The quarter final weekend of the Club Football Championships concludes on Sunday with a further eight games spread across all four competitions with places in the semi-finals at stake as well as relegation duels in the Fairyhouse Steel SFC and Meade Farm IFC.

Tickets for all games this weekend in the Club Championships are available here: Club Football Championship Tickets

There is one fixture live on Clubber as our Streaming Partners show the Fairyhouse Steel SFC quarter final between St. Peter’s Dunboyne and Summerhill at 16:00. This stream can be purchased here: Meath GAA Livestreams (Clubber)

2023 was something of an annus horribilis for Skryne as the club who are the longest serving in the Senior ranks came very close to dropping to the second tier of football since winning the Intermediate Championship way back in 1937.  They went all the way to the Relegation Playoff Final before escaping by the skin of their teeth.

Fast forward one year and all has changed utterly around Tara.  Mick O’Dowd who came in to steer the ship to calmer waters at the end of last years championship has remained wearing the Bainisteoir bib for 2024 and he has overseen a remarkable turnaround in fortunes.  They contested the PR Coyne Division 1 Football League semi-final and have now come through their group in the SFC with two wins and a draw to their name as they topped a difficult group.

But it looks as though they will have to do without the services of the highly influential midfielder Harry Rooney today for this Fairyhouse Steel SFC quarter final meeting with St. Colmcille’s as he looks set to miss out through injury.  The resultant reshuffle sees Darragh Campion move out from his berth in the forwards to the engine room of the side where he will partner James Finnerty who has been a most welcome addition to the Skryne ranks over the last twelve months after a time as a professional soccer player.

There is a youthful and energetic look to the Skryne half back line with Shane Smyth the eldest of the pack at the veteran age of 21 and he is joined by James Reeves (19) at centre back and John O’Regan (20) at left half back.  Smyth is a bundle of energy and he chipped in with three points against Trim two weeks ago so his late runs from deep will be something to look out for.

Up front, the full forward line sees Conor O’Brien, Billy Smyth and Niall Finnerty linking up and on their day this trio can prove to be match winners.  Smyth is in his first year in the adult ranks but the bloodlines are strong and to the manor born he has proven to be.

For the ‘Cilles, much was expected of them coming into the Senior ranks when they won the Intermediate Football Championship eight years ago but despite the rich array of young talent which has come through every year since for them, they have failed to make an impact at the business end of the Championship.  To that end, they turned this year to one of those heroes of 2016 to take charge and former Munster and Ireland rugby player Niall Ronan took up the challenge.

An opening weekend win over Seneschalstown hinted at promise and this was followed up by defeating Na Fianna in a more dour game on the middle weekend of group action.  This left them safely through and meant a loss (narrow) to Simonstown Gaels in Round 3 proved largely irrelevant.

In Andrew Beakey they have one of the top goalkeepers in the county and his ability to stride forward and kick long range frees is a potent weapon in their arsenal.  In front of him,  Adam Lynch, Liam Stafford and Oisín Brennan are all defenders of high quality while it would be no surprise if Hugo Collins is sprung from the bench prior to the throw in.

Evan Breen is likely to pick up Darragh Campion around the middle with Ruairí O’Grady set to do battle with James Finnerty.  Whoever can come out on top here will have a huge bearing on the outcome of the game.  A couple of years ago the name Eoghan McCloughan was being whispered in excited tones around Piltown but in his Minor year the forward struggled with injury and missed out on seeing action as Meath won the All-Ireland MFC title.  That slowed his development but this year has seen him go well in the inside forward line and he will form a dangerous trio along with the veteran Ben Brennan and the pocket dynamo James Conlon.

The feature game on the double bill of Fairyhouse SFC action sees the reigning champions Summerhill coming up against one of the form sides St. Peter’s Dunboyne.

Having come off injured at half time against Donaghmore/Ashbourne fifteen days ago, there are doubts surrounding the fitness of Ronan Ryan at full back for the ‘Hill.  Should he miss out then the county player would be a huge loss for his leadership and positional nous.  Iarla ‘The Bull’ Hughes could pick up Donal Lenihan and if he can keep the former Meath player quiet then that would be a massive fillip for Conor Gillespies side.

The aerial ability of Summerhill around the middle third has long been one of their key strengths and once more today, Adam Flanagan and Mícheál Byrne will go to battle and how they fare against the Dunboyne pairing of Ronan Jones and Jack Kinlough will be pivotal.  Both sides will also look to the likes of Diarmuid McCabe and Stuart Lowndes to supplement that battle.

Michael Murphy lines out with the no. 13 on his back but he is likely to be sent on a tour of Páirc Tailteann, leaving David McEntee and Donal Lenihan inside in a potent double act and Cathal Lacey could come in there at some point following his impact off the bench previously.

Similar to Ronan Ryan, Shane McEntee went off early with injury a fortnight ago and the team captain would be a huge loss at centre back if he was to not be fit enough to start.

A comment was made on a podcast earlier this week that this St. Peter’s Dunboyne side struggle to win tight games.  No doubt that will have been mentioned once or twice in the intervening period and there is no doubt the players would love to prove those doubters wrong today.

Trim plays host to a fascinating meeting of Oldcastle and Ballivor in the last eight of the Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship at noon.  Oldcastle were in devastating form in the group stages, dismantling both St. Patrick’s and Moynalvey in Rounds 1 and 3 respectively and overcoming Drumbaragh Emmets in a dogged encounter in Moylagh.

The wide open spaces in Trim should play to their strengths but they have suffered a blow as Bob Farrelly, their totemic presence at full forward, misses out through injury.  Jason Scully is another player who will have a roving role at corner forward, leaving space inside for Garrett O’Reilly and young Rory Crawley and the man who pulls many of the strings in attack is CJ Healy at centre forward.

Pearse Sheridan and Oran Mulvanny form an impressive midfield pairing and in defence Cian McPartland is a resolute warrior at the edge of the square and the left wing pairing of Dylan Garrigan and Lee Healy will raid forward at every opportunity.  Then in goals they have the safest pair of hands on the Cavan border in Conor McHugh.

For Ballivor, Brian O’Halloran will line out with no. 9 on his back but he will act as an extra defender, mopping up a mountain of ball and offering protection to his backline in which Jamie Smyth, Stefan Connolly and Mark Healy are key players.

Up front, the pace and trickery of Adam Gannon and Nicky Potterton is very difficult to deal with and Brendan McKeon brings his own brand of guile to the centre forward role.

Last year Ballivor lost out to Navan O’Mahonys at this stage, can they go one further this time around?

The second of the Meade Farm IFC quarter finals today sees Castletown and Moynalvey meet in Dunshaughlin, also at noon.  Castletown who topped their group after a night of deciphering mathematical equations come into this game full of confidence and they will look to their young guns of Killian Smyth, Darragh Kelly and Rian McConnell to lead the way alongside Kevin Ross who returned to the fold recently after a sojourn away from the game and Evan Hoey.

Moynalvey as always will be looking to the likes of Padraic Harnan, Cillian O’Sullivan and David McLoughlin to lead the way and all three are potential match winners.  Mark O’Sullivan is named on the forty but he came off injured not long after his introduction for Kiltale last week so it would be something of a surprise to see the elder O’Sullivan line out from the opening whistle.

Last years defeated finalists in the Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accomodation JFC Clann na nGael are in action in the last six of the Championship at 15:00 against St. Ultan’s in Kilmainham.  Niall McLoughlin’s side will be confident of progressing but if Cian McBride is fit to line out for the Bohermeen side then it would be a massive boost for St. Ultan’s.  St. Vincent’s await the winners in the semi-final.

In the last of the Coolrite JBFC quarter finals, Drumconrath and St. Mary’s meet at 11:00 in Syddan.  Both sides have enjoyed good championships to this point and will fancy their chances of progressing to the last four.

Meanwhile the relegation battles continue in the Fairyhouse Steel SFC as Na Fianna and Rathkenny meet in Bective and Gaeil Colmcille and Ballinabrackey meet in Longwood.  Both games are at 11:00.

Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship Quarter Final

Skryne v St. Colmcille’s – 14:00 (Páirc Tailteann)

St. Peter’s Dunboyne v Summerhill – 16:00 (Páirc Tailteann)

Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship Relegation Playoff Quarter Final

Gaeil Colmcille v Ballinabrackey – 11:00 (Longwood)

Na Fianna v Rathkenny – 11:00 (Bective)

Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship Quarter Final

Oldcastle v Ballivor – 12:00 (Trim)

Castletown v Moynalvey – 12:00 (Dunshaughlin)

Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accomodation Junior Football Championship Quarter Final

St. Ultan’s v Clann na nGael

Coolrite Junior B Football Championship Quarter Final

St. Mary’s v Drumconrath

Saturday’s Results

Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship Quarter Final

Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship Quarter Final

Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship Relegation Playoff Quarter Final

*After Extra-Time

Coolrite Junior B Football Championship Quarter Final