Mod Note Post #1 - The 2022 All Ireland Senior Football Championship.

Meath

The reference to Paul Galvins thuggery is despicable , Typical Southern BS

The fact that people are troubled by whats said on a GAA forum is worrying...

As is the fact people are worrying about it;-)

Won't matter who's managing them or how good their backroom team is unless the county board sort themselves out.

Surprised Fitzmaurice is happy to come in as 3rd or 4th choice. Big commitment to come in on that footing to a dysfunctional county board and players who don't want to play.

I'd say there's less than no chance of Fitzmaurice going to Meath. He is a principal in Dingle and that's 4 and a half hours from Dunganny or Navan. He also has a young family.

Managers with previous success are always linked with county jobs when they become available. Bookies are to blame for most of it. But Fitzmaurice to Meath would be a shock to say the least.

All

Your wrong, what players don’t want to play for the county. Yes in 2017 2018 there was players walking away from county team which many counties had the same problem at the time Derry Cork Galway also had that problem. And Cork and Down still have that problem. In the last few years, I am shocked how little players have left Meath panel even when they are in div 2. And other counties have had problems of player walking away or wouldn’t play. Meath don’t. The only player who walked panel this year was Jame Conlon after league. Just one. And Seamus Lavin has gone travelling world this year. Donal Lenihan dropped of last year, he felt he needed to concentrate on his club game as he was struggling. But Donal lenihan is 33 years of age. I’d say he more likely retired. Thats, it

 Name the players who walked away. Name the players who don’t want to play. Name top class inter county brillant gaa players in Meath who wouldn’t play for Meath.

I can only name one potentially that cannot that kells Seamus Mattimoe, but he has been working in England during the week and returning to play at the weekend for his club. He is not in the country.

Name top class players who wouldn’t play for the county.

That was an issue at start of McEntee reign but is now sorted. I have seen cliques in meath panels, divisions but Meath current panel are happy close panel. Andy was popular with players; he is very good one to one with players. But his management fizzled out at the end year 5 and year 6. Which was third longest tenure in the country. Thats a long time.

Regards dysfunctional country, there was an issue last year. Andy and Bernard fell out, some took Andys part and some Bernard. But if you look at the 6 years before that there hasn’t been peep out of Meath gaa county board. When manager didn’t get promoted to div 1 in year 5 there is going to be some people in the background and county there are not happy. I have seen dyfunctional Meath County boards. But in last 5 or 6 years very impressive serious people have got involved in Meath gaa.

And you see can with 4 U17 minor leister titles won in 5 years and 1 minor All Ireland title, 5 victories over Dubs in 5 years in leister championship at underage and most of the victories have being hammerings by 10 or 11 pts. Meath ladies winning Div 3, div 2, div 1 league titles. Intermediate All Ireland and senior All Ireland. Meath seniors playing div 1 football for first time in 11 years and reaching q final stage for first time in 9 years. You can it see positive change on the field.

And there is more talent coming through. I was talking to someone recently who is very involved in underage gaa in Meath at top level. He has said numbers of players joining boys and girls Meath gaa clubs since ladies have won All Ireland has increased dramatically. And he said that there is more talent to come through in the coming years, these are the best juvenile players he has seen coming through the system in a generation basically since 90s.

You have Horgan appointed general Manager of all Meath underage teams. He oversees all Meath underage teams. Meath are only county to have this. Its full time appointment. His background is he was coach sport science expert with Dublin ladies gaa team than Australian Rugby union teams and Australian Olympians. He has come back to Meath to take up full time post. Meath have excellent sponsor and in Autumn I hear there will be more good news in that department. Meath horse trainer and owner, Noel Moran is now involved. He sponsors the Meath underage teams and is involved in Meath gaa in the background. He sold his business a few years ago for 200 million euros and is involved now in Bective horse racing stud and Meath GAA. He said his aim is to see Meath win Sam Maguire by 2030. Others that have got involved recently also. Conor Donoghue who is on the committee to pick new manager, who was on very select committee to draw up new inter county championship by HQ, he is also working behind scenes. Seamus Kenny ex player also is another brilliant gaa person who has huge role modernisng Meath gaa. He has always said he expect Meath gaa senior to upturn as 2020s goes on.

So, there has been modernisation behind scenes in Meath. Yes last year was hiccup, ulgy blip, but you can see with pursuing Eamon Fitzmaurice, the people in Meath football mean business. It’s not perfect. But it’s not dysfunctional as you make out.

I.

Well looks like there will be a full house (or very close to it) for both semi finals. Ticketmaster has no tickets for Kerry v Dublin available and just a few hill and nosebleed seats for galway vs armagh derry

Oops, fixed that now!

I was listening to Radio Ulster on Saturday 02 July, didn't hear the start. The O'Se Maughan situation was mentioned near the end, from memory. Lots of in depth stuff about Duignan's life experiences which I found impressive. Oisin McConville was also on the programme.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0018y0m

Final update I will make before Meath manager decision is announced. Apologies for taking over the thread in the last few days. But I just thought people here would be interested in Meaths managerial race and for Meath fans its probaly biggest and most important decision the Meath county board have had to make in years.

It is still between Michael McDermott, Eamon Fitzmaurice, and a Bernard Flynn management team. Today though I heard a management team of Bernard Flynn, Graham Geraghty, Trevor Giles, Graham Reilly, Robbie Brennan. are going get the job.

Still wouldn't rule out Fitzmaurice, because Meath county board are so determined to get him. But principal in kerry has to be an issue to overcome. Could have decision by Friday or sooner, but we will have a decision made this week or next. Hopefully Fitzmaurice accepts the post , but now the noise in the county is it could be a Flynn Geraghty Giles management team.

Thats my final update until an annoucement. Apologises again for taking over the thread for a few days, I just thought people would be interested whats going with Meath managerial race. And it will also be interesting to see who becomes next Mayo manager and if Bonner will stay Donegal. Thats a very interesting managerial race in Mayo also.

Anyway I will let guys get back to talking of the two big matchs at weekend. Hopefully we have two good semis and a final.

They were over the Meath 20s before they had a tantrum about players not being released from the senior panel and quit fairly quickly.

Very little in terms of huge sucess at top level.

B Flynn managed Mullingar to Westmeath senior county title and Nobber to Junior Meath final. He was U20 Meath manager last year but walked out before championship.

T Giles was U21 Meath selector and Assistant manager under Colm O Rourke over decade ago and was assistant Meath senior manager when Micko Dowd was Meath senior manager 2013 to 2016. He also managed his local club Meath senior championship Skyrne. But no sucess in terms of trophies.

Graham Geraghty was Meath senior selector when Banty was Meath manager in 2011 2012. He managed Westmeath club in senior championship to semis. He managed Dunleek Bellewstown to Meath senior q final. He also managed Blanchardstown IT to Trench Cup title in 2013. Its second tier third level competition. He also was part of Flynns management team with Meath U20s. He was also forward coach for Longford senior footballers when Glen Ryan was Longford manager.

Graham Reilly also was part of Flynns U20 management last year.

Flynn is proposing Robbie Brennan as assistant manager. Brennan won Dublin senior championship and leinster senior club this year and got to All Ireland senior club final will kilmacud Crokes this year. He managed Kilmacud Crokes to Dublin senior title a few year but famously lost to Longford club in leinster final. He has managed Dunboyne in Meath championship and played for them. He was selector for Meath minors this year and Meath U20 last year. He is a Dub but his parents wife and children are Meath. He lives in Dunboyne for 20 years.

That's it at the moment. They have experience but at low level and lack of success in terms titles at top level. With exception of Brennan.

You can see why Meath county board first choice is Eamon Fitzmaurice who won 8 major titles with kerry snrs in 6 years and has over 30 titles as manager.

Flynn Geraghty Giles Reilly would make some forward line but it would be unproven at top level in managerial terms.

I have now heard Cathal O Bric the minor Meath All Ireland winning manager has thrown his hat in the ring. He was to be U19 Meath development panel next year and U20 Meath manager in 2024, to take on his All Ireland winning minor team at U20. Many would like to see O Bric as Meath senior manager in coming years, but rather he take those minors at U20 first. But he is another now who has told county board he wants the jobs. I honestly don't know how that changes things.

GAA managerial race can have some twists and turns. The last time Meath went for outside manager luke Dempsey was lined up to get the job but Banty was appointed at last moment. Mick O Dowd came from nowhere to manage Meath in 2013 no one even knew he was in running. Look at Davy Fitz being talked about by Marty Morrisey on RTE News as next Galway hurling manager and it looked a done deal. Next day Henry Shefflin was manager of Galway. Tommy lyons years ago was main contender lined up for Mayo job in 2011 and James Horan was appointed from nowhere. In 2008 Mick Dwyer was going to become next Dublin manager and Pat Gilroy was appointed at last moment. Amd it looked like Davy Burke was going to be next Kildare manager last yesr but Glen Ryan's and his management team of kildare legends was appointed and that came from nowhere. My point is with O Bric now thrown his hat into ring What does that mean. Its all getting a bit mad. I hope they get right choice basically Fitzmaurice which which will delight Meath fans and u cud see players like Keoghan Menton Sullivan McGill staying on much longer.