Back in the winter of 1993 Niall Walsh's mind was surely still tuned in to an amazing year that culminated in a never to be forgotten appearance in an All-Ireland Minor Football Championship final with Meath on the hallowed turf of Croke Park. A decade later his footballing thoughts as the evenings close in relentlessly have probably been of less famous and full venues and very much of a club nature as he ponders on Clonard's 2003 campaign and their ultimate disappointing elimination from the Junior B Championship at the quarter-final stage against Longwood. But back in '93 Walsh, who has been secretary of the Clonard club for the last five years, as well as lining out in their half-forward line, was very happy and proud to be wearing the Meath jersey as the Royal County went in search of back-to-back All-Ireland Minor Championship titles and a third success in the grade in the short space of just four years. What truly marvellous years they were for under-age football in the county, days that would be welcomed back with open arms by one and all today, and Clonard, of course, was justifiably proud to have one of its own in the thick of the action during the '93 campaign. There was the thrill of a seven-point Leinster final victory over Wicklow and the joy of reaching yet another decider in late September and the build-up to the big day that goes with it. But there was also ultimate disappointment as Meath lost that All-Ireland final to Cork by four points on the same memorable day that Derry made the breakthrough at senior level by getting the better of the Rebel County who had travelled from the south with high hopes of achieving the big double. The overall minor campaign and the chance to play in an All-Ireland final at Croke Park on the biggest day in the Gaelic football calendar is something Walsh recalls with fond memories. "Looking back on the campaign now, it was a really great experience and it was just tremendous to be part of something like that," Walsh recalled. "Playing in an All-Ireland final at Croke Park was so memorable, even if the result didn't go our way on the big day. "It's only now, a decade later, that I can really appreciate just what it all meant - playing in Croke Park and being part of a team taking part in an All-Ireland final. What great memories it all brings back these years later. "I had been on the Meath minor panel in '92 when we won the All-Ireland, but I didn't play, so it was really great to be on the team the following year. "I never got to play at under-21 level for Meath, but I won two Leinster Junior Championship medals with the county and I'll never forget that day when Waterford pouncing late to beat us by a point in the 1999 All-Ireland junior final at Portlaoise. What a real sickener that defeat was for everybody involved." Walsh experienced his share of disappointments with the Royal County on the biggest stage of all for a GAA player, All-Ireland finals, though he will surely always treasure the memories of being part of Meath teams at minor and junior levels. But these days his footballing thoughts lie primarily on the club front with Clonard and the hope that the future will bring some success. Clonard were drawn in Group B of the Junior B Championship for the 2003 campaign, a section that also included Navan O'Mahonys, St. Patrick's, Walterstown, Na Fianna, St. Brigid's, Cortown and St. Colmcille's, who were later to withdrew from the competition. They opened their campaign in early April with a match against Na Fianna - a side they had beaten in the opening round the previous year - and it proved to be just the start that coach Ray Brennan surely called for as they comfortably came out on top by nine points on a 2-7 to 0-4 score line. However, that desired bright opening to the championship wasn't maintained. The initial success was followed by a 0-7 to 1-9 defeat against Walterstown and when Navan O'Mahonys also inflicted damage with a 1-8 to 0-8 win in the third round, Clonard found themselves under pressure in the race for qualification for the knock-out stages as they had just two points in the bag from a possible six. The response to the potentially disastrous situation was positive and they bounced back well with a clearcut eight-point win over Stamullen outfit St. Patrick's (1-12 to 0-7), before scoring their most comfortable success of the competition with a very easy 22-point win over Cortown on a 4-14 to 0-4 score line. St. Brigid's of Ballinacree, a side which inflicted two defeats on Clonard in Div. 5 of the All-County A League, beat them in the championship also, winning the last group match by 0-11 to 1-2, but Clonard had done enough in the section to reach the quarter-finals and a meeting with Longwood followed at Trim on the second Sunday of August. But regrettably, there ended the club's dreams of Junior B Championship glory for another year as Longwood deservedly came out on top by seven points (1-13 to 1-6). It was a day secretary and player Niall Walsh recalled with not a great deal of fondness or satisfaction. "Looking back on that match now, it was very disappointing," he said." It was the first time that Longwood ever managed to beat us in the championship.We hadn't been playing well before that, however, so I suppose it wasn't a great surprise to us really. Longwood were going quite well and they beat us despite being without some of their better players. "Our panel just isn't good enough at the moment and some of them are probably getting a bit too old. On the positive side, there are a fair few new houses being built in the area, but so far we have managed to get only one new adult player as a result. "But, on an encouraging note, we are fielding teams at under-age level again after a gap of a few years and there are some good young players coming along. We lost the Under-12 Div. 4 final this year and the Under-10 final last year, so there is definitely hope there for the future. That's where the extra houses being built in the area will hopefully be a help to us. "But there is a big gap there before these young players will be playing adult football with the club. Kevin Foley (he of the very famous goal scored against Dublin at Croke Park on July 6, 1991 at the end of that amazing four-match Leinster Senior Championship marathon) helps out with the under-13 team and his son plays under-age football with the club." The A League Div. 5 campaign, which opened with a three-point defeat at home to St. Brigid's back in early February, didn't bring a whole lot of joy for Clonard, but the club can only look to the future and the hope that, in years to come, the youngsters who are showing promise on the under-age teams will help bring more in the way of success. Coach Brennan, a man with plenty of experience, also lined out in some matches during the 2003 campaign, having previously been sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury. The County Offaly native, who experienced senior football with Summerhill for a spell, is a player Niall Walsh has tremendous admiration for, having seen his ability at first hand during his school days. "I knew Ray going back to when I went to school in Edenderry," Walsh added. "He is a really fine footballer and is very tough and brave. I won five Leinster Vocational Schools' Championship medals with Offaly and Ray was part of some of those successes. They were great years as well. We even beat Meath on a couple of occasions, but I can also recall being heavily beaten by Kerry in an All-Ireland final." The football season of 2003 didn't bring much in the way of joy for the Clonard club and their loyal band of supporters and the championship elimination at the hands of Longwood was a disappointment, but the fact that the club is again fielding teams in under-age competition in recent years is a very good sign indeed and a very positive investment in the future. Tweet

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