After a quiet opening night with only one game on the agenda, the football championships burst into life this evening (Friday) when we have seven games spread across the four championships for first teams with some fancied sides in action and some sides who may feel they are flying under the radar.

Páirc Tailteann is the venue for the derby meeting of Gaeil Colmcille and Wolfe Tones in Group B of the Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship and Wolfe Tones have sprung something of a mild surprise in naming Cian Ward as their goalkeeper in the absence of their usual goalkeeper Ciaran Gallagher.  This means both sides have players used to lining out as forwards between the uprights for this encounter with Barry Farrelly a relatively recent convert from the attack to goalkeeper for the Kells side.

The other game in the Fairyhouse Steel SFC is also from Group B with St. Peter’s Dunboyne and Curraha meeting in Dunshaughlin.  Ger Robinson remains in charge of the Dunboyne side but he has added former Meath and current Antrim manager Andy McEntee into his backroom team as coach for this year.  St. Peter’s will be captained by Shane McEntee and if players line out as selected, then his battle with Jack O’Connor could be worth the admission fee alone.

Bective and Meath Hill meet in the opening round of the Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship in Drumbaragh and Meath Hill who impressed many neutrals with their performances last year will be out to lay down a marker here.  David Nolan is back in charge of Bective for another season and he will know Meath Hill very well.  Can he carve out a solution to the problems the side from the Cavan and Monaghan border will pose?

Perennial contenders for the Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accomodation, Dunsany find themselves once more in that bracket and they take on Kilmainham in Cortown.  Can Mickey Newman and Dylan Morgan inspire Kilmainham to victory or will Dunsany start with a fourish?

Dunderry endured an annus horribilis in 2023, suffering relegation from the Intermediate ranks and they travel to Ballinlough to take on a St. Brigid’s side which has been hit by emigration.  Twelve months ago, Joseph Blake was in great form in the opening round, this year he will be following on the platform formerly known as Twitter.  Can the Ballinacree outfit pull out a win or will the Pat O’Halloran coached Dunderry claim the two points on offer?

In the Coolrite sponsored Junior B Football Championship, Moynalty commence their bid to go one better than in 2023 when taking on Drumconrath in Nobber.  The other game in this grade sees Kilmainhamwood and St. Mary’s meet in what is a fascinating encounter in Syddan.

Tickets for the game and for all games in the Fairyhouse Steel SFC, Meade Farm IFC, Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accomodation JFC, Coolrite JBFC & in Divisions 1 & 2 of the Meath Cleaning Supplies Premier FC are available via the link:  Club Football Championship Tickets

Fairyhouse Steel SFC Group B Round 1

St. Peter’s Dunboyne v Curraha

Gaeil Colmcille v Wolfe Tones

Meade Farm IFC Group A Round 1

Bective v Meath Hill

Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accomodation JFC Group B Round 1

Dunderry v St. Brigid’s

Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accomodation JFC Group C Round 1

Kilmainham v Dunsany

Coolrite JBFC Group A Round 1

Kilmainhamwood v St. Mary’s

Coolrite JBFC Group B Round 1

Moynalty v Drumconrath

Thursday’s Results

Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accomodation JFC Group A Round 1

08-08-24, Balreask Bar, Restaurant Junior Football Championship Group A Round One at Pairc Tailteann, Navan Slane v Moylagh A Peter Martyn (Slane) goal chance is saved by Matthew Corrigan (Moylagh) Photo: David Mullen/www.cyberimages.net