The '75 win league was that bit special
May 18, 2025
National Football League champions 1975. Front l-r Phil Smith, Ken Rennicks, Eamon O'Brien, PJ O'Halloran Ronan Giles, Paddy Reynolds, Paddy Traynor. Back l-r: Brendan Murray, Mickey Collins, Cormac Rowe, Mattie Kerrigan, Ollie O'Brien, Mick Ryan, Jack Quinn, Joe Cassells.
This day 50 years ago Meath defeated All-Ireland champions Dublin to claimed their fourth NFL Division 1 title in front of over 40,000 supporters at Croke Park.
Meath wearing Duleek jerseys defeated Kerry and Mayo in the quarter final and semi final and the Royals decided to stick with the club colours for luck.
Dublin definitely won the first half. 14 of the All Ireland team of September were in action.
Meath kept in touch and were 0-8 to 0-5 in arrears at the break. Early in the second half disaster struck when Anton O’Toole scored a goal and the margin stretched to six points 1-9 to 0-6.
Meath heads could have dropped but they didn’t and all of a sudden they began to get a grip of the game. Ryan and Cassells were lording it, Rennicks was causing all sorts of problems for Alan Larkin and indeed for the whole Dublin defence and Ollie O’Brien was punishing every foul with accurate free taking.
When referee Harry Reilly from Louth blew the full time whistle Meath had added another ten points and held the All Ireland champions scoreless after that goal to record a 0-16 to 1-9 victory.
The men of '75 pictured at half time during the 2015 Meath SFC final between O'Mahony's and Na Fianna
The late Colm Cromwell who was County Board Chairman and a selector wrote in Royal County Meath Yearbook 2000.
Scenes similar to those at the end of an All Ireland then became the order of the day as Ronan Giles was presented with the cup.
Players like Jack Quinn, Pat Reynolds and Matt Kerrigan in their twilight years were delighted to add a league medal to their collection, the other were thrilled to be part of it all.
Ken Rennicks and Mick Fay (sub) had already savoured a Leinster triumph in 1970, Joe Cassells would still be around 12 and 13 years on for bigger things but for the rest this was their greatest day and they are all still proud to be part of it.
Ronan and the team returned later that night to O’Mahonys Club and a great night was had by all.
There has been league victories since in Sean Boylan’s time and all much appreciated. However they did come in the midst of many other victories. The ’75 league was that bit special and the memories still live on - Ken Rennicks greatest ever display, Joe Cassells taking down the ball from over Brian Mullins head, Ollie O’Brien faultless free taking, Jack, Pat and Matt showing the same enthusiasm as a decade earlier, Cormac Rowe’s two super points and the super human effort of all 15 during the last 20 minutes.
Perhaps it should be 16 as Mick O’Brien played a blinder on the line and didn’t panic even when the gap widened after half time.
Meath: Ronan Giles, Mickey Collins, Jack Quinn, Brendan Murray, Phil Smyth, Pat Reynolds, PJ O’Halloran, Joe Cassells, Mick Ryan, Eamonn O’Brien, Ken Rennicks, Pat Traynor, Cormac Rowe, Matt Kerrigan, Ollie O’Brien.
Subs: Frank Carberry, PJ Gannon, Martin Coyne, Gerry Dempsey, Noel Byrne, Mick Fay, Mick Conroy, Brendan Beakey, Jimmy Burke, Padraig Gray, Tom Carpenter, Gerry McEntee.
Selectors: Mick O’Brien (Coach), Peter McDermott, Sean McCormack, Mick Campbell, Brian Smyth, Colum Cromwell (Chairman) Liam Creavin (Secretary)
Gerry McEntee was added to the panel for the final after a brilliant U21 display. When the medals were presented there were 28 - one for gerry Farrelly who had emigrated half way through the league. He came back to play in the 1977 Leinster championship.
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