Meath GAA enjoyed two golden generations in a row
Throw in a certain Sean Boylan to guide them and bring them on
It was freakish luck. I don't know what you'd call it.

Incredible, brilliant players with one of the best managers of all time.
All at the same time, one great gets a bit old and along comes someone just as good to fill their boots.
This happened at almost every position as Meath went from one golden generation to the next.

It was incredible.

Meath to their absolute credit made Hay when the Sun shone but I actually think Meath GAA is now back to where it's spent most of its GAA history.

Being an ordinary/decent enough team and going years without success.

I mean look at Meath's record before Boylan and before those magnificent crops of players they enjoyed for the best part of 20 years

Meath's current standard is a far more common sight when you look at their entire history

They are back to their basic standard. Two golden generations in a row is very uncommon with a population the size of Meath's.

Think about it

The amazing success of the past was just that. AMAZING.

Such extraordinary circumstances are very rare and magical things.

Meath's bubble bursting hasn't been helped by Meath GAA's lack of forward planning/ vision and the blame rests solely at the feet of their county board
Did you honestly just think that somehow you'd keep on producing legendary crops of players out of nowhere?

What happened in Meath over those years was completely extraordinary

I don't think it'll happen to the same extremes in Meath ever again

You can't rely on outstanding luck forever and so it's come to pass.

Beelzedub (Dublin) - Posts: 480 - 04/02/2013 15:27:54    1328368

They were the team I really loved watching in the 80's and 90's. Was there ever a scarier looking player than Mick Lyons? Hard as nails, dirty as hell when they wanted to be BUT with extremely good footballers who were great to watch in full flight. Bernard Flynn was a great footballer as was David Beggy while O'Rourke and Hayes has some engines on them. Brian Stafford could knock over frees from anywhere on the pitch and I don't think they had any real weaknesses at the height of the powers. Their battles with Cork will go down in history as will their batterings of Mayo and Tyrone but more than anything the very good controlled football will be the thing they will be remembered for. Sean Boylan was a great man altogether; he used to get interviewed after game and such was his likeability that he nearly ended up making you apologise for HIS team whalloping you all over the field for 70 mins.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9837 - 04/02/2013 15:49:16    1328392

The say Vinnie Murphy still sleeps with the light on

Maroonatic (Galway) - Posts: 1071 - 04/02/2013 15:54:03    1328397

One of the games great visionaries was Boylan, how Meath could do with another one like him, and double quick.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 04/02/2013 15:58:13    1328401

Believe me lads, I have had plenty of flying hours with Mr. Boylan and his little dynasty, and I would put them above the Tyrone set up in the noughties...

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8816 - 04/02/2013 16:14:55    1328414

"Outstanding Luck" what tripe are you talking, I love how people become experts and come out to eulogise about Meath football after we have a bad result, we don't need anyone from any other county to exain our woes to us we are perfectly capable of seeing them with our own eyes, now about this outstanding luck you speak of between 1984 and 2001 we won the Centenary Final appeared in 14 Leinster Finals winning 6, appeared in 7 All Ireland Finals winning 4 and appeared in 4 National League Finals winning 3, we played Dublin 17 in Championship matches winning 9 drawing 3 and losing 5. Now all teams need a bit if luck along the way but to call all of the above outstanding luck is pure bull. Our past might not be as successful as Dublin but we still had success, Meath won 3 provincial titles in each of the decades 40's, (one more than Dublin) 50's (same amount as Dublin) and 60's, (same amount as Dublin) we actually had a decent team in the 70's but ran up against a very successful Dublin team and as Jimmy Keavney and John McCarthy often acknowledged their hardest games in the 70's outside of Kerry were against Meath who were unfortunate not to get one more Leinster out of that decade, however the National League success in 1975 highlighted what Meath could have achieved in that decade if things were organised in a more professional way ala Kevin Heffernan. Dublin had greater provincial success prior to 1939 when Meath won only their second, and in the seventies when the provincial count was 6 to 1, the 80's was 4 to 3 in Dublin's favour and the 90's was tied at 4 each whilst the noughties was another big decade for blue with 5 to 1 for for Dublin so overall our history is not as poor as you paint it, throw in the fact that since 1928 we have lifted Sam Maguire twice less than Dublin (9 to 7) and I don't think we've had too bad of a time. Meath have had many good and successful teams in various decades I would suggest you read up on them before making such sweeping statements such as today's

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3757 - 04/02/2013 16:28:49    1328421

some great players alright but their known tactic of taking out the oppositions best player early on (canavan,mchale etc ) is nothing short of disgusting. however, boylan didn't like it when the aussies did it to graham geraghty!!! he was all over the media complaining about it.

superdub (Dublin) - Posts: 392 - 04/02/2013 16:32:23    1328424

Richieq
County: Meath
Posts: 1083

I couldnt have been anymore complimentary to a great team/teams and to a great man.
Meath have simply returned to being bog standard after what was an extraodinary run which saw two golden generations of meath players on the bounce.
Having two golden generations on the bounce with Boylan in charge could be considered lucky.
Luck plays a huge part in sport.

Beelzedub (Dublin) - Posts: 480 - 04/02/2013 16:38:25    1328430

Wasn't it Gary Player who said when asked about luck in sport said "It's funny, the more I practice the luckier I seem to get". In other words he felt luck played little role in success; it was all about talent, ability and practice.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9837 - 04/02/2013 16:42:56    1328442

superdub
County: Dublin
Posts: 258

1328424
some great players alright but their known tactic of taking out the oppositions best player early on (canavan,mchale etc ) is nothing short of disgusting. however, boylan didn't like it when the aussies did it to graham geraghty!!! he was all over the media complaining about it.

Very good, care to offer an opinion on what Ciaran Whelan done to Nigel Crawford at the throw in of our 2005 meeting?? McHale wasn't taken out he along with 29 others were in a melee that could and probably should of had 10 sent off justifiably, Canavan received a hard tackle from one John McDermott which was late and should have been punished but if you believe that Meath went out to deliberately take anyone out of a game then I would like to hear your proof and have a look back at the '83 All Ireland Final whilst your at it, the definitive guide to taking a player our of it.

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3757 - 04/02/2013 16:43:19    1328443

Relax there lads, in fairness to Beezledub, he has paid Meath a big compliment, not easy being a Dub. I wouldn't entirely agree with superdub about the 'disgusting' aspect of their play, most teams have at least one 'enforcer', part of our games.

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8816 - 04/02/2013 16:48:58    1328451

I dont believe that those Meath teams went in to games to deliberately take players out. It doesnt make any difference now and it wont change the Monaghan scoreline yesterday. Nor it will it prevent another championship calamity this year. Meath are in transition,which is a fancy term for a rubbish team.
Oddly enough Saint Patricks Navan have been to the fore in colleges football.This doesnt seem to have produced dividends at inter county level. I suppose its a mans rather than a boys game at senior county level. When ,if ever, Meath get back to division I they can be talked about as contenders.

Brinsley Swartz (Mayo) - Posts: 2225 - 04/02/2013 16:56:01    1328459

Yes I think we can all agree that luck played a huge part in Meaths success in that time. I think most genuine Meath fans will admit that.

But in fairness they had some good footballers too, nothing special, but good footballers all the same.

They were definitely carrying a few avergae footballers on them teams aswell. Quite a lot actually. Which makes Sean Boylans achievements all the better..

Sean Boylan... truly one of the greats in my opinion.

ConnollyDub (Dublin) - Posts: 2007 - 04/02/2013 17:04:33    1328466

now about this outstanding luck you speak of between 1984 and 2001 we won the Centenary Final appeared in 14 Leinster Finals winning 6, appeared in 7 All Ireland Finals winning 4 and appeared in 4 National League Finals winning 3, we played Dublin 17 in Championship matches winning 9 drawing 3 and losing 5.

So basically you're describing exactly what my point to this thread is.
Thanks largely to having two golden generations in a row, one better than the next with Boylan in charge for almost the entire time
Doesn't strike you as being extraordinary and probably way above anything that has ever been seen in Meath GAA

What other decades could stand up to those stats? That's my entire point

I think Meath have returned to a standard that better fits them

I honestly see the problem with the current Meath setup is that since 1984 to 2001 you over achieved as a county
and now that evidence is clear to see. No more golden generations on the bounce, no more Sean Boylan's.
It's not a coincidence that you've had so little success since then
Your county board obviously had very little to do with the extraordinary circumstances which led to all those magnificent players coming through
Because if they had anything to do with it, it would have been far more sustainable and they could have copied their strategies to produce more of those players
Considering the population size of Meath to produce such teams one after the other was a freak result and completely out of the norm
One that will probably never ever be reproduced in Meath

Beelzedub (Dublin) - Posts: 480 - 04/02/2013 17:05:38    1328469

"We're the team who beat the team that cant be beaten" Pete McGrath 1991

ballybannongael (Down) - Posts: 547 - 04/02/2013 17:07:37    1328470

Yes I think we can all agree that luck played a huge part in Meaths success in that time. I think most genuine Meath fans will admit that.

But in fairness they had some good footballers too, nothing special, but good footballers all the same.

They were definitely carrying a few avergae footballers on them teams aswell. Quite a lot actually. Which makes Sean Boylans achievements all the better..

Sean Boylan... truly one of the greats in my opinion.


Do you presume I'm not a genuine Meath supporter, do you presume that Mick Lyons, Robbie O'Malley, Martin O'Connell, Graham Geraghty, Trevor Giles, Colm O'Rourke, Bernard Flynn, Gerry McEntee, Darren Fay etc to name a few were "nothing special". I recognise the fact that you may be attempting to wind my emotions up here but I'm in no humour to listen to tripe today

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3757 - 04/02/2013 17:12:52    1328475

now about this outstanding luck you speak of between 1984 and 2001 we won the Centenary Final appeared in 14 Leinster Finals winning 6, appeared in 7 All Ireland Finals winning 4 and appeared in 4 National League Finals winning 3, we played Dublin 17 in Championship matches winning 9 drawing 3 and losing 5.

So basically you're describing exactly what my point to this thread is.
Thanks largely to having two golden generations in a row, one better than the next with Boylan in charge for almost the entire time
Doesn't strike you as being extraordinary and probably way above anything that has ever been seen in Meath GAA

What other decades could stand up to those stats? That's my entire point

I think Meath have returned to a standard that better fits them

I honestly see the problem with the current Meath setup is that since 1984 to 2001 you over achieved as a county
and now that evidence is clear to see. No more golden generations on the bounce, no more Sean Boylan's.
It's not a coincidence that you've had so little success since then
Your county board obviously had very little to do with the extraordinary circumstances which led to all those magnificent players coming through
Because if they had anything to do with it, it would have been far more sustainable and they could have copied their strategies to produce more of those players
Considering the population size of Meath to produce such teams one after the other was a freak result and completely out of the norm
One that will probably never ever be reproduced in Meath

Very selective in the part of my post you highlighted, you ignore the stats of the 40's 50's, 60's and indeed 70's you ignore the total Sam Maguire wins. I have heard those Meath teams called many things but over achievers is a new one, personally I believed both underachieved and should have win another All Ireland each at least. I'm sure if yesterday's result v Monaghan was different or closer you wouldn't of had the enthusiasm to launch this topic today, your own county have had their barren and bleak periods but attempting to twist our periods of success into a period of amazing outstanding luck and disregarding other great Meath teams/footballers is unnecessary

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3757 - 04/02/2013 17:30:59    1328486

You can never win on this forum. We get told to let it go when we bring up our history that its all over and we need to move on and now a dub starts a thread about it and they all come in saying it was luck and we had average players not great players. It really does make me laugh not even worth getting wound up about because at the end of the day you will always get your last say in.

Beautiful.Meath (Meath) - Posts: 537 - 04/02/2013 18:06:31    1328516

Look listen since the Sam Maguire cup was first presented Dublin and Meath haven't exactly been worlds apart, although I acknowledge that the Dubs have been a lot better in Leinster (which in ways has a lot to do with the fear factor for smaller teams who often crumble against you's in Croker). We don't have the players at the minute to win all irelands but who's to say we won't ever win one again, we've won 7 AI since 1949 and nothing before that so we were never consistently at the top table but who is apart from Kerry basically. The main problem with this Meath team is that there's quite a few fairies on the panel (in my opinion), we'll be back and bader than ever in a few years time, rest assured, the days of black eyes and bloody head bandages will return!

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 04/02/2013 18:19:24    1328529

Considering the population size of Meath to produce such teams one after the other was a freak result and completely out of the norm
One that will probably never ever be reproduced in Meath.


Maybe you should look up meaths population before making more silly statements its far greater than that of Kerry who I'm sure you'd agree
Can continue to produce great teams completely out of the norm. But I'd agree that football in Meath is in dire straits and in my opinion probably worse off
Than before the boylan era.

Royalace (Meath) - Posts: 122 - 04/02/2013 18:28:44    1328540