He’s not the first nor the last potential senior inter county footballer that Meath have lost to other sports.

Shane Horgan made his Leinster debut in 1998, played for them 87 times winning two Heineken Cups. He made his senior debut for Ireland against Scotland in 2000 and was part of the six nations winning side of 2009. He was also selected for the Lions in 2005 and retired from the game in 2012.

Royal County Meath Yearbook caught up with the very promising Meath minor footballer in 1996.

Usually when one talks about someone been a dual player in Ireland, the sports involved are Gaelic football and hurling. Sometimes though you have high profile gaels plying their talents in some other areas.

Soccer is very popular with the stars of gaeldom, Mick Deegan, Peter Withnell and Jason Sherlock are just some of the high profile stars impressing with their ability. Dessie Farrell has represented Leinster at hockey. David Beggy’s speed and good hands have made him very natural at rugby.

Shane Horgan lined out at midfield for the Meath minors in 1996 and made a hugh impression in the process. Hugh is the operative word, standing at 6’4” and tipping the scales at 13 and half stone the Bellewstown boy is awesome.

No one will be surprised to learn that Horgan is also a highly proficient rugby player, representing Ireland at U18 level. What is a surprise is the position he plays in. You’d think that being such a big fella, he’d be a forward, second row or No.8. He’s not though, he’s a back. Lord have mercy on the lad that is tackled by him. Ouch! Or worse imagine him running at you.

Shane Horgan is a modest lad though, despite all he has achieved. Rugby has taken over Gaelic football as his priority at the moment but he hasn’t forgotten the ‘gah’ and indeed recalls with pride his involvement with Meath.

“Football is good crack” he declares. It was great to be chosen to play for Meath this year. It meant a lot”

“Looking back on the season you whould have to say it was disappointing. It started off well enough but we let ourselves down against Dublin. Truth be told we would have fancied our chances against Dublin, we thought we had the ability to take them….we knew we did.

“ We just didn’t play well against them. I was playing midfield which is my favourite position. For some reason or other it didn’t click for me there. Things improved when I was moved into full forward, although obviously not enough for us to win the game. But that’s football for you”

Shane Horgan, 9th from left back row, lined out with the Meath U16's in 2004

“We always felt that Laois were the team to beat in Leinster. They had a very good team and were certainly favourites. That’s why we were so disappointed to lose to Dublin. We felt that we could beat Dublin and push Laois all the way. When I saw Laois winning the All Ireland I couldn’t help think what might have been”.

Shane played with underage with Duleek because his club Bellewstown didn’t have an underage system.

“To be fair I was lucky because they had a very good structure at Duleek and I learned a lot while I was with them. We won Under 13 and Under 14 Division One Championships”.

This was not young Horgan’s first experience of being a winner however. That did come with Bellewstown. The basics were thought at National School. When the Meath and Fingal Championships were garnered, an already tall Horgan was playing a major role. And he has tended to do no matter who he has played for, no matter what the code. Brilliant for Bellewstown NS, deadly for Duleek, sensational for St. Mary’s Drogheda.

“I had a good time with St. Marys. We had excellent teams all the way through the ranks. We won the Leinster title at Under 14 level, the Louth title at Under 16 level and the North Leinster title at U18.

Despite the loss to Dublin, Horgan was highly impressive against both Offaly and Louth in the earlier rounds.

But now Shane hasn’t exactly turned his back on Gaelic football, he has decided to take a break from it to persue his interest in rugby. And who’s to blame him.

If Shane Horgan becomes a David Campese, a Walter Little, a Jonah Lomu, a Martin Offiah, or even a Simon Geoghegan he will certainly be set up. These guys earn the sort of money Trevor Giles, Tommy Dowd or Peter Canavan can only dream off.

“At the moment I am giving rugby a go but I will go back to Gaelic if it doesn’t work out.

The rest as they say is history.

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