For those of us who can cast our minds back for a period of 30 years, there is the compelling memory of the day that St. Johns beat St. Vincents to win the intermediate championship. The memory is not so much of the game itself as in the celebrations of one of the St John's mentors. The late Joey McKeown laboured longer and harder than most to keep football alive in his native Kilberry and when the final whistle blew at Pairc Tailteann in 1974 he ran out on to the pitch, knelt down and kissed the grass. Words -Brendan Cummins Largely due to his efforts St Johns never got the chance of playing in the senior championship. Instead a new club was formed representing the entire parish of Oristown. St. Johns and Gibbstown GFC were disbanded and despite a glorious arrival on the senior scene when they defeated reigning champions Summerhill in the first round of the championship, Wolfe Tones struggled at senior level. They subsequently went down to the intermediate grade but despite contesting two championship finals. They were unable to reclaim their senior status. Eventually they took another step down and for several years they were no more than a 'middling' junior team. The first signs of a re-awakening came at under-age level in the 1990' s but patience and perseverance were badly needed if success at adult level was to be achieved. Eventually, the path to the breakthrough opened up with the team reaching the junior final in 2001 only to be beaten in a replay by Curraha. Disappointing? Certainly! A blessing in disguise? Definitely! Greater disappointment was to follow when the Tones were beaten by Nobber at the Quarter-Final stage in the following year's championship. It was a game that should have been won and Nobber went on to become junior champions. There was a choice for Wolfe Tones...they could let the disappointments of 2001 and 2002 overwhelm them or they could learn from them and use them to build the All-Important asset widely referred to as character. Manager Tony Kearney was the ideal guiding light. He showed intense commitment to the cause and was rewarded with a junior championship success in 2003. Ratoath were demolished in one-sided final but the fairy tale was only starting. By Christmas Wolfe Tones were Leinster Junior Champions having beaten the best junior teams in Louth, Dublin, Offaly and Wexford. The performance against Wexford champions Kilmore in the final hinted at even better days to come. It was against this background that Kearney and his men set out to make Meath club football history. Never before had a team won the Junior and Intermediate titles in successive years. Alas, the first round performance against Curraha provided little cause for optimism. The game was played at Duleek in mid-April and it turned out to be a real struggle, 1-2 to 0-4 at half-time and although Curraha were held scoreless for the entire second half Wolfe Tones only managed three points in the same period. A huge improvement was required. Ballivor had come down from the senior grade and were regarded as one of the strongest teams in the division. The game was played at Dunderry where the Tones broke early from the traps with Dowd leading the way on his old stomping ground. Alan Fox added a point and when Aidan McKeever found the net from a tight angle after only five minutes, a comfortable victory looked to be on the cards. Ballivor gradually settled and McKeever's goal was all that stood between the teams at half-time. However a superb second-half display by John Tiernan helped the Wolfe Tones to hold out for a narrow but deserved victory. The final score was 1-7 to 0-9. The All-Ireland final was down for decision on the following Sunday with Carbery Rangers of Cork providing the opposition at Cremartin in Co Monaghan. The Tones had qualified for the final by beating Monaghan Harps and they produced a brilliant display in beating the highly-rated Corkmen. It was to be expected that they would not be firing on all cylinders for the tricky fourth round assignment against Na Fianna. The game was played in Dunderry on the finest Saturday evening of the Summer and it was the Enfield parishioners who looked the more lively side for most of the first half. With half-time approaching Na Fianna led by 0-5 to 0-3 but a brilliant goal from Darren McGrath changed the complexion of the game. Tommy Dowd, Alan Fox, John Tiernan and Kevin McKeever were all involved in the build-up and the newly-crowned All-Ireland Junior champions were on level terms, 1-3 to 0-6 at the break. The second half was an entirely different kettle of fish with the Oristown men dominating and scoring at will. Alan Fox, Barry McGinn and Kevin McKeever (2) found the net and the final score was an amazing 5-10 to 0-10. The song says that 'Things will only get better' but on that Saturday evening it was difficult to envisage a more perfect scenario. An All-Ireland title one weekend and a five goal victory over fancied opposition in the intermediate championship on the following weekend. Talk of championship success could no longer be regarded as a pipe-dream. Carnaross, the previous year's beaten finalists were next on the agenda and after a scrappy opening at Kells Wolfe Tones took control and went on to win by five points, 2-11 to 2-6. Cian Ward and Kevin McKeever were the goal scorers while Eoin Harrington, Niall McLoughlin, Ciaran McLoughlin and Ward were superb throughout. Fr McManus park in Skyrne was the venue for the fifth round clash with struggling Drumree. The favourites were never in any danger and ran out the easiest of winners on a 3-16 to 0-7 scoreline. With five wins from as many outings qualification for the quarter-finals was now assured but there was going to be no let-up. Winning sequences are difficult to establish and Kearney was keen that the habit would be maintained. Cian Ward's goal after six minutes at Castletown helped to despatch Drumconrath but it wasn't easy and a late Drumconrath goal left only three points between the teams at the final whistle, 1-12 to 2-6. The last round of the championship before the knock-out stages was against Nobber and with both teams already through, there was only local pride (substantial), and the winning sequence, at stake. Alan Fox had sustained a hand injury playing hurling and in his absence was a significant setback to Wolfe Tones prospects of outright success. Castletown was again the venue and the two first half goals from Pat Fitzpatrick turned out to be vital. Nobber also scored two goals before the break but Tommy Dowd's great experience was a huge boost in the second half as the Oristown men swept to a four point win, 2-13 to 2-9. The winning sequence in the championship football had now extended to 21 games but the seven wins in the intermediate would count for nothing if they slipped up against neighbours Castletown in the quarter-final. Nobber was the venue on the first Sunday in September when it took eighty minutes to separate the teams. In the end Wolfe Tones were the winners on a 1-13 to 1-11 scoreline but it had been a remarkably close call. Wolfe Tones, and Cian Ward in particular, dominated the first half and they were full value for their five point interval lead, 0-6 to 0-1. The loss of Stephen Corrigan through injury early in the second half was a major blow to the Tones and Castletown took full advantage of the big mid-fielder's absence. By the three quarter stage Castletown were ahead and it looked as if the end of a remarkable run was inevitable. Points from Aidan McKeever and Cian Ward kept the dream alive but Castletown fought back again to level the match thus bringing it to extra time. It was 1-7 to 0-10 at the end of normal time. The large crowd was certainly getting it's money's worth and it was the Castletown supporters who were happiest at the half way stage in extra time. The green and golds had scored three points while Wolfe Tones failed to add to the tally. 'Cometh the hour....Cometh the man' or in this case; cometh the men'. Stephen Corrigan despite his injury returned to give Wolfe Tones a vital edge at centre field while Tommy Dowd showed all the guile accumulated in a lengthy career by earning a penalty which Cian Ward stroked to the back of the Castletown net. Only four minutes remained at the time but Ward was now in unstoppable mood and he added two points to clinch a hard-earned victory. Later that evening Nobber beat Oldcastle to set up another 'local' derby in the semi-final..the Junior champions of 2002 against their successors. The last team to beat Wolfe Tones in championship football (JFC quarter-final 2002) now had the opportunity of bringing their winning sequence to an end. The Tones had the psychological advantage of beating the Nobbermen in the seventh round but this was knock-out...and at Paric Tailteann. Whichever team was to win might require something special. The 'something special' arrived early and it came from Wolfe Tones corner-forward Cian Ward. It was, without doubt, the goal of the year and it provided the ideal platform for what turned out to be a comfortable victory for his team. The goal came in the eleventh minute and while a point would have been a great score considering that he was surrounded by Nobber defenders, the goal was a thing of beauty. It also added to Ward's growing reputation for class, verve and accuracy. He later buried a penalty in the Nobber net and finished with a total of 2-5 to add to the 1-10 he scored against Castletown. Nobber trailed by 2-3 to 0-4 at half time and were always going to struggle once Brian Farrell was forced to retire with a hamstring injury. They battled bravely in the second half but the Tones were not going to be denied a place in the final. The final score was 3-11 to 1-6. The serious approach of Wolfe Tones was underlined by the presence in the half-back line of Colin Reilly who was flown home from Idaho for the game. Twenty three games gone...and one to go. Preparations for the semi-final included a trip to Leitrim and the purple and gold colours were flying all over the parish. Duleek stood in the way of history and they certainly had the credentials to do just that. They had been knocking on the door for a few years...and had beaten similarly experienced teams such as Ballivor and Carnaross in the Quarter-Final and Semi-Final respectively. Their experience was further enhanced by their manager Barney Rock who had been through it all both as player and coach. It turned out to be the best game of the year in Meath. A marvellous full-blooded encounter with lengthy passages of all that's good in football. Despite playing against the strong breeze Wolfe Tones took an early lead....only six minutes had passed when Cian Ward found the Duleek net and five minutes later he provided the pass from which Pat Fitzpatrick scored his team's second goal. It was more, much more, than Tony Kearney and his mentors could have hoped for. Niall McLoughlin further enhances his ever-increasing reputation by venturing upfield for a terrific point and after only eleven minutes the scoreboard read; Wolfe Tones 2-3 Duleek 0-2 and Duleek were playing with the wind! However, by half-time Duleek had not only erased the deficit but had actually taken the lead, 1-8 to 2-4! The odds still favoured Wolfe Tones who would now have the wind at their backs but Duleek had proved their ability and with only four minutes remaining they were still holding on to their one point advantage, 1-12 ti 2-8. The atmosphere was electric as both sets of supporters got behind their teams. With two minutes remaining the teams were all square and Cian Ward stepped up to take a '45. This for the intermediate championship....this to make history by capturing the Junior and Intermediate titles in successive years....this to chalk up an incredible 24th successive victory. If there was extra weight on Ward's shoulders he was unaffected. His kick was straight and true and Wolfe Tones were ahead by point. The drama wasn't quite over. Throughout the campaign a number of Tones players had made special contributions...now it was the turn of goalie Derek Meehan. His fabulous save in the last minute was arguably the most important contribution of the lot and with it went Duleek's last chance. Wolfe Tones were champions on a 2-10 to 1-12 scoreline. The team on duty in the final was; Derek Meehan, Richie Brady, Ciaran McLoughlin, Eoin Harrington, Barry McGinn, Niall McLoughlin, (0-1), Colin Reilly, Stephen Corrigan, John Tiernan (0-4), Alan Fox (0-1), Tommy Dowd, Darren McGrath (0-1), Aidan McKeever, Pat Fitzpatrick (1-0) and Cian Ward (1-3). Substitutes: Stephen Sheppard, Kevin McKeever and Paddy Caffrey. Substitutes not used on the final day but who also made splendid contributions when required were; Sean Power, Rossa McDonnell, Kevin McKeever, Robert O'Kelly-Lynch, Terry McGarry, Darra Brown, Alan McKeever and Trevor McKeever. Tony Kearney's fellow selectors were Philip O'Brien, Gerry Thompson and Morgan Carr. Amazing to think that Wolfe Tones' magnificent run started off with a win over Simonstown Gaels second team. Next year they could be coming up against Simonstown's first team....in the senior championship. One of the most encouraging aspects of the rise and rise of the team has been the consistently outstanding form of four of their younger stars..Niall McLoughlin, Eoin Harrington, Stephen Corrigan and Cian Ward. No other club in the county has a quarter as young and promising, Ciaran McLoughlin, an outstanding Captain, was rock solid at full-back and he had a fine understanding with his corner-backs Harrington and Richie Brady. Behind them Derek Meehan proved the wisdom of his recall to the No.1 jersey. The absence of Alan Fox for the quarter-final and semi-final was extremely difficult to overcome and there was great relief in the camp when he was passed fit for the big day...it was unthinkable that after such outstanding service that he would miss such a big occasion. Tommy Dowd's arrival was also vital and his experience both on and off the field made a huge difference in the team's ability to cope successfully in a higher grade of football. Darren McGrath grabbed some marvellous scores and combined brilliantly with his fellow attackers while both Aidan and Kevin McKeever had their moments in the No. 13 jersey. Pat Fitzpatrick scored the goals in he first game against Nobber and another in the final. No full-back found it easy against the former Gaeil 's man. Cian Ward won two All-Ireland medals in the month of May....All-Ireland junior club and All-Ireland senior colleges with St. Patricks. And he was the Tones top scorer. Difficult to evaluate his contribution appropriately....phenomenal is the adjective that springs to mind. Cian is believin' It was ironic that Cian Ward finished the year with a broken ankle. Prior to sustaining the injury (in the Division Two league final replay in late October), he was the one inflicting damage on all-comers. Not in a malicious manner, of course, but with exemplary forward play that belied his age and singled the 18-year-old Wolfe Tones star out as potential senior county material. Cian Ward was very much to the fore as Wolfe Tones made history in '04. First, the Kilberry men claimed the All-Ireland junior club championship; then they became the first Meath club to progress from junior to senior status in successive years by capturing the 2004 Meath intermediate football championship. A future county senior in the making, Wolfe Tones' young attacking talisman spoke to 'Royal County 2004' about the (many) highs and (few) lows of a remarkable season. The low point was the Division Two league final replay defeat to Castletown (0-11 to 0-9 on October 24). The Tones had been on an outstanding winning streak and were gunning for their fourth final success in twelve months. However, they fell to a frustrating defeat after Cian had hobbled off the field with a broken ankle. With the Leinster intermediate club championship looming, the injury was as disappointing as the result. Still, it was going to take a lot more than a broken bone to remove the gloss from what had otherwise been a sensational year for the Kilberry crew, who remained very much in the groove. As the dust was settling and the bone beginning to heal, Cian reflected on another roller-coaster ride: "We had a wonderful year again, following on from winning the junior title in 2003. It was great to keep the winning streak going and we're really looking forward to the challenge of senior football. You get used to winning and when things are going well, you really enjoy your football. Losing the league final was our first defeat in a while and it hit us hard. We wanted to keep the run going but it didn't work out. "It was just a bad day for us. We had a lot of days where we scraped through by a point or won after extra time but it didn't happen in the league final. It was a pity because finals are there to be won." Gaining promotion to senior ranks is always a creditable achievement - doing it within a year of leaving junior fare is truly astonishing. Had Wolfe Tones even considered such a possibility at the start of the year? "You never really know how things will work out when you go up to a new level, but from playing some of the teams in the league, we weren't afraid of anyone. We knew we'd hold our own and we were fairly confident that we wouldn't have to worry about relegation. Having said that, we didn't consider ourselves as challengers for the championship either. We thought we could get to a quarter-final and shock a few teams, but that was the extent of our ambition. We were just hoping to give it a good go." Once Wolfe Tones got on a winning roll, there was no stopping them! Curraha (1-5 to 0-4), Ballivor (1-7 to 0-9), Na Fianna (5-10 to 0-10), Carnaross (2-11 to 1-6), Drumree (3-16 to 0-7), Drumconrath (1-12 to 2-6) and Nobber (2-13 to 2-9) were sent packing at the group stages and the Tones got the better of Castletown after extra time in a closely-contested quarter-final (1-13 to 1-11). Nobber were easily accounted in a one-sided semi-final (3-11 to 1-6) and Wolfe Tones confirmed their passage to the top flight with a thrilling 2-10 to 1-12 2004 IFC final defeat of Duleek. For the second successive year, Wolfe Tones had earned promotions. One more, they went through their entire championship programme unbeaten. At what point had ambitions changed? When did the players begin to realise that perhaps they could go all the way? "The first game against Curraha was a dodgy one and it was great to beat them. After that, we started to play better. The wins over Ballivor and Carnaross proved to everybody that we were good enough. We knew that if we could beat those teams then we were capable of beating anybody else." The All-Ireland junior club championship success had given the players a tremendous sense of confidence and belief. That breakthrough started the calendar year on a perfect note, as Cian attests: "To represent your county with your club is very special and we felt that we would never get to do it again, so we decided to give it our best shot. Little did we realise that we'd be going into the intermediate club championship at the end of the year! "Winning the All-Ireland was a massive boost and playing in that competition gave us an added edge going into the new season. While other teams had been resting, we were playing away at a decent level and those games stood to us. It kept everything ticking over nicely. The All-Ireland final was the hardest game we played and that set us up for the year." One would expect a team that plays right through into the new season to suffer from burn-out and fatigue, yet the opposite was the case with Wolfe Tones. Somehow, the extra games seemed to give them more energy. What's that all about? "When you're winning, you can't get enough of it. You're never worried about playing the next game. We have a young team and everybody's hungry for more success. We want to keep on proving ourselves at the next level. The next challenge is senior football and we're up for that. "People can't argue with our recent record. We're not claiming that we're going to win a senior title but we'll give it our best shot and go out to rattle a few teams. There are a lot of big teams in the county that we won't fear. There are still some people who are bitter about the success we've had, so we want to go out and prove all over again that we are a good team. It's our first year senior and it's a step into the unknown, but we're hoping that we'll be able to hold our own and that we won't struggle. "It's a step up, but I don't think we'll end up in a relegation battle or anything like that. We've played these teams in the league and on the way up at underage level, so we're confident of doing quite well." While there's never a good time to sustain a bad injury, Cian's ankle break could certainly have come at a worse time. In 2004, he got to win an All-Ireland junior club championship, a county intermediate championship and a senior All-Ireland colleges title (with St Patricks) before fate intervened. At least the season was effectively over when the bad luck struck: "It would've been worse if it had happened in the group stage of the championship," he concedes. Finally, does Cian have aspirations of one day wearing the Green & Gold jersey at senior level? "My dream is to play for Meath and it would be great to be given a chance to prove myself at that level. But it's not down to me. All I can do is keep playing away to the best of my ability with the club and hope the opportunity will arise. It's up to other people whether or not they want me to play on their team." All Ireland Junior title for Wolfe Tones When Wolfe Tones players, mentors and supporters reflect on the team's remarkable achievements in 2004, they will hit on a number of factors behind the making of club history in Meath. There was immense input of team manager Tony Kearney. There was the arrival of Tommy Dowd, the emergence of Niall McLoughlin, Eoin Harrington and Cian Ward as three of the most gifted young footballers in the county...the growing influence of the Corrigan-Tiernan partnership at centre-field etc... There is also a theory that the winning of the Leinster and All-Ireland Junior tournament was the key and it's difficult to disagree. The team bonded throughout the campaign and the management also learned more about their players. It started with more of a whimper than a bang but the winning sequence just kept on extending. Dowdallshill of Louth were beaten in the opener...It was much more difficult against Lucan Sarsfields of Dublin. Kilberry was the venue for the semi-final clash with Rhode of Offaly and again the Tones dug deep to chisel out a victory. Wexford Champions Kilmore had home advantage for the Provincial final but their supporters were outnumbered by the huge Wolfe Tones following. It was in this encounter that Tony Kearney's men showed that they were destined for greater prizes. They produced a dazzling display, particularly in the opening quarter, that left their opponents shell-shocked. They fought back but the visitors were on a roll and the outcome was not in doubt from early in the second half. The game was played in good conditions only ten days before Christmas. The All-Ireland semi-final against Monaghan Harps wasn't played until early at the birthplace of the tournament, Cremartin in Co. Monaghan. Monaghan Harps were duly dispatched to set up a final meeting with Carbery Rangers of Cork. Carbery arrived in Cremartin on the last Sunday in May with a daunting reputation and they certainly looked the part in the early stages. However, the Tones stuck to their task and led by a point midway through the first half, 0-4 to 0-3. Cian Ward accounted for all four points. The Meath and Leinster champions then moved up a couple of gears and blitzed the Corkmen throughout the second quarter. Darren McGrath set up Kevin McKeever for a fisted point...Alan Fox was at his predatory best when adding two more...McKeever stretched the lead to five before Fox sent a glorious effort between the posts. It was awesome stuff as the Tones established a 0-9 to 0-3 lead at the break. Carbery signalled their intent with the first two points of the second half but Rossa McDonnell and Cian Ward replied. The Corkmen continued to chip away at the six point lead but a great pointed free from John Tiernan eased the pressure. Carbery managed to get within striking distance but late points from McDonnell and Ward ensured that the title stayed in Meath following Nobber's success in 2002. The final score was 0-14 to 0-10. Eoin Harrington was named as 'Man of the Match' and while the celebrations were enthusiastic, Tony Kearney ensured that feet were kept firmly on the ground and eyes were kept on the bigger picture. Tweet

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