Day of reckoning beckons

The action at the penultimate stage of the Fairyhouse Steel SFC, Meade Farm IFC and Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accommodation JFC concludes today (Sunday) with the last of the semi-finals and there is also the mouthwatering tie between St. Mary’s and Moynalty in the Coolrite JBFC Final at 12:00 in Páirc Tailteann.

Please note the below ticket prices for the games.  Tickets are available by clicking the link:  Meath GAA Club Championship Tickets

• Adults: €15 per person + Universe processing fee
• OAPS/Students: A €5 rebate can be claimed in Páirc Tailteann with valid photographic ID and valid OAP/Student ID
• Under-16s: Free when accompanied by an adult

• All Adults: €10 per person + Universe processing fee
• Under-16s: Free when accompanied by an adult

The triple header in Páirc Tailteann commences at 12:00 when St. Mary’s and Moynalty go head to head in the Final of the Coolrite Junior B Football Championship.

St. Mary’s haven’t won a Championship title since 1979 but there appears to be something stirring on the banks of the Boyne off the back of some promising juvenile sides and they have already claimed the Division 6 League title in July when defeating Drumconrath.  This could be an annus mirabilis for the men in green and red should they emerge victorious today.

Their opponents in Páirc Tailteann are back on familiar turf but Páirc Tailteann on County Final day has resembled something of a ‘House of Pain’ for Moynalty.  Five times since 2009 they have come to the county grounds looking to bring home the cup but on five occasions they have gone home with a tale of sorrow to tell.

Will today be sixth time lucky?

In Andy Brien the Donore/Rosnaree outfit could potentially have unearthed a star player and his haul of 2-05 in the semi-final is one of the primary reasons that the Nicky Gogan managed side are in the decider.  James Lynch will captain the side from his berth at the top of the left and he along with Brien, Sean Nulty and Caimin Hughes will relish the big stage today.

Moynalty have no shortage of talented players but somehow have continued to come up short on the biggest day of all.  Adam Reilly has a Leinster Minor medal in his back pocket from 2018 and he will captain the side against St. Mary’s from centre back.  Defensively Moynalty are solid and in Liam Brogan, Ronan Lynch and Joey Gilsenan there is a trio of superb defenders.

But it is up front where they could have the trump cards to play in the likes of Paddy Byrne, Paul Lynch and Pauric O’Connor although there have been some doubts about the fitness of O’Connor who picked up an injury in the semi-final.

The second semi-final of the Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship pits the last two winners of the competition against each other as Dunshaughlin and Summerhill come face to face.

Dunshaughlin who had won the League title a few weeks before the Championship got underway stumbled through the group stages but appeared to spark to life at the Quarter-Final stage when accounting for Wolfe Tones in a repeat of the 2024 Final.  Whether or not that victory has sparked something in the group remains to be seen but one thing is for sure, the carrot of a local derby against big rivals Ratoath in the County Final is a huge one for the Mathew Costello captained side.

During the week Costello and his fellow forward Ruairí Kinsella were nominated for All-Stars and it is undoubtedly up front where Dunshaughlin are strongest.  This duo along with Conor Duke form a half forward line to match any in the country and inside they have John McDonagh, Aaron Murphy and Luke Mitchell.  Three of this attack came through off the one juvenile side, with Duke a year younger and Costello and Mitchell just two years older.  The value of good work in a club at juvenile level cannot be underestimated and it is thanks to high quality coaching that Dunshaughlin have this very impressive forward unit, all of whom are under the age of 25.

Will All-Star nominee and Dunshaughlin captain Mathew Costello inspire his side to victory?

The midfield duel between Conor Gray/Charlie O’Connor and Adam McDonnell/Adam Flanagan is set to be pivotal and if as expected Gray and Flanagan match up together and O’Connor and McDonnell pick each other up then we could be set for two titanic individual battles.  There is little that Flanagan hasn’t seen or done and he would relish the prospect of going toe to toe with Gray while McDonnell and O’Connor are two tigerish players who could trade blows for the hour and keep coming back for more.

While the Dunshaughlin attack is much vaunted, today they will come up against one of the most resolute defences around in the Summerhill rearguard.  Marshalled and led by the Ryan twins, they also have the likes of the ever-improving Ben Moran at corner back, the physically imposing Iara Hughes in the other corner and then the impressive Jack Bannon and Jamie O’Shea on the wings.  Each one of these will relish the individual battle against their well regarded opponent today and there will be a few looking to lay down a marker early on.  Will attack be the best form of defence for these defenders?

Then there is the Summerhill attack where Liam Shaw looks set to accompany the Frayne brothers in the inside line.  Diarmuid McCabe was in fine form in the early rounds of the Championship, landing two-pointers and he will be looking to get back to top form today. Kevin Ryan will pull the strings from centre forward and David Larkin will as ever, cover every blade of grass and chip in with a few scores.

Another club who have improved at adult level off the back of improved fortunes at juvenile level is Kilbride who take on St. Michael’s at 14:00 in the semi-final of the Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship.

Anthony Moyles who was a selector when they won the Junior Championship two years ago has stepped up to manage the side this year and he has overseen their march to this stage which culminated in a thrilling Quarter-Final victory after extra-time over St. Patrick’s in Ashbourne.

There is no shortage of attacking players of rich potential in Kilbride but the key man is undoubtedly Josh Harford with the youngster capable of racking up a match winning tally whenever he hits top form.  Adam Malone was a replacement the last day but did superbly after his introduction and he will take plenty of watching from the St. Michael’s defenders.  Finn White is named at wing forward but is best known as a half back and he will likely be given a roving role where he tracks up and down the pitch throughout.

Finn White will be one of the key players for Kilbride today. Photo courtesy Paula Greif/www.sportsaction.ie

Where Kilbride have an attacking ace who is stocky and powerful in Harford, St. Michael’s have one in Gearóid O’Malley who is slighter in build but just as effective.  Comfortable off both left and right, he is a potent weapon both from open play and from frees.  Playing in Páirc Tailteann is something of a new experience for the young forward who was a key member of the combined Meath Schools team last year but he has come of age over the last twelve to eighteen months and is sure to relish the big stage.

Brian O’Reilly, Dan Murphy and Harry Dunne are three excellent defenders for St. Michael’s and the North Meath club will be hoping that one of the aces up their sleeve today will be their greater experience at a higher level than Kilbride.  They have been plying their trade in Division 2 of the League and have been a solid Intermediate side for years.  Could that experience prove key today or will the rising tide in Kilbride push them into the final?

Twelve months ago both Slane and Clann na nGael crashed out of the Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accommodation Junior Football Championship at the penultimate stage but this evening in Dunganny one of the clubs will progress one stage further but who will it be?

Slane lost out to eventual winners Dunsany last year and they have been impressive thus far in the Championship, winning two and drawing one of their group games to book a straight passage through to the last four.

Clann na nGael had a similar path to the knockout stages but the vagaries of the Junior A Championship with three groups and only two of the top sides progressing to the last four saw them have to play a quarter-final game against neighbouring Dunderry, a game which they comfortably won.

Much will come down to which attack gets on top in this game and to this end Slane will look to the likes of Matthew Tully, Conor Forde and Senan Duffy to lead the charge while their opponents will expect Ben Corkery, Tomas Doyle and Seán Óg Tiernan to be the key operators.

On Saturday night it took extra-time to separate St. Vincent’s and Ballinlough.  Don’t rule out a repeat this evening under the Dunganny floodlights.

Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship Semi-Final

Dunshaughlin vs Summerhill.  Referee – Patrick Coyle (Curraha).  Live on Clubber

Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship Semi-Final

Kilbride vs St. Michael’s.  Referee – Andrew Smith (Dunshaughlin).  Live on Clubber

Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accommodation Junior Football Championship Semi-Final

Slane vs Clann na nGael.  Referee – Robert Purfield (St. Patrick’s).  Live on Clubber

Coolrite Junior B Football Championship Final

St. Mary’s vs Moynalty.  Referee – Adrian Corcoran (Drumbaragh Emmets).

St. Mary’s Path to the Final

Can St. Mary’s add the Championship title to the League one which they claimed in July? Photo courtesy Brian Mulligan.

Moynalty Path to the Final

Tale of the Tape