online, I don't know if it's past the deadline but to a certain point you could sign up for the three and the €250 was split over 3 months which is handy.

Hammer Archer

Main results from the weekend:

SHC Quarter Finals
Trim 0-24 Killyon 2-15
Kiltale 5-18 Longwood 0-10

IHC Quarter Finals
Wolfe Tones 2-16 Drumree 0-12
Gaeil Colmcille 5-12 Donaghmore/Ashbourne 1-13

IFC Preliminary Quarter Final
Dunderry 1-14 Duleek/Bellewstown 0-14

Dunderry go on to play the Bracks in the IFC quarter final.

So the SHC semis are:
Trim v Kildalkey
Kiltale v Ratoath

The IHC semis are:
Clann na nGael v Gaeil Colmcille
Na Fianna v Wolfe Tones

Looking likely to be another Kiltale v Kildalkey senior hurling final. Thought Longwood would have managed to keep it relatively tight against Kiltale.
In the Intermediate, it really has to be now or never for Na Fianna.

Kells play Wolfe Tones in the senior preliminary quarter final tonight in Castletown.
Dunsany play Tones' second team tomorrow in the junior preliminary quarter final in Skryne tomorrow.

mystic86

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Kells play Wolfe Tones in the senior preliminary quarter final tonight in Castletown.

What way do you see that going?

Hammer Archer

mystic86 wrote: »

What way do you see that going?

Hard to say. Both played a hurling quarter final, both probably would have been disappointed in coming third. Think Gaeil Colmcille just have a habit of getting results in knockout football.
Watch Tones hockey them now.

Obrieski

Any idea how the ticket sales are going? I know at the start they had a league table kind thing of how many people had bought tickets from different clubs, but haven't see anything of late. I see Glenveagh were in the paper yesterday doing quite well so hopefully they hand over the houses for free! :pac:

Hammer Archer

State of our league campaigns have been announced:

Division 2 - Football
Sunday 27 January - Tipperary (H)
Saturday 02 February - Donegal (A)
Sunday 10 Febraury - Armagh (H)
Sunday 24 February - Cork (A)
Sunday 03 March - Kildare (H)
Saturday 16 March - Clare (A)
Sunday 24 March - Fermanagh (H)

Division 2A - Hurling
Sunday 27 January - Mayo (A)
Sunday 03 February - Antrim (H)
Sunday 17 February - London (H)
Sunday 24 February - Westmeath (A)
Sunday 03 March - Kerry (A)

For the footballers, like last year, I'm thinking we'll be in relegation trouble again going into the last two games anyway.
Hurlers should be able to stay up but after this season's regression, cannot see them in the mix for promotion.

CrabRevolution

Hurlers will beat Mayo and probably London and lose the other games.

Footballers will get 6-8 points but not ever look like challenging for promotion.

iDave

The word promotion should be banned until after the 3rd game at least.

When is championship draw?
All feeling a bit futile with this Dublin team around.

rpurfield

iDave wrote: »

The word promotion should be banned until after the 3rd game at least.

When is championship draw?
All feeling a bit futile with this Dublin team around.

Aye talk or promotion and the super 8s should mean an exile from the county for those uttering the words. That's a really tough league campaign.

Hammer Archer

But relegation talk is OK, right?
Championship draw is usually mid to late October. Thanks to our wonderful campaign, we'll likely have a preliminary round to get through. Possibly against Kildare.

Massive result for the 'Ha against Blackhall Gaels in the SFC relegation. 0-15 to 1-9. I'd expect Pat's to have far too much for Blackhall in the second game.

Drumconrath's miserable season finishes with a 3-14 to 0-2 hammering by Cortown. They'll be relegated if a first team wins the Junior B. You'd expect that they'd want to go down after the season they had.

rpurfield

Hammer Archer wrote: »

But relegation talk is OK, right?
Championship draw is usually mid to late October. Thanks to our wonderful campaign, we'll likely have a preliminary round to get through. Possibly against Kildare.

Massive result for the 'Ha against Blackhall Gaels in the SFC relegation. 0-15 to 1-9. I'd expect Pat's to have far too much for Blackhall in the second game.

Drumconrath's miserable season finishes with a 3-14 to 0-2 hammering by Cortown. They'll be relegated if a first team wins the Junior B. You'd expect that they'd want to go down after the season they had.

Heard that Curraha had a sizable number of their "wanderers" back

Hammer Archer

rpurfield wrote: »

Heard that Curraha had a sizable number of their "wanderers" back

I'd assume so. Hopefully they'll have their full complement next season.
Summerhill got the better of Cilles in the first quarter final. 2-19 to 3-10. Cilles were 11 down in the second half but got the gap back to 3 towards the end before Summerhill pulled away.

Ultans in deep trouble after losing 4-11 to 9 points to Kilmainham in the IFC relegation playoff.

iDave

Sounds like Longwood and Trim was a craker.
Trim must be close to a decade at inter now?

rpurfield

It's tough to get out of the inter championship if you don't do it quickly Dave. It took us a good decade including losing four finals before we eventually went up. Incidentally the year we won the IFC it was our worse final performance of the lot

Hammer Archer

Other results from the weekend:

SFC Quarter Finals
Donaghmore/Ashbourne 1-9 Ratoath 1-8
Simonstown Gaels 2-20 Skryne 1-15
Dunboyne 2-14 Gaeil Colmcille 0-16 AET

IFC Quarter Finals
Longwood 4-17 Trim 2-15 AET
Ballinlough 1-13 St Michaels 0-13
Syddan 0-11 Oldcastle 3-11
Ballinabrackey 0-7 Dunderry 0-4

JFC Quarter Finals
St Vincents 3-14 St Brigids 1-4
Carnaross 1-18 Dunsany 1-16
Ballivor 1-12 Dunshaughlin 3-5
St Peters Dunboyne 1-13 Moylagh 1-12

JFC B Quarter Finals
(Preliminary QF) St. Patrick's 3-7 Donaghmore/Ashbourne 2-7
Na Fianna 0-18 St Peters Dunboyne 1-10
St Colmcilles 1-13 Boardsmill 3-8
Slane 2-13 Simonstown 0-9

Another quarter final horror show from us. We just cannot seem to break down mass defences. Simonstown proved everyone wrong by hockeying Skryne while Kell's nearly pulled off another quarter final upset against Dunboyne. Winner of the Simonstown - Dunboyne (third year in a row they've met in the knockouts) will win it out I feel.
While Trim - Longwood seemed like a great game, Bracks - Dunderry looked like a snorefest. Think it'll be a Ballinabrackey v Oldcastle final.
The three favourites for Junior A all had to come through tough quarter finals. Vincent's will fancy their chances against Carnaross in the semi final.

Hammer Archer

U16s won their first Gerry Reilly Cup since 2007 after beating Cavan 2-14 to 1-13.

What does everyone think of the new championship proposals?

Fixed Calendar with ‘down’ periods

Split championships into first team and reserve championship

– 16 team senior championship
– 20 team intermediate championship (first team only)
– 16 team junior championship (first team only)
– Reserve Championship

District championship (Junior and Intermediate combinations)
Open the A leagues to second teams
Previous Championship used to seed championship groups
Starred League Games (County players available)
Cup competitions become Pre-Season Competitions

Still prefer the 16 teams per grade proposal that was shot down. 20 teams in intermediate seems huge. Also, the lack of relegation from the Junior championship could lead to some huge mismatches at that level. Think the pre season cup idea is a good one as I don't believe any team really sees any value in winning the Feis Cup/Corn na Boinne/Tailteann Cup. Having league games where county players are guaranteed to be available is another good idea.

I suppose it's better than nothing but I'm not completely sold on the above as I was for the previous proposals.

rpurfield

Most of it is good stuff, I'd agree a 20 team IFC is huge now but I suppose if it stays at 5 groups of four it's much of a muchness game wise.

They do need to do something about the Feis Cup etc, it's starting now when most teams won't be bothered with it and I think one of the finals from last year never even materialized?

CrabRevolution

I take it that the divisional championship is a standalone competition, not a set of divisional teams entering the senior championship?

20 teams in intermediate is too many. I presume it's there as a carrot for the "one win a year" clubs who torpedoed the last championship restructuring. 4 groups of 5 would be most sensible, with the top 2 going into the quarter finals.

Having one junior championship will really cut off the likes of boardsmill and Kilbride who will no longer have anything to realistically play for and just bounce along the bottom of the junior championship (it'd be even worse for St. Paul's, assuming they still field by then).

Hammer Archer

CrabRevolution wrote: »

I take it that the divisional championship is a standalone competition, not a set of divisional teams entering the senior championship?

20 teams in intermediate is too many. I presume it's there as a carrot for the "one win a year" clubs who torpedoed the last championship restructuring. 4 groups of 5 would be most sensible, with the top 2 going into the quarter finals.

Having one junior championship will really cut off the likes of boardsmill and Kilbride who will no longer have anything to realistically play for and just bounce along the bottom of the junior championship (it'd be even worse for St. Paul's, assuming they still field by then).

I can actually see Kilbride making waves in the Junior Championship soon enough. They've put a hell of a lot of work into juvenile football there (having not even had any juvenile teams not so long ago) and they've been mixing it with intermediate clubs (and combinations) at that level for a while now. Also I see a new housing estate going up there. Can see a lot more in the near future.

But agree on your point. Can't see St. Paul's surviving much longer and teams like Drumconrath, St. Mary's etc. won't be able to regroup at a lower level any more. Players aren't really going to stick around if they're getting trounced every year.

Hammer Archer

So Blackhall Gaels, as expected, relegate to Intermediate. Looking back, I actually thought that they were in senior for a lot longer before they won the Keegan Cup in 2003 (they were only promoted in 2001). I'd say it'll be a long time before they're back to a similar level.

Best of luck to the ladies in the All Ireland final tomorrow.

Fann Linn

7 scores apiece and Tyrone have scored 4 goals from theirs. The Meath defence is crap.

rpurfield

Hammer Archer wrote: »

So Blackhall Gaels, as expected, relegate to Intermediate. Looking back, I actually thought that they were in senior for a lot longer before they won the Keegan Cup in 2003 (they were only promoted in 2001). I'd say it'll be a long time before they're back to a similar level.

Best of luck to the ladies in the All Ireland final tomorrow.

They went up in 98 beating us, obviously came back down at some stage before 2001 then. Delighted we stayed up but I fear it's just delaying the inevitable.

Hammer Archer

rpurfield wrote: »

They went up in 98 beating us, obviously came back down at some stage before 2001 then. Delighted we stayed up but I fear it's just delaying the inevitable.

If senior goes down to 16 teams then I would be worried for Pat's. But I think the teams coming up from Intermediate from now on probably won't be able to make too much of an impact at senior.
Speaking of, Peader Byrne dragging Ballinlough to another IFC final with a monster point from the sideline to beat Oldcastle by a point.
Longwood have gone from a relegation playoff in 2017 to the Intermediate final in 2018. Ballinabrackey were 2 points up with 3 to play but ended up losing by a single point.

Vincent's had a stunning comeback against Carnaross in the JFC semi final. They were 9 points to 1 down into the second half but outscored Carnaross by 1-9 to 3 points from then on to win 1-10 to 0-12. Dunboyne's second team beat Ballivor in the other semi final 1-19 to 2-13. Can't see Vincent's managing to get the better of Dunboyne. However, they are guaranteed to be Meath's representatives in the Leinster Junior Club Football Championship as only first teams can participate.

Kilbride will play Slane in the Junior B semi final. Winner of that plays Na Fianna in the final.

Hammer Archer

Senior hurling semi finals this weekend. Can't see anything but another Kiltale v Kildalkey final unfortunately.