Meath Mightily Migrate from Mediocrity, Maybe.

[The Claw]

Meath football has a great tradition, and the club structure is strong in most areas, but this is the only thing keeping the county team afloat in my opinion. The lack of underage structures in the county and in particular in hurling is a disgrace. We were successful years ago because every county relied on good club structures, but now other counties have moved in to investing time bringing the good players together and making them better, which we haven't done.

I know Meath don't have the resources that Dublin have, but there were Easter camps all over Dublin the past week and not a sign of a camp in massively populated towns like Dunshaughlin, Dunboyne, Ashbourne or Ratoath. Just a small part of the problem.

[Declan]

massively populated towns like Dunshaughlin

5674 - in the 2011 census hardly constitutes massive population - We had a minor league match last night and could only get 17 players out and that included 5 u16s - plenty of good work being down at underage /nursery level but agree re the structures

[bhgmk]

Couldn't agree more lads, loads of interest at the younger age groups but very difficult to keep the interest going at Minor and on to adult teams.

And that's before you add hurling to the mix.  And a county board that punishes clubs that are trying to improve players - Kiltale lost the BHG lads this year because the Co Board wouldn't let them amalgamate again after playing together the previous 2 years - that's the way to encourage young lads alright.  We have lost one of the lads to hurling for good now. Great progress.   

[The Claw]

massively populated towns like Dunshaughlin

5674 - in the 2011 census hardly constitutes massive population - We had a minor league match last night and could only get 17 players out and that included 5 u16s - plenty of good work being down at underage /nursery level but agree re the structures

OK, I may have gotten carried away. What I should have said is that these "satellite" towns contain a young population, usually with young couples with young children, and these are where the camps should be, and where work should be done in schools. There are loads of primary schools in these towns and I doubt any hurling goes on in them.

As for the turnout - maybe this is product of the lack of work being done in the schools and efforts to attract new kids to our national games - rather than the lack of a massive population...

[Jinxy]

We're like the housing market.
We have to hit the bottom before we can recover.

[magpie seanie]

massively populated towns like Dunshaughlin

5674 - in the 2011 census hardly constitutes massive population - We had a minor league match last night and could only get 17 players out and that included 5 u16s - plenty of good work being down at underage /nursery level but agree re the structures

That's a big population if it's for one club.

[Lone Shark]

massively populated towns like Dunshaughlin

5674 - in the 2011 census hardly constitutes massive population - We had a minor league match last night and could only get 17 players out and that included 5 u16s - plenty of good work being down at underage /nursery level but agree re the structures

That is absolutely massive for one club. Maybe that's the problem? I'd say only Tullamore and Birr have bigger population bases than that, and they'd have plenty of elderly which a satellite town like Dunshaughlin wouldn't have. Most clubs would be picking off a third of that or less.

I'm not saying satellite towns don't have different problems to rural clubs, of course you'll never get the same level of interest, but don't hide behind numbers.

[thejuice]

Louth 1-12
Meath 0-03

Div 3 here we come. Banty, I think we've seen enough. That said we have bigger problems.

[The Claw]

Louth 1-12
Meath 0-03

Div 3 here we come. Banty, I think we've seen enough. That said we have bigger problems.

Banty has lost the team. I'm writing this year off now. Now to look to 2013 with a new manager...

[haranguerer]

Meath football has a great tradition, and the club structure is strong in most areas, but this is the only thing keeping the county team afloat in my opinion.

I see theres no confused smiley on the new  board, just this one  which looks like hes just been given it up the arse, but can you just take it from me the above sentence has me confusticated?

[thejuice]

So. Whose to come in.  Gerry Mcentee? Sean Kelly?

In regards county board members. I'd like to see sean boylan and o,Rourke on vit atleast. It's been 25 years since 1987 and I'd like to see some of those men from that era or even younger lads from the 90's make some contribution.

[thejuice]

Some choice quotes from Liam Harnan in Sundays Independent:

Since that infamous Leinster final neither county has kicked on or fulfilled their promise. Meath have ditched their management team, gone outside the county in a break from tradition, and already that group is under pressure, having seen two selectors walk out before last year's championship. On the field, after a bright start to the league, their form has slumped with four straight defeats. Internally there is more conflict with the godfather of Meath football Seán Boylan vacating his role as director of football clearly unhappy with the way the project was panning out.

Liam Harnan, who played centre-back for Meath that day, withdrew from the senior management heading into last year's championship along with fellow selector Barry Callaghan. He had previously stepped down as county under 16 manager, citing a lack of support from the minor board. One of his reasons for severing ties with Seamus McEnaney was frustration over his lack of input.

Harnan was initially considered a candidate to succeed the deposed Eamonn O'Brien, manager when Meath won the controversial 2010 Leinster final, and his decision to make way for McEnaney and then join him as a selector was seen as crucial in securing support for an outsider. Harnan has managed the under 21s for the last two years and seen at first hand the poverty of Meath's performances at underage level. Louth went farther at under 21 level this year, Meath were out at the first hurdle to Offaly in February. They made an equally swift exit last year.

Harnan will not be in Navan today although he continues to attend club matches, and county games at all other grades except senior. "I haven't been to a Meath (senior) match since the last game of the league last year. I don't go to Meath games," he says. "I just wouldn't be comfortable going to them. I don't like what I see. I don't like the set-up so I don't go. I go to club games. I am not ashamed, I am not hiding from people. I just don't have an interest in seeing what is happening at senior level."

After leaving the senior management and the under 16s, he outlined the reasons to the county board executive. He also wrote letters so that his views would be put on the record. "I found it very frustrating and I would feel that there are a lot of people who would genuinely like to get involved with football in Meath but it just seems to be hard to get anything done."


Harnan is still interested in working with Meath teams. "End of the day it is my county, I played for the county, I live in the county, I will always be a Meath man. We had a forum about two years ago where there was a lot of talking done. Ned Quinn came from Kilkenny and someone from Club Tyrone and Michael Dempsey spoke; it was a meeting for people with a genuine interest in Meath football. I don't know what has happened since then. Or, whether it is a matter of saying one thing and doing another -- or doing nothing."


The odd events surrounding Boylan's departure as director of football hardly help to adjust the dampened mood of expectation in the county -- he confirmed it at an event on Monday last but the chairman of the county board, Barney Allen, later denied any knowledge of his decision. Allen did not return calls last week. While Boylan is believed to have had some meetings as part of the new role, there clearly was a lot less to the job than he anticipated.


"I think the county board is not good and our county executive has some very hard questions it needs to start asking itself," states Harnan. "And I think there are a certain number of people on the executive who are not pulling their weight. They certainly don't seem united, there seems to be a lot of bitching going on, there are personalities involved and it just doesn't seem to be good.


"Someone has to steer the ship whether at adult level or underage level and I would say that the chairman and his executive, I think they are coming up short. They mightn't like me saying it but they lack a bit of foresight and cohesion in there. They seem more sparky than constructive."



Both teams have been hit by emigration since the 2010 final. The 'villain' of the piece, Joe Sheridan, is now in Boston, having left after the league game against Galway. Leaving Ireland in its present economic state is hardly a headline-maker but Sheridan had trained hard over the winter and his departure came as a surprise. He was not getting starts and theories circulate of him not being happy with his game-time. If he was enjoying his football people find it hard to see how he would leave at this time.


It shows how quickly the joy of reaching a first Leinster final in 50 years has been replaced by poor performances, internal feuding and parties pulling in different directions. Meath are favourites to win today but they can't be said to be coping much better. On and off the field, they have been unstable. Meath could survive even if they lose today's match but that will be a hollow prize in the circumstances. Whatever about the counties' respective conditions, you can't say the backdrop to the match isn't interesting.

You'd be left with little doubt as to why Liam Harnan wasn't given the managers role. He rocks too many boats in the county board I'd say. Anyway people I think need to focus squarely on the county board now and not mind the senior manager for now. A coup d'état in the royal county might well be at hand. The Royal spring might be here.

[Hardy]

Harnan's comments just confirm what we all know. There's a bunch of superannuated, time-serving incompetents running the show. But where is the coup d'etat going to come from? Who will stand up and say it's time to do things right and here's how I'd propose to do it and here's who I'd like to join me to make it happen? And even if someone did come forward, would he get the support from the clubs to overthrow the current fat, dumb and happy regime?

[thejuice]

On RTE radio last night, Bernard Flynn spoke of his "guilt" as a former player at what has happened and called for cultural change and responsibility to be claimed. "People have to put their hands up now," he said.

I hope he is speaking for himself too.

That's the trouble, those who can make a positive difference need to stand up and make their voices heard.

I know the clubs don't want the boat rocked either, remember Curragha's proposals to change the club championship to a similar structure to Kerry's.

[Ard-Rí]

Banty unlikely to be removed

While there is plenty of pressure on Meath manager Seamus McEnaney, it is thought unlikely that he will be relieved of his duties prior to the championship.

Meath were relegated to Division 3 of the Allianz FL after Sunday's nine point reversal at the hands of Louth in Pairc Tailteann, in a fifth successive league defeat after they had topped the division after two rounds.

As the county's first outside manager, McEnaney is under severe pressure and the team's performances this year were raised by club delegates at the last county committee meeting seven days ago.

There is much anger among Meath supporters but sources within the county do not expect that there will be a heave against McEnaney.

"It is embarrassing dropping to Division 3, but people must remember that when the leagues were split into Division 1A and 1B, and two second divisions, Meath were often outside the top 16 teams under Sean Boylan and we were also relegated under Eamonn Barry," said a Meath source this morning.

"There's more annoyance at the last three performances, but there is no appetite for change before we play Wicklow. The players back him so where would we be if we do that (remove McEnaney)?"

-Hoganstand - http://hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=166223