Thrilling Sunday of Knockout Football Lies Ahead

There is a busy programme of action today in the Football Championships with two Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship Quarter-Finals, two Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship Quarter-Finals and one Coolrite Junior B Football Championship Semi-Final down for decision.

Neighbouring Ratoath and Dunshaughlin play out the latest act of their rivalry this afternoon at 13:30 in Devenish Park, Dunganny, reigning champions Summerhill take on St. Colmcille’s at 15:30 in St. Loman’s Park, Trim in the Senior Championship.  In the Intermediate grade, Clann na nGael and Duleek-Bellewstown face off in Walterstown at 12:00 and at 18:00 in Boliden Tara Mines Park, Simonstown, it is the final of the last eight games as Castletown take on Walterstown.  The Junior B offering today is the clash of Cortown and Kilmainhamwood at 11:30 in Grangegodden.

Tickets for the games including the newly available Weekend Pass are available via the link:  Football Championship Tickets

On Saturday, Bhulf Tón CLG and Donaghmore/Ashbourne secured their places in this evening’s draw for the last four of the Fairyhouse Steel SFC when defeating Rathkenny and Trim respectively.  In the Meade Farm IFC Quarter-Final, St. Patrick’s cruised through to the last four when accounting for Moynalvey and in the Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accommodation JFC Quarter-Final, Slane accounted for Moylagh.

There is always a high likelihood of drama when Ratoath and Dunshaughlin come face to face and bragging rights in the local hostelries are at stake as both clubs look to climb their way back to the pinnacle of club football in Meath.

Ratoath are stinging from the fact they lost in last year’s final and are on a recovery mission while Dunshaughlin never really hit the heights they are capable of twelve months ago as they went in search of winning back-to-back Keegan Cups.

Kevin Daly took over from Paul Galvin as their manager this year and he has them motoring well as evidenced by the fact the side averaged almost twenty-four points per game in the group stage as Skryne, Trim and Na Fianna were all dispatched with comfort.  And it wasn’t just in attack that they sparkled as they were miserly in defence as they only conceded an average of just over fourteen points per game.

If they can replicate form like that against Dunshaughlin, then it can be guaranteed that all eyes in Ratoath will be on this evening’s semi-final draw in Simonstown.

Jack Flynn is once more named at midfield, but it has been a feature of their games to date that he has been a late absentee.  If Flynn is once more unable to feature, it will be a major blow to Ratoath as Dunshaughlin are very strong around that middle third sector.

The likes of Bryan McMahon, Glenn O’Reilly and Daithí McGowan will once more carry much of the scoring threat for Ratoath but just as they had a young forward steal the show in last week’s Ted Murtagh Clothing & Footwear, Trim SHC Semi-Final, don’t rule out Adam Ducie coming up with big moments today as the fleet of foot attacker is deadly dangerous.

The greatest area of strength for Dunshaughlin lies in their attacking ability and if the likes of Charlie O’Connor and Colm Keane can gain the upper-hand here, they have the forwards to blow any team away when they hit one of their hot streaks.  Conor Duke and Mathew Costello are both potential match winners and in the inside line of the attack, Luke Mitchell and Aaron Murphy can be unplayable at their best.

The game in St. Loman’s Park, Trim sees Summerhill going in as hotly fancied favourites to take down St. Colmcille’s and just as Ratoath have cut an impressive path to this stage, so too have the reigning champions.  Kilbride were taken care of on the opening weekend in a clinical manner and they came from behind on the final day to defeat Rathkenny.  The most eye-catching performance of their Championship thus far though was their dismantling of St. Peter’s Dunboyne in Round 3 as they won out by sixteen points.

The ‘Cille’s haven’t been as impressive although they are in a much better place than twelve months ago when the club found themselves deep in the relegation mire.  Mickey Conlon is back in charge this year after a spell in his native Monaghan and with a few players back that were absent a year ago, the fortunes on the East Coast have definitely improved.

Ronan Ryan picked up an arm injury in the Husqvarna Centre, PR Coyne Division 1 Football League Final that ruled him out of the group stage, but he is an interesting addition among the replacements today.  Could we see the regular full back added to the starting XV in the moments before the throw-in?

His absence hasn’t really been a factor though as Ben Moran, Iarla Hughes and Jack Bannon have formed a steady full back line and Sean Muddiman has been a rock between the uprights behind them.

In the inside line of their attack, Liam Shaw, Eoghan Frayne and Kevin Ryan are named to start but Conor Frayne is lurking among the named replacements and he is expected to come into the side before the ball is thrown in.  Who he replaces is another matter and it is a real sign of the strength in depth of the ‘Hill side that they will have top class attackers ready to be sprung when necessary.

James Conlon is another interesting addition to the bench for his side and there are contrasting noises coming out of the club as to whether or not he could actually see game time.  If he is absent then the likelihood of his side progressing takes a hit although they still have talented forwards in the shape of Cormac O’Donoghue, Ben Brennan and David Bell.

Andrew Beakey is equally as good as his opposite number from long range frees and their battle could prove key while for the ‘Cille’s, Liam Stafford and Stephen Breen are going to need to produce seasons best performances from their wing back roles if they are to have training to look forward to on Tuesday.

Walterstown is the venue for the high noon showdown between Clann na nGael and Duleek-Bellewstown and for many neutrals, this is a tricky game to call.  The newly promoted Clann na nGael were very impressive in the group stages but today they come up against a well-seasoned outfit in Duleek-Bellewstown.

One clash that should be worth the admission fee alone should it come to pass is the duel between Meath U-20 footballer Cormac Smith who is due to line out at centre back for Clann na nGael and Eamonn Armstrong who is currently home from Australia and is slated to lead the attack for his side.

Daragh Griffin who captains the side from midfield despite wearing the number twenty-eight jersey is a wily character and he is likely to be in direct opposition with Robin Clarke.  Both players are the engines of their respective sides and should they collide in the physical exchanges then the impact is likely to register on the Richter Scale.

Anthony Malone will be all too aware that he needs to come up with a plan to limit the influence of Ben Corkery in the attack for the Athboy/Ráth Chairn outfit as Corkery has been lighting up the Championship with his high scoring so far.  But at the other end, Niall McLoughlin will have spent many hours wondering how he can set up his defence to limit the driving runs of flying wing forward Sam O’Leary.

This is a game packed full of fascinating individual battles and one suspects that extra-time could be in the offing.

The last of the Meade Farm IFC Quarter-Finals is the meeting of last year’s defeated finalists Castletown and Walterstown in Boliden Tara Mines Park.

Castletown slipped up on the opening weekend when an excellent performance from Oldcastle saw the men in blue and white come away with the win, but they recovered thereafter and came through to top a very competitive group that also included Duleek-Bellewstown.

Killian Smyth is regarded as a big doubt for his side today and he is only named among the replacements although it wouldn’t come as a huge surprise were he to start.  Sean Barry and Sean Kelly have taken over this year and come into the role off the back of a very successful stint in charge of Hunterstown Rovers in Louth.

This duo know how to win Championships and the reality is that Castletown don’t have to find much improvement from where they were in 2025 to get over the line this season.

Killian Price is always a big threat raiding from his left half back berth and on the other flank, Sean McKeown brings freshness to the side.  Rian McConnell had a brilliant season last year and if the young midfielder who summered in America, can hit those heights again in the knockout stages then he is capable of bringing his side a long way.  But he isn’t without support and the likes of Kevin Ross, Darren Finney and Declan Cribbin are all forwards out of the top drawer.

Walterstown who are captained by Conor Farrelly came through in second place in their group and while outsiders this evening, come in with every chance.

The former kingpins of football in the county have some excellent forwards of their own in the shape of David Donnellan, Adam Quinn and Lorcan O’Connor and at full forward, Ruairí O’Dowd is a match winner on his day.

Mark Foy and Conor McEntee are a formidable pairing in the middle of the field and they can be expected to give McConnell and William Bellew their fill of it.

In the Coolrite Junior B Football Championship Semi-Final in Grangegodden, Cortown face a tough task against Kilmainhamwood to see who progresses to meet Kilmainham in the decider.

The men from Bohermeen parish came through a group containing Eastern Gaels, Boardsmill and Clonard, topping it with three wins from three games.

Kilmainhamwood won the Keegan Cup thirty years ago but given the struggles that rural clubs can face they slipped down the grades to where they now are at in Junior B.  The road to recovery must start somewhere and they have put in impressive work in the juvenile ranks and now have a side with a rich array of young talent.

Cortown have some hugely exciting prospects of their own coming through and will be hoping to have progressed to the Junior A Championship by the time their youngsters who starred for the Meath Minors this year are eligible for the adult grades.  They have a chance today but will need to produce the best showing of their season to date if they are to set up a date with Kilmainham.

Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final

Ratoath vs Dunshaughlin.  13:30.  Venue:  Devenish Park, Dunganny

Summerhill vs St. Colmcille’s.  15:30.  Venue:  St. Loman’s Park, Trim

Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship Quarter-Final

Clann na nGael vs Duleek-Bellewstown.  12:00.  Venue:  Walterstown

Castletown vs Walterstown.  18:00.  Venue:  Boliden Tara Mines Park, Simonstown

Coolrite Junior B Football Championship Semi-Final

Cortown vs Kilmainhamwood.  11:30.  Venue:  Grangegodden

Saturday’s Results