With advances and progression the name of the game both on and off the pitch, Ratoath scaled new heights in 2004. For those blue and goldclad supporters who traipsed disconsolately out of Pairc Tailteann on the afternoon of the 2003 junior Championship final, redemption looked a long way away. Their team had been hammered by Wolfe Tones, 2-9 to 0-5, and in racing parlance they had failed to raise a gallop. Horse-racing terminology is appropriate when we're talking about Ratoath. With Fairyhouse racecourse situated just outside the village, most of the parishoners have more than a passing interest and in the conversations after the junior football final, there were many comments that couldjust a easily have been heard on any Easter Monday evening after the Irish National. The Ratoath Footballers were 'also rans'...Wolfe Tones were 'promising young chasers'. Ratoath should have been 'up before the stewards'...'The going didn't suit them'. What actually happened was that they missed the 'break' and Wolfe Tones were out of sight before they knew there was a race in progress. But hadn't Wolfe Tones lost a final before they won one? Ratoath certainly weren't 'non-triers' and they proved it emphatically within twelve months. But first there was the disappointment of 2003 to deal with and the fact that, despite a burgeoning population, Ratoath's tradition was scarcely a sourse of inspiration. The junior title was previously won in 1970 but the spell at intermediate level was marked by a decline in fortunes and it wasn't until 1992 that they contested the junior final again, this time going under to Gaeil Colmcille. The remainder of the 1990's was comprised of false dawns or sometimes no dawns at all. In 2002 they were beaten by Athboy in the first round of the championship and subsequently lost to Meath Hill in a three-way play off for a place in the knock-outs. Patience and perseverance were badly needed. There were some indications that an adult team of real merit could not be too far away. The club had been competitive, at least, at under-age level. There was also the enormous undertaking of moving 'Home'. The grounds at Codliss had outlived their usefulness...and a significant parcel of land was purchased at Bryanstown on the Dunshaughlin Road. The 27 acre site adjacent to the village was perfect for the ambitious club but it would take a huge communal effort to develop it to the requirements of 21st century Ratoath. It was the proudest of days when on the June Bank holiday Monday 2004, the official opening took place. The grounds were named in memory of the late Garda Sean Eiffe who tragically lost his life while on duty in Abbeyleix in December 2001. Sean was a member of a family whose name had been synonymous with the GAA in Ratoath and he was a former star in the blue and gold jersey. The success of the opening and the sense of achievement that went with it played a massive part in the team's championship success. However, with so much effort being invested in the opening, the first round clash with Dunsany probably lost some of it's intensity. The game was unusual in that it brought together the runners-up in the previous two championships. There would be a psychological advanatage for the winners. It turned out to be a poor performance from Ratoath and they lost by a goal, 1-11 to 2-11. A first round defeat can have a disastrous effect on morale and recovery is difficult. But winning ways were recovered with a narrow win over Ballinabrackey, 2-11 to 2-9. Navan O'Mahonys were the third round opponents at Dunsany and another victory looked likely when Brendan Kealy's men led by 0-7 to 0-4 at half-time. But O'Mahonys dominated the second half and went on to win by 1-11 to 0-9. The five point defeat hinted at an early exit and with two defeats in three outings there appeared little prospects of outright success. There could be no further slip-ups and other results would also have to be helpful. There was a much improved display against Moynalvey in the fourth round and a tally of 2-16 underlined not only the team's ability but also their determination to get their ambitions back on track. The four most difficult opponents in the group had now been played and the games against Moynalty, Drumbaragh and Kilbride offered a more than decent opportunity of finishing on ten points. Moynalty offered stubborn resistance at Bective but Ratoath came out on top by 0-9 to 0-4. Drumbaragh were also held to just four points at Walterstown where David Byrne, Tony McGuane, Paul Flaherty and Andrew Everard all excelled as did Donal Kirwan who ended up with a fine personal total of 2-6. An overall tally of 2-13 again underlined the team's attacking potential and the team management took the opportunity to use the full quota of five substitutes. The seventh round was against neighbours Kilbride was a potential banana skin but the task was duly accomplished with a comfortable 2-7 to 0-5 victory. Dunsany headed the group with 12 points and Ratoath and Moynalvey both finished on 10 but with a significant advantage in score difference, Ratoath took the runners-up spot to qualify automatically for the quarter finals. It was back to Dunsany's Pairc Na Ngaeil for the clash with long-time favourites St Ultans. It was a difficult day for football with a strong breeze blowing straight down the pitch and heavy showers leading to greasy conditions. Ratoath had first use of the wind but struggled to gain any advantage. However, they stuck to their task and led by an unconvincing 0-5 to 0-1 lead with half-time approaching. St. Ultans grabbed a goal before the break to leave just one point between the teams and the odds had now swung in favour of the men from Bohermeen and Martry. With the elements now in their faces Ratoath were very much up against it. Their response further underlined the team's progress as well as their growing self-confidence. Within five minutes of the resumption St Ultans were ahead and were looking the more likely winners. But it was at this point that Ratoath went for the Jugular. Ger McCullough, Lenny Brown and Martin Mannering began to win more possesison and the ball was worked cleverly into the breeze. Fiachra Gaughan and Donal Kirwan tormented the St. Ultans defence. The latter equalised after St Ultans had scored two points...but St Ultans went ahead again at 1-4 to 0-6. John Kirwan equalised and then at the three quarter stage David Lumley put Ratoath ahead. Then came the match-winning goals. The first was poked over the line by both Fiachra Gaugan and Colm O'Brien after the opposing defence failed to clear a high centre. Within a minute Donal Kirwan found himself in behind the defence and he finished superbly to open up a seven point gap with only ten minutes remaining. St Ultans threw everything into attack and were rewarded with two late goals but Ratoath were always able to conjure up a point or two at the other end to keep their noses in front. In the end three points separated the teams, 2-11 to 3-5. St. Michaels had worked their way through to the last four but it was Ratoath who carried the favourite's tag when the teams met in the semi-final at Walterstown. Having scored a fine tally of 2-6 against the elements in the second half of the St Ultans match, the indications were that they would hit the ground running...instead they trailed by a point at half-time having played with the assistance of the significant breeze in the first half. The question was: could they turn in another second-half performance of the same quality as in the quarter-final? St Michaels' key forward Daithi Regan picked up an injury and was unable to take his place for the start of the second half and with him, went much of his team's attacking threat. It was 0-4 to 0-3 at the interval and Ratoath still held on to their one point advantage, 0-6 to 0-5 midway through the second half. The tide was about to turn and when Robert Madden lofted his effort in behind the St Michaels defence Fiachra Gaughan read the situation perfectly before blasting the ball to the net. Gaughan's goal was probably Ratoath's most badly needed score of the entire campaign and arguably the most valuable. Despite sustained pressure the men in blue and gold held out for a well-deserved 1-8 to 0-8 win. Gaughan was top scorer with a fine tally of 1-4...the other points came from Ger McCullough, John Kirwan, Colm O'Brien and substitute Barry Crowley. As fate would have it, Dunsany had worked their way through to the final, thus setting up a confrontation between the runners up of the league. Despite having lost to Dunsany by a goal in the first round Ratoath knew it was a game that could have gone either way and they were quietly confident of reversing that result while also atoning for the 2003 disappointment. There was one major worry....the injury to goalie Davy Byrne. The former Dublin star, who was also a selector, ruled himself out of the equation having picked up an injury in the semi-final win over St Michaels. Richie Donnelly was named as his replacement but there was a feeling that Byrne's experience would be missed. History beckoned for both teams...it had been 34 years since Ratoath last won the junior championship...Dunsany had never won it and were appearing in the final for only the third time. The morning of the final brought rain and wind and the conditions lasted throughout the game. The conditions were not unlike those in which Ratoath had won their quarter-final and semi-final games and the final followed a similar pattern. Ratoath had first use of the wind but it struggled to make the advantage count. It looked as if they had brought their shooting boots with them when Ger McCullagh opened the scoring after two minutes and Donal Kirwan added another after four. But by the seventh minute they had registered no fewer than five wides. Dunsany eventually settled and the next three scores went to the reds before John Kirwan equalised. It was still 0-3 apiece as the first half went into injury time. A mistake by a Dunsany player out the field saw Ratoath win possession and when the ball was centred, it spilled out towards Martin Mannering who duly despatched it to the back of the Dunsany net. The goal was a huge boost to Ratoath while having exactly the opposite effect on Dunsany. With their confidence soaring, Kealy's men dominated the second half. Ger Mccullough and Lenny Brown generally controlled the centre-field exchanges...McCullough also had the ability to help out in both defence and attack. Paul Kirwan was giving all at centre-half-back while Tony McGuane and Paul Flaherty were similarly effective in the full-back line. Up front Donal Kirwan was as reliable as ever while Martin Mannering and John Kirwan also caused an abundance of problems for the Dunsany defence. Dunsany managed to get to within a point but Ratoath finished the game in almost ccomplete control as Donal Kirwan added three points and John Kirwan added another in the closing stages for an emphatic five point victory, 1-8 to 0-6. There were scenes of great joy after the final whistle with Brendan Kealy appearing to enjoy the victory as much as he had in Dunshauglin's spell of success. Captain Paul Kirwan was presented with the cup and the celebrations got under way. With their state-of-art facilities at Sean Eiffe Park up and running and intermediate status attained, the future looks particularly bright for Ratoath GF & HC. The second team qualified for the Junior 'C' final before going under to Syddan in a replay and while the players and mentors deserve the utmost credit for their memorable achievements, the club's officials and hard-working committees can also take a bow for a job well done. The team that lined out in the Junior Final Double earned Ratoath completed a league-championship double when adding the Schenker ICC sponsored Division 4 FL title to the JFC crown won two weeks earlier by proving too good for St Ultan's at Seneschalstown. The east county side secured the spoils with a scoring burst at the end of each half and were that bit more disciplined than their opponents. Despite playing against a stiff breeze in the second-half, Brendan Kealy's charges outscored their opponents by 0-4 to 0-1 in the latter stages that included overly five minutes of merited stoppage time. The turning point came in the 53rd minute when St Ultan's captain Colm Travers fouled Donal Kirwan who was already on the ground and Ger McCullagh's landed the subsequent free for Ratoath's first score of the second half and restore their advantage at 1-5 to 0-7. Full-forward David Lumley added quick-fire points and though Alan Ball pulled a point back for the Bohermeen side, the team in blue and gold finished with a flourish adding scores from substitute Fiachra Gaughan and Donal Kirwan to secure a prize that appeared to be slipping from their grasp entering the final quarter. Ratoath led by 1-4 to 0-3 at the break and despite conceding a point within a minute of the restart when Kevin Galligan found the range went on to dominate to boss the third quarter but had nothing to show for their efforts. They clocked up three wides including a goal bound jeffect from Barry Crowley that skimmed narrowly wide along the deck in the 42nd minute. Spurred on by this reprieve, St Ultan's posted a trio of scores in as many minutes from Alan Ball, Eugene Brady and Paul Murray, who had moved out to the '40'. The latter tying the scores, at 0-7 to 1-4 with 12 minutes remaining. However, they managed just one further score in the time remaining and can have no complaints about not reversing the result of the JFC quarter-final meeting between these sides. Ratoath won the toss and took advantage of the elements in the opening half, but trailed on three seperate occasions in the opening 27 minutes. Travers and Galligan gave St Ultan's the edge at midfield, but corner forward Alan Ball was their only scoring threat. McCullagh took a knock when trying to play the ball away after a tackle and subsequently swapped places with centre-forward John Kirwan. Then after latching onto a long kick out from Davy Byrne and brushing aside the challenge of Barry Clarke, one of St Ultan's better performers, McCullagh soloed in from the wing before firing over the leveller. Straight from the restart Donal Kirwan collected Lenny Browne's long delivery and held of the attentions of his marker Ciaran Timmons before firing the ball low to the net in the 29th minute to put Ratoath for the first time. From the restart a similar move resulted in the a point for the Ratoath number 15 that left his side four points in front at the break, but with the not to appealing prospect of facing the elements in the second half. However, they persevered and emerged deserving winners of the Malachy Thompson Cup that was presented to the team captain Paul Kirwan by Kathy Gorman representing sponsors Schenker ICC and Tommy Collins, Leinster Council delegate. Ratoath - D Byrne, P Flaherty, T McGuane, B Duffy, S McMahon, P Kirwan, C Killian, G McCullagh (0-2), L Browne, B Crowley, J Kirwan, M Mannering, R Madden (0-1), D Lumley (0-2), D Kirwan (1-3). Subs: N McGoldrick (0-1) for J Kirwan, E Horan for McMahon, F Gaughan for Mannering. Tweet

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