Meath Masters hoping to make history

The Meath Masters take on Roscommon in the All-Ireland Shield final in Drumlish

The Meath Masters football team are hoping to make history on Saturday when they face Roscommon in the All-Ireland Masters shield final in Drumlish, 3pm.

This is the first year Meath have fielded a masters football team and it has been a hugely successful maiden season for the Royals, who finished fifth out of 26 sides in the group stages.

The top four teams – Dublin, Donegal, Kerry and Waterford – qualified for the All-Ireland semi-finals with Meath finishing just one point behind both the Kingdom and the Deise in the table.

Meath’s only defeat in the group stage was a two-point loss to Dublin in June as they emerged from their other five games with maximum points – Louth, Kildare, Laois, Wicklow, Leitrim/Longford.

Their fifth-place finish earned Meath a place in the tier two semi-finals where they beat Armagh after extra-time in a tense, hard-fought clash at Dowdallshill.

Roscommon beat Monaghan in the second semi-final to set up this weekend’s All-Ireland Shield showdown at Fr Manning Gaels in Drumlish, Longford, throw-in at 3pm.

The game will be part of a double-header alongside Down v Laois in the tier five final, with that game starting at 1pm.

Over the course of the season, 30 players from 16 different clubs have represented Meath – some pulling on the green and gold for the first time while others, including Joe Sheridan and Peadar Byrne, rolling back the years to play for the county again.

From a standing start, it has been very encouraging inaugural season.

“We have been very lucky to get a great group together, a lot of these lads would have spent years playing against each other at club level so it has been brilliant to see them come together as teammates for the county,” says manager Tadhg Boyle.

“There is a really good spirit in the group and to have progressed to an All-Ireland final in our first year is testament to the work the lads have put in since the start of the season.”

The support of the Meath GAA County Board and the goodwill of clubs across the county allowing the team access to their facilities for training has been crucial to a solid first year for the Meath Masters.

And perhaps one of the most significant moments was an agreement with Kepak to become jersey sponsor. Kepak’s association with the Meath men’s senior football team under Seán Boylan between 1991–2005 remains one of the most iconic sponsorships in Gaelic games.

So, after Kepak agreed to sponsor the county’s first masters football team, Masita designed a retro style jersey that is instantly recognisable as a nod to the county’s most successful era.

Roscommon have more experience at this level of masters football – they contested the tier one All-Ireland final in 2024 when they lost to an all-conquering Tyrone outfit while last year the Rossies overcame Armagh in the tier three decider.

They are stacked with former county players including Ger Heneghan, Ian Kilbride, Senan Kilbride, Richard Dooner, Cathal Dineen and Seán Purcell.

But while Anthony Carroll’s Roscommon side might enter the game as favourites, Meath have recent experience of playing in Drumlish.

Indeed, the county’s first ever masters outing took place in Drumlish when Meath travelled to play Leitrim/Longford in a pre-season challenge match in March.

“It would be great to see a large Meath crowd travel to support the team in Saturday’s final,” adds Boyle.

“Roscommon are a formidable outfit and they have been at this stage of the competition before, but we’re really looking forward to the challenge. The entire year has been a great journey.”

And there is now just one more stop to go. Back to Drumlish, a neat bookend to what has been a history-making season for the Meath Masters.

MEATH MASTERS SQUAD:

Gary Arkins (Gaeil Colmcille)

Willie Arkins (Drumbaragh)

Barry Balfe (Gaeil Colmcille)

Mark Brennan (Dunsany)

Peadar Byrne (Ballinlough)

Neil Darby (Seneschalstown)

James Flavin (Donaghmore Ashbourne)

David Gormley (Gaeil Colmcille)

Keith Hamilton (Boardsmill)

Matthew Hanley (Wolfe Tones)

Brendan Heffernan (Nobber)

Brian Lucey (Ballinabrackey)

John L McGee (Carnaross)

Gordon Manning (Gaeil Colmcille)

Michael McBride (Rathkenny)

Owen McGrath (Trim)

Keith McGuinness (Ballinlough)

Ronan McGuinness (Ballinlough)

Bertie McLoughlin (Boardsmill)

Stevie McManus (Gaeil Colmcille)

Niall Mooney (St Patrick’s)

Paddy Nugent (Carnaross)

Brian O’Reilly (Nobber)

Stephen Reddy (Gaeil Colmcille)

Keith Reilly (Gaeil Colmcille)

David Rowley (Clonard)

David Russell (Kilmainhamwood)

Ray Russell (St Patrick’s)

Joe Sheridan (Seneschalstown)

Gordon Weldon (Nobber)