Who will book their date at the big dance?

The race for glory in the Meath Club Football Championships is heating up and today there are three semi-finals across the top three grades (Senior, Intermediate and Junior A) as well as the final of the Meath Cleaning Supplies All-County Intermediate Football Championship.

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

Páirc Tailteann this weekend – Saturday 27^th / Sunday 28^th

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

Junior Football Championship Semi-Finals

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

There is a busy day of action in store for both Skryne and Ratoath with both clubs contesting the Fairyhouse Steel SFC Semi-Final at 16:00 in Páirc Tailteann but before then there are big games for both clubs. At 12:00 Ratoath contest the Meath Cleaning Supplies All-County Intermediate FC Final also in Páirc Tailteann and at 14:00 in Bective, Skryne take on St. Ultan’s in the Meath Ladies Intermediate FC Final.

Since their victory over Ballinabrackey in the most dramatic of fashions two weeks ago and ever since then they have been sweating on the availability of key midfielder Harry Rooney who was forced off injured early on in that last eight encounter. Should Rooney be ruled out, it would be a massive blow to the Tara side who missed his physicality around the middle third the last day.

Ratoath have plenty of man mountains around the middle sector and who gets on top here will go a long way towards deciding who will progress to the Keegan Cup decider in a fortnight. Jack Flynn and Ben McGowan will relish the contest with Rooney and Daniel Fitzpatrick and when you add in the likes of Cian O’Brien and Daithí McGowan at wing forward then there is no shortage of options for Conor Rooney to target with his kick outs.

Cian Rogers is a surprise absentee from the starting XV but there is still plenty of firepower in their line-up with Bryan McMahon, Bobby O’Brien and Joey Wallace forming a potentially devastating inside line of attack.

John O’Regan has been impressive to date in the Championship at centre back for Skryne and along with the experienced Ciarán and Niall Lenehan he will need another big performance. After his impact as a replacement the last day, Skryne are unlikely to leave Shane Smyth on the bench again and that adds another level of intrigue to the game as to who he will come in for should that come to pass.

Oisín Keogh, Niall Finnerty and Darragh Campion are the three key forwards for the Mick O’Dowd managed side and while Keogh is named at wing forward, he is expected to operate closer to goal as the focal point of the attack with the likes of Finnerty and Billy Smyth feeding off him. Keogh’s expected duel with Conor McGill is likely to be one of the key battles.

The middle game of the Páirc Tailteann triple header is the Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship Semi-Final meeting of Castletown and Moynalvey and in the eyes of many neutral observers, this is the game between two of the more fancied sides prior to the Quarter-Final games two weeks ago.

Castletown have a nice blend of youth and experience and Justin Carry Lynch will be hoping they have struck the right mix twelve months on from the side losing out at this stage of the competition to Navan O’Mahonys. Evan Hoey is a rock at full back but he is ably assisted by the likes of Killian Price, Killian Markey and Eoin Reid.

Adam Matthews will buzz around the pitch and cover every blade of grass as will Killian Smyth while Rian McConnell sees his reputation grow after every game. Kevin Ross, Darren Finney and Declan Cribbin have seen pretty much all there is to see in the Castletown jersey but they are only 120 minutes away from potentially the greatest day of all and these three are well capable of firing their side into the final should they catch fire.

Moynalvey have a side stacked with Senior experience and also with inter-county experience at the top level and come into this game on a high after their dismantling of the Dunsany challenge two weeks ago. Padraic Harnan is playing as well as he has ever done around the middle third and he can be expected to pick up McConnell. Will experience trump youth or will the young pup have his day agains the elder dog?

Michael Brady is a wily character at centre back and behind him is the teak tough Ciaran Harnan manning the edge of the square but it is up front where there is a real touch of class to the Moynalvey side. Cillian O’Sullivan needs no introduction and he forms one third of a potent looking inside forward line along with David McLoughlin and Adam Murphy and they are complemented in the half forward line by other two O’Sullivan brothers, Mark and Hugh.

Dunganny takes centre stage at 19:00 with the first of the Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accommodation Junior Football Championship Semi-Finals and what a cracker we potentially have in store as Ballinlough who only lost out to eventual winners Dunsany in a tight encounter at the Quarter-Final stage last year take on a St. Vincent’s side who contested the Final.

Ballinlough have a physically imposing midfield pairing in Eoin Briody and Oisín McDermott and they will be hoping to get their paws on the majority of primary possession around that midfield sector. Harry Ryan, Daire Shine and Brandon Brunton form an impressive half forward line and there is plenty of pace and trickery in their two corner forwards, Kit Óg Lynch and Darren O’Higgins.

Paul McManus has been plotting a return to this stage of the competition ever since that heartbreaking defeat in the decider twelve months ago for St. Vincent’s and even though they have not been ultra-impressive to date, they arrive at the last four in with a great chance of booking a return trip to the big day.

As ever, the Tallon brothers Niall and Davy anchor the defensive effort and it is a tight unit, especially the full back line where Ryan Hand and team captain Mark Crawley man the corner back berths.

Conor O’Brien is a young talent of whom they have high hopes and he lines out at midfield alongside Matthew Tuite with Conor Harford who is better known as a half back, positioned at centre forward. Michael McIvor is named at full forward but the Meath U-20 midfielder is likely to drift out from that berth to make use of his ability to kick two-pointers.