OCTOBER

· The Keegan Cup will spend its first winter in Ratoath following the Davy Byrne managed team’s impressive 3-15 to 2-13 final victory over Summerhill. Joint captains Ciaran O Fearraigh and Gareth Rooney had the honour of lifting Meath GAA’s most prestigious prize while Joey Wallace was the recipient of the Colum Cromwell ‘man-of-the-match’ award.

· 1975 All-Star Ken Rennicks was the County Board’s ‘Guest of Honour’ on senior football final day.

· Kildalkey ended Kiltale’s dominance of the Meath senior hurling scene with a fully merited 1-17 to 0-11 final replay victory over David Troy’s charges. Paddy Conneely was chosen as ‘man-of-the-match’ after his 0-8 contribution. A replay was required to determine the winners after the two teams played out a 1-13 apiece draw on the first day.

· Former Kildalkey and Meath hurler Tommy Reynolds was the ‘Guest of Honour’ at the drawn final while the achievement of handballers Gary McConnell and James Carroll in winning the All-Ireland Softball Senior Doubles titles was also recognised by Meath County Board.

· Nobber cruised to a comprehensive 4-16 to 0-14 IFC final success over Trim with veteran forward Brian Farrell a leading light in their successful campaign.

· Clann na nGael get the better of Moylagh at the second attempt to inscribe their name in the JFC roll of honour as 2019 champions. Tom Hanley’s men recorded a 3-8 to 1-9 replay final win under lights in Ashbourne.

· St Colmcille’s were crowned Meath minor football champions for 2019 following a 2-10 to 1-11 win over Summerhill in the decider which was played as the curtain-raiser to the Keegan Cup final.

· Clann na nGael defeat Dunderry by 2-14 to 1-8 at Pairc Tailteann to lift the JHC cup.

· Trim make it a MHC two-in-a-row with a 3-16 to 2-7 final success over Ratoath while Kiltale defeated Dunboyne in 4-9 to 2-8 in the MHC Division 2 decider.

· Ratoath also got their hands on the Junior B FC silverware when inflicting a 2-15 to 1-9 final defeat on Kilbride while Wolfe Tones celebrated a 3-8 to 1-3 JFC final win over St Colmcille’s.

· The Allianz FL Division 1 fixtures list for 2020 was released and Meath will have home games against Donegal, Mayo and Galway and will be away to Tyrone, Kerry, Dublin and Monaghan.

· Nick Weir is ratified as Meath’s new hurling manager for the new year. The Westmeath native, who guided Longwood to the 2013 Jubilee Cup decider, was handed a two-year term.

· Six Meath players are nominated for the 2019 Christy Ring Cup Championship 15 team – Shane Brennan, Sean Geraghty, Damien Healy, Keith Keoghan, Jack Regan and Shane Whitty.

· There were emotional tributes paid to the late Fintan Ginnity at the October meeting of the County Board.

· Na Fianna denied Kilmessan an 11th Meath Senior Camogie success in a row. They celebrated a first senior success following an 0-11 to 1-6 final win in Trim.

· Simonstown Gaels retained the Ladies SFC title with a 3-8 to 0-12 final win over Dunboyne in Ashbourne.

· Many of his former team-mates joined Meath’s ‘Millennium Man’ Martin O’Connell at the launch of his autobiography ‘Royal Blood’ in the Headfort Arms Hotel.

· Skryne’s Ciara Smyth was announced as the Leinster LGFA Young Player of the Year while Duleek/Bellewstown’s Monica McGuirk was nominated for an All Star. The goalkeeper was also a nominee in the Intermediate Player of the Year category.

NOVEMBER

· There was no joy for Conor McGill, Donal Keogan and Bryan Menton at the All-Stars awards night in the Convention Centre but Kiltale’s Jack Regan was honoured with the Christy Ring Cup   Player of the Year accolade. He was also joined on the Champion 15 team by team-mates Keith Keoghan and Sean Geraghty.

· Despite a late comeback, Ratoath came up short (2-12 to 3-11) in their Leinster Club SFC quarter-final clash with Westmeath champions Garrycastle at Cusack Park.

· Dunlavin of Wicklow proved to be one bridge too far for Nobber in the Leinster Club IFC – they finished on the wrong end of the 2-15 to 1-12 scoreline at Baltinglass.

· Clann na nGael, on the other hand, got their provincial campaign underway with a 3-8 to 1-9 last eight success over Ballynacargy (Westmeath) in St Loman’s, Mullingar.

· Summerhill bounced back from their SFC final disappointment to edge out Gaeil Colmcille by 2-12 to 1-12 in the Feis Cup final at Ashbourne.

· Walterstown celebrated a first adult championship success since the senior triumph of 1984 when getting the better of Dunderry by 0-12 to 1-4 in the final at Pairc Tailteann.

· Kildalkey bowed out of the Leinster Club IHC following a 0-10 to 1-18 reversal at the hands of Seir Kieran of Offaly at Trim.

· Kiltale gained a small measure of revenge for their SHC final defeat when defeat Kildalkey by 2-18 to 1-16 to claim the A HL Division 1 title.

· Cullion (Westmeath) ended Clann na nGael’s interest in the Leinster Club JHC – 4-9 to 1-10.

· Monica McGuirk is honoured with the Senior County Player of the Year award an the Meath LGFA annual awards ceremony y in the Newgrange Hotel. Emma Duggan was selected as the Young County Player of the Year. The Meath players were presented with their NFL Division 3 and All-Ireland IFC runners-up medals while the minor team also received their Leinster MFC A medals.

· There is further cause for celebration for McGuirk when she is named in the goalkeeping spot on the Ladies All Stars team. She became the Royal County’s representative since 2011, when another goalkeeper, Irene Munnelly, was honoured.

· Phil Fay guided Navan O’Mahonys to a 3-9 to 2-9 Leinster Ladies JFC final win over Kilcock at Kinnegad. They subsequently lost their All-Ireland Club JFC clash against Donoughmore of Cork by the narrowest of margins – 3-13 to 3-12.

· Dunshaughlin’s Ronan Gogan was presented with the keys of the house he won in the second Royal House Draw and Chairman John Kavanagh urged clubs to support the third draw which is due to be held on Sunday, December 29. The County Board had generated €1,400,000 from the two house draws to date.

· It was announced at the November meeting of the County Board that a new Meath football jersey design will be launched before Christmas.

· John McCarthy was ratified as Meath minor football manager for 2020.

· Meath’s loss is Essendon’s gain as promising St Ultan’s footballer Cian McBride joined the AFL outfit on a two year contract.

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