Almost 200 of Meath's most talented underage hurlers and coaches participated in the provincial Talent Academy blitzes at various locations around the country on Sat 30 April.

While the Meath adult hurlers and camogie players deservedly made most of the local and national headlines with their excellent wins in the Christy Ring cup and the Camogie Div 2 league final - the future Meath hurling stars from the u14, u15, u16, and u17 talent academy squads were also in action. Meath teams travelled to Down, Carlow, Laois, and Offaly, and took on Academy squads from counties Laois, Offaly, Carlow, Wicklow, Westmeath, Kildare, Limerick, Down, Derry, and Waterford. 

The competitiveness of all the Meath teams against quality opposition shows that the investment being made in the "Meath hurling pathway", the u12/13 Meath "High Kings" program, the Talent Academy squads, and at club level is working well.

Well done and thanks to all the players & coaches who represented Meath GAA and their clubs. Thanks also to Meath Coaching & Games staff who provided excellent support with squad preparation and the logistics of having 7 teams out on the same day. 

Under 14

Meath had 2 u14 academy teams in action in Hilltown in Down on Saturday in the first provincial blitz of the year. Over 50 players featured in matches against Derry and Down, beating Derry's 'A' and 'B' sides and coming up just short against Down.

Players - Calum Buckley (Trim), Conor Lyons (Kildalkey), Dylan Farrell (Boardsmill), Stefan Holzer (Killyon), Kevin Mulligan (Rathmolyon), Aaron Traynor (Kildalkey), Luke Moran (Kiltale), Jack Lanigan (Ratoath), Luke Horan (Kilmessan), Cormac Heffernan (Dunderry), Tommy Ennis (Clann na nGael), Neil O'Leary (Dunderry), Harry Smyth (Killyon), Adam Boyle (Trim), Cathal McKeown (Killyon), Sam Formoza (Navan O'Mahonys), Jim Roche (Boardsmill), Gavin Shelly (Kildalkey), Michael Reavey (Navan O'Mahonys), Cathal Byrne (Ratoath), Cathal Smith (Kilmessan), Donal Matthews (Kiltale), Jell Wall (Drumree), Lee Walsh (Dunderry), Conor Mulligan (Dunderry), James McCann (Ratoath), Conor McKeown (Trim), Tom Roddy (Ratoath), Cian Maguire (Kilmessan), Sean Murphy (Ratoath), Gavin McVann (Kiltale), Cathal Smith (Kilmessan), Shane Clarke (Killyon), Lee Coldrick (Kildalkey), Marc Donnelly (Ratoath), Kelvin Lynch (Kildalkey), Conor McGovern (Clann na nGael), Adam O'Brien (Kildalkey), Dylan Swan (Kilmessan), Martin Keogh (Clann na nGael), Alex O'Kane (Ratoath), Evan Clarke (Kiltale), Sven Herring (Clann na nGael), Cathal Horan (Kilmessan), Jason Shanahan (Donaghmore/Ashbourne), Paddy Flynn (Na Fianna), Killian Madden (Drumree), Drew Hamilton (Drumree), Aidan Fraher (Drumree), Sean Hughes (Kiltale), Kevin Cully (Donaghmore/Ashbourne), Eoin Ryan (Donaghmore/Ashbourne), Cormac Ryall (Boardsmill)

Coaches - Philip Lyons, Philip Lanigan, Kevin McGovern, Jimmy O'Kane, Ger Clarke.

Under 15

The Meath u15 hurlers split their squad and while one team travelled to Carlow to play Kildare and Carlow, another team went to Coolderry (Offaly) where they played Limerick and Westmeath.

Players - Conall Bird, Michael Kennedy, Evan Walsh (all Boardsmill), Darragh Canny, Eoin Griffin, Kian O'Neill, Tom Hanley, Daire Swaine, Liam Gough, Josh McGrath (all Clann na nGael), Darragh O'Sullivan, Colm Cox (both Donaghmore/Ashbourne), Kevin Bawle, Saran O'Hora, Cathal McCormack (all Drumree), Darragh Finlay (Dunboyne), Conor Leavy, Paul Maxwell, Diarmuid O'Currain, Donagh O'Leary (all Dunderry), Niall McNally, Conor Fitzgerald (both Kildalkey), Niall Smullen, Cian Brennan (both Killyon), Paul O'Brien, Eoin Jack Keoghan (both Kilmessan), Adam Rooney, Conor Ryan (both Kiltale), Adam Farrell, Luke Kelly, Oisin McCloskey, Darie Flynn, Daire Slattery (all Na Fianna), Jamie Ryan, Ciaran Regan, Scott Douglas (all Rathmolyon), Ruari Coulter, Cathal Sherlock, Stephen Rice, Fionn Murphy, Jason Farrell, Cian Kelly, Harry Haskins (all Ratoath), Cian Bermingham, Mikey Cole, Connor Quigley, Ben Holden, Sean O'Mahony, Aongus Shortt, Johnny McEvoy (all Trim).

Coaches  - Neil Cole, Tommy Leavy, Jamie Hackett, Damien Healy.

Under 16

Meath u16's also split their squad and travelled to Rathleague (Portlaoise) where they drew with Offaly and were narrowly beaten by Laois. A second team went to Fenagh (Carlow) where they played Carlow, Wicklow and Westmeath.

Players - Ronan Brady (Dunderry), Paul Briody (Drumree), Daniel Byrne (Kiltale), Alex Dunne (Trim), Conor Gorman (Kilmessan), Con Greene (Dunboyne), Cian Harmon (Clann na nGael), Dermot Kelly (Dunderry), Jamie McCabe (Kilmessan), Niall McLarnon (Curraha), Gearoid O'Brien (Wolfe Tones), Callum O'Sullivan (Clann na nGael), Padraig Payne (Trim), Dean Reilly (Boardsmill/Rathmolyon), Ross Thompson (Kildalkey), Ciaran Briody (Ratoath), Martin Browne (Kildalkey), Trevor Healy (Rathmolyon), Tadgh McCann (Ratoath), Jack Bannon (Kiltale), Evan Burke (Killyon), Padraig Byrne (Ratoath), Kevin Coffey (Na Fianna), Patrick Coyne (Killyon), Andrew Dinan (Trim), Simon Ennis (Rathmolyon), Mark Hatton (Boardsmill), Sean Johnston (Ratoath), Ross Kerrigan (Longwood), Kevin Lennon (Trim), Alan Lewis (Rathmolyon), Shane McGoldrick (Ratoath), David McGowan (Ratoath), Aaron O'Flaherty (Ratoath), Nicholas Potterton (Kildalkey), Cian Rodgers (Ratoath), Killian Swaine (Clann na nGael), Vincent Ward (Rathmolyon)

Coaches - Paul McCann, Niall Flynn, Mark Munnelly, Pauraic Bourke

Under 17

Meath u17 hurlers beat Waterford City 1-19 to 2-11 in a challenge game ahead of their u17 gaa.ie/celticchallenge competition in which Meath have their opening game vs a Dublin squad on Wed 11-May in Trim.

Players  - Pierce Butler (Ratoath), Evan Fitzgerald (Kildalkey), Cormac Butler (Ratoath), Mikey Mullen (Killyon), John Mitchell (Dunboyne), Robert Noone (Kilmessan), Sean Coffey (Na Fianna), Jamie Connolly (Longwood), Aaron Dunne (Killyon), Brian O'Reilly (Killyon), Jamie Leavy (Dunderry), Jacob Ryan (Killyon), Conor Hayes (Kildalkey), Tom Fadden (Ratoath), Gavin O'Keeffe (Dunboyne), Alex Power ORourke (Donaghmore/Ashbourne), Oisin Coffey (Na Fianna), Sean Hogan (Donaghmore/Ashbourne), Brin Kelly (Kildalkey), Daragh Gilmartin (Dunboyne), Brian Dowling (Trim), Darren Hennessy (Rathmolyon), Conor O'Farrell (Donaghmore/Ashbourne), Evan Buckley (Trim), John Morris (Blackhall), Evan Brennan (Rathmolyon)
 

Coaches - Nick Fitzgerald, Pat O'Halloran, Rory Dowling, James Toher

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