MEATH VS DUBLIN: 3RD JUNE

[Jinxy]

I dunno, I know it was only one game but I was disappointed with him in the schools final last year after all I'd heard about him. If he had a good game that day, Navan would have skated home. Probably unfair to make judgements based on this one game but I don't think he was great in the all-ireland semi for the minors either.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Good to see Brogan commenting about the off days he has with his shooting and the requirement to work on it...its always good to see the top players admitting their faults and trying to eradicate them....hope he spends most of his time close to goal as he should be scoring a lot more goals..

[The Hill is Blue]

Dublin and Meath in front of a packed Croker – the summer is well and truly back!

I suppose we'll have a tight and hard-fought game (as is usual between us). Two years ago it took two long-range points from Mark Vaughan to seal it for us and I'd be quite happy with that again on Sunday. In the meantime, we live in hope.

Roll on Sunday – and come on the Dubs!

[Jinxy]

Hope the rest of ye are grateful!

Dublin and Meath break €10m barrier

By Martin Breheny
Friday June 01 2007

THE most lucrative rivalry in Irish sport will have yielded over €10m by the close of business at Croke Park on Sunday.

And the 1.2m attendance barrier will be broken when Dublin and Meath continue 25 seasons of remarkable riches - on and off the field - by going head-to-head in the Leinster SFC quarter-final.

A gross take of around €1.2m will flow into the Leinster Council's coffers from the Dublin v Meath and Louth v Wicklow sell-out double header, with the vast majority accruing from people who want to watch the first match - a rivalry which has yielded over €9.1m since 1983.

That season launched a new and closely contested rivalry between Dublin and Meath after years of dominance by the Dubs, who hadn't lost a previous championship game to the Royals since 1964.

Dublin also won in 1983, after a replay, but Meath were heading for a resurgence under new manager Sean Boylan, who would go on to preside over the most glorious era in the county's history.

Their clashes with Dublin, highlighted by the remarkable four-match Leinster first round saga in 1991, have continued to captivate the entire GAA community. Not to mention keeping the turnstiles clicking so freely that the pair have enriched Leinster to a degree they could never have anticipated during the late sixties and early seventies when Dublin were struggling - or a decade later when Meath were regular early round casualties.

However, from the mid-eighties onwards, when they became evenly matched, Dublin v Meath developed into a high-yield cash cow that has provided Leinster with the finest cream. Sunday's showdown will be the 22nd championship clash between them since 1983 and, with a €10m return in the kitty, the Leinster Council has every reason to be grateful to them.

"We've never made any secret that Dublin-Meath games are hugely important to us from a financial viewpoint. They are big money-spinners and have enabled us to invest heavily in coaching, infra-structure and other projects," said Leinster Council chief executive Michael Delaney.

Operating

Leinster have almost 50 full-time coaches operating throughout the province, while big amounts have also been spent on ground improvements at county and club level.

Delaney added: "The other 10 counties have reason to be thankful to Dublin and Meath because they have benefited substantially too from the extra revenue.

The Dublin-Meath rivalry of the late Eighties built up big interest but there's no doubt that it was the four-match saga in 1991 that changed everything.

"Those four games yielded gross gate receipts of over £1.1m (€1.4m) which was huge money 16 years ago. It was that windfall that enabled us to hire full-time coaches, a scheme that has worked very well throughout the provinces.

"Apart from that, the promotional spin-off from those games was huge. People who hardly ever went Croke Park turned out for the third and fourth games in particular."

Up to then, it would have been unheard of for almost 62,000 spectators to attend a Leinster first round tie at Croke Park on a Saturday afternoon, especially one that was being shown 'live' on TV.

However, that remarkable four-timer, which ended with Meath winning the third replay by a point, guaranteed Dublin v Meath games a special mystique that they have never lost.

Remarkably, this will be the first time in that era that Meath will go into battle against Dublin without Boylan as manager.

Meanwhile, Waterford hurler Dave Bennett has recieved a worrying hamstring injury ahead of the Munster semi-final against Cork in a fortnight's time.

He lasted only up to half-time in a club championship game for Lismore against Tallow last weekend and is believed to have picked up an injury that could keep him out for several weeks.

Waterford manager Justin McCarthy will be living on his nerves again this weekend as there is a big local championship game which is expected to be played with full championship fervour.

- Martin Breheny

[Declan]

Out of here for the weekend. Looking forward to the first real championship game of the summer Hopefully Brogan will isolate Fay with about 5 mins to go and bury the winning goal. Enjoy whatever game you're going to.

[An Fear Rua]

That was great viewing, even sober!! Cant wait for next week when Ill be watching it on the beer.

[J70]

Marvellous game of football. Meath appear to have the makings of a new team. A couple of very good forwards I hadn't seen before there.

What is it with the Dubs though? They go on a five or ten minute burst, and then do nothing for the next fifteen or twenty!

[Shamrock Shore]

Wonderful wonderful wonderful game.

Had everything except the usual Dub streaker. Probably too wet.

But I hope the replay is as good.

Fair play to the two teams - both gave 110%.

[Over the Bar]

Looks like the Dubs are doing their level best to retain the "king of the chokers" title.   The look of blind panic on the Dub players faces with 5 mins to go was priceless.     Great game tho.   

[Red Hurley]

At last a proper game of football, first class stuff. The Meath place kicker that came on in the second half had balls of steel. Good to see someone been able to kick 50's, Armagh could be doing with one.

[thejuice]

Oh God my hands are shaking, Awesome game. Could have gone either way, that was immense.


You reckon Graham is gone?, threw a few digs at David Henry. Hard to say who'll win the replay. When is it.

[behind the wire]

best game in a while by far. great credit to both teams, produced a brilliant game in poor conditions.

graham may be hauled over the coals during the week, especially because he appeared to strike twice and get away with it. im sure the dublin press will have alot to say about it in the morning.

[5 Sams]

Magnificent game of football. Couple of observations...

O'Rourke and Brolly praised the ref to high heavens I thought he had a nightmare...he got both goal decisons wrong.....never even produced a card for the carry on in the first half and ......most of all he left that kn**ker Geraghty on the field.


Great game looking forward to the replay but get a real ref to do it

[Tyrone Dreamer]

Great game! Shows what a twat Spillane is - he said in his morning column that gaelic football was more or less finished. The referee deserves a lot of credit for the great game even though he got a few calls wrong. If refs would let games flow a bit more and give them a chance we'd get a lot more flowing games. Currently to many refs are intent on taking centre stage in games. Same story with Dublin, they wont win an All Ireland cause they switch of for far to long during matches.

[prewtna]

pretty good game alright lads.

geraghty should be suspended for his antics. dublin paniced in the last few minutes. wild kicks at goal a few times but entertaining fare none the less.

what was the deal with the 4000 emty seats? did the rain scare people off? did they stay in quinns?