Less than a year after being one step away from making an instant return to the senior ranks Kilmainhamwood suffered the bitter disappointment of enduring a second relegation in the space of three seasons when they surrendered their intermediate status in 2010.

The 'Wood battled valiantly to hold onto their place in the top flight over several years, winning relegation shootouts against Ballivor (2003), Dunderry (2005), Cortown (2006) and Ballinlough (2007), but they finally bowed to the pressure in 2008 when Rathkenny sent them back to the intermediate grade from where they had emerged in 1994.
But what a great effort they made to get back into the senior grade last year when they reached the intermediate final, only to be blown away by Oldcastle who were hugely impressive winners of the title.
Kilmainhamwood's greatest day came in 1996 when they won their one and only senior championship title, but a decade and a half later they will be playing their football in the junior ranks after enduring a very difficult intermediate campaign this year which culminated in a defeat against Clann na nGael in the last of the relegation round robin matches.
They had a new man at the helm this year, with Dan Breen taking over from former Navan O'Mahonys' player Colm Kane. However, Jody Devine took over the training of the panel during the group stages when he was finished with the Meath juniors.
Henry Corbally and Noel Shankey acted as selectors and when the intermediate championship draw was made in the spring one match really stood out in group A - a repeat of last year's semi-final in which the 'Wood beat neighbours Nobber after extra-time.
This time Nobber got some measure of revenge when they won the first round meeting at Meath Hill by 1-14 to 0-10. Davy Cahill's team was to take the competition by storm and they made a productive start to this game by scoring the first three points, before Padraig Owens, Harry Corbally and Stephen Kiernan replied for the 'Wood.
Nobber assumed control again and were ahead by 0-10 to 0-6 at the interval, before pushing clear by six points. Scores from Michael Shankey and David Russell kept Kilmainhamwood in touch and they were unlucky when Alan Carolan hit the crossbar, but Nobber made sure of victory with a late goal as it finished comfortable for them.
Kilmainhamwood had a bye in the second round, but suffered another defeat in their next match when going under by 0-8 to 0-15 to Carnaross at Kells. It meant they had lost to the two teams which would eventually go on to contest the final in the autumn.
Carnaross never trailed and led by 0-5 to 0-1 during the first half, but Kilmainhamwood battled back well to be on level terms (0-7 each) at the break. However, they managed to add only one point in the second period, deep into injury time, as Carnaross eased clear to win by seven points.
When a third successive defeat followed against St Colmcille's, who won by 1-12 to 1-10 at Kilberry, the alarm bells were really starting to sound and it meant enormous importance was attached to the fifth round meeting with fellow strugglers Moynalvey, also at Kilberry. Going into that match the men from the south of the county had two points in the bag and that soon became four.
Kilmainhamwood led by 0-7 to 0-6 at the interval, but Mark O'Sullivan levelled for Moynalvey on the restart. The 'Wood eased three points clear, but Moynalvey upped the tempo and boosted by a Ray Ryan goal they gained the upper hand. Ray Magee, who top scored with 1-3, hit back with a goal at the other end, but it wasn't enough.
When the final whistle sounded Moynalvey were the minimum in front at 1-13 to 1-12 and were safe, but the horrible reality for Kilmainhamwood was that they were pointless at the foot of the section and would have to battle for survival in a round robin series which also involved Castletown and Clann na nGael.
It looked like advantage Kilmainhamwood in the survival stakes when they won the first relegation play-off against Castletown at Nobber where they goaled three times in the opening half and eventually won by four points (3-10 to 1-12).
Magee scored two of those goals and Stephen Kiernan notched the other, but they still led by only two points (3-3 to 1-7) at the change of ends. The introduction of Colm Gilcreest for the second half proved a prudent move and he contributed three points which helped them secure victory.
Magee was again Kilmainhamwood's leading marksman with 2-3, while Kiernan tallied 1-3, and what they wanted after that success was for Clann na nGael to inflict another defeat on Castletown in the second relegation match and consign them to a place back in the junior championship.
But when Castletown defeated the Athboy/An Gaeltacht combination by 4-6 to 0-10 it meant the battle for safety would go into a third match and what a costly one it proved to be for Kilmainhamwood. They were hot favourites to survive because Clann na nGael needed to beat them by at least seven points at Carlanstown.
Amazingly, they won by eight (1-13 to 0-8). All three teams in the relegation scrap had achieved one victory, but the 'Wood had the worst scoring average and were demoted.
Clann na nGael led by only a point (0-6 to 0-5) at the interval, but they pushed clear in the second half when the 'Wood added only three points to their tally. Magee top-scored with five points, Kieran notched two and Harry Corbally got the other.
To say it was disappointing would be a great understatement. A decade earlier Kilmainhamwood had contested the senior championship final against Dunshaughlin and now they were facing up to the reality that they would be playing their football in the junior ranks in 2011.
Francie Owens is one of the longest serving, if not the longest serving, club secretaries in the county. He has witnessed good times and not so good in his 36 or 37 years in the position, with 1996 being the greatest when the Keegan Cup took up residence in Kilmainhamwood.
"That was an amazing year for the club," he said. "We won the Senior Championship, the Feis Cup and the League and also won the Club of the Year Award. We had a great group of players who had won championships from under-12 and 14 upwards. I had two sons playing at the highest level which made it extra special."
But there was a dramatic contrast in Kilmainhamwood's fortunes this year when the almost unthinkable happened.
"Paudie Owens and Paddy Carolan went to Australia and were big losses to us," Francie added. "Stephen Smith injured his groin in a league game against Ratoath before the final relegation play-off against Clann na nGael. We started him in that game, but it flared up again and we had to take him off after 10 minutes.
"I think a big problem this year was not getting an established trainer in from the start of the year. We are an ageing team with no youth coming on. That's a huge problem for us. I also don't think we were fit enough this year and there's a huge emphasis on fitness in the game today.
"Losing to Nobber in the first game wasn't a good start to the championship. We were poor that day and that defeat set in motion a bad group campaign. We never won a game in the group. We had another poor performance against Carnaross. We improved a bit after that and lost the other two games narrowly against St Colmcille's and Moynalvey."
After finishing bottom of their section Kilmainhamwood had to set their sights on survival as they went into the dreaded relegation battle with the other basement teams in the sections, Castletown and Clann na nGael. Their round robin series commenced with a game against Castletown which went well and made them favourites to stay up.
"We had a very good win over Castletown in the first relegation play off, but that left us with a false impression that we were safe," Francie said. "We beat them by four points. We were in a great position, though we thought Clann na nGael might beat Castletown as well. But Castletown beat them by eight points.
"Clann na nGael had to beat us by seven points and they won by eight. There had been a poor response to training between the two play-offs and when Castletown beat Clann na nGael it panicked us into one training session.
"The realisation that we were going down to junior level for the first time in 53 years was terribly disappointing. People who had been involved with the club over many years couldn't believe it. I believe we can resurrect ourselves, but it will take years."
Kilmainhamwood aren't the first club in the county to suffer a dramatic slide and they won't be the last. It's now a matter of regrouping in the hope that they can experience better times again. Tweet

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