One thing immediately strikes you about Liam Clarke; his utter belief in the Castletown team he captained this year is thoroughly unquenchable. The north Meath club failed to make an impact on the 2002 Intermediate Football Championship, but Liam is adamant that a breakthrough to the senior ranks is within reach. The friendly 26-year-old has been a mainstay in the Castletown side for a number of years now and his midfield exploits even grabbed the attention of Meath boss Sean Boylan towards the end of this year. However back in April Castletown were the only team on his mind. "We beat Rathkenny by a couple of points in our first championship game and although it was good to get off to a winning start it wasn't really great football," he says. In their next outing Castletown dismissed of Curraha, 0-4 to 0-3, in Pairc Tailteann. "That was an extremely low-scoring game and no disrespect to Curraha but we should have been putting away teams like that rather easily. We knew then that we would have to improve our standard of play if we were to do well in the championship." However a string of defeats ensued and Castletown's championship ambitions were soon over for another year. A solid Slane outfit beat them in early May before they faced a struggling Drumconrath side. However Castletown surprisingly lost by the minimum, 0-8 to 0-9, in what was a crushing blow to their campaign. "That defeat to Drumconrath was the turning point of our championship. From there on in we had to rely on other teams to do us favours. Drumconrath are not a bad team but they had a few problems this year and we were expected to beat them. I mean they only got two points all year in the championship and that was from us. In the league they finished bottom with one point from eleven games, and yet again that was because they got a draw against us. I guess that kind of sums up our year," suggests Liam. Interestingly after that defeat, Castletown appeared to get a second wind as they started to record impressive victories in both the league and Feis Cup. At the end of July they accounted for Carnaross in Division 2A, 2-16 to 2-8. Feis Cup triumphs over Duleek and Moynalvey followed as they approached their next championship outing, against Carnaross, in good form. "We actually led 0-6 to no score in that game but they came back at us and beat us by a point or two in the end. That was very disappointing, especially after we had beaten them in the league only weeks earlier. Perhaps we were a little overconfident but in fairness we were missing one of our best players, Barry Smith, for that game." They beat St. Colmcille's, 1-7 to 0-9, next time out but lost to Duleek, 0-13 to 0-6, in their last championship game at the end of September. "It was good to get the win against St. Colmcille's but by the time of the Duleek game it had all become academic really. We needed both Slane and Carnaross to lose if we were to have any chance at all, but it wasn't to be," he says. Castletown held their own in Division 2A this year and although they failed to mount a challenge at the top of the table, they comfortably consolidated their status in the division. Indeed their ability to finish mid-table in a division compromising of senior sides such as Seneschalstown, Walterstown, Cortown, Blackhall Gaels and 2002 Keegan Cup finalists Trim, acts as a reasonable barometer in judging the strength of this Castletown outfit. Intermediate champions of 2002, Ballivor, also participated in the division. Castletown enjoyed an impressive run in the Feis Cup this year, and following those aforementioned victories against Duleek and Moynalvey, they went on to beat Skryne before defeating Syddan in a semi-final. They will now face triple senior champions Dunshaughlin in the decider, but that game is unlikely to take place this year. The Clarke family are synonymous with Castletown GAA. His father, Liam senior, introduced him to the club while Gerry Clarke is an uncle. Liam junior was captain of the Castletown team that were crowned U-21 special champions in 1997. He also played corner-forward on the 1995 side that contested the intermediate final against Simonstown. "That was a great achievement but I was only a young fella at the time. The U-21 win was great and some of the players that played against Kilmainhamwood that day are with the intermediates now. Sean Barry was coaching us again this year and he has been doing a good job but we just need more dedication from all the players," he believes. "Castletown are definitely good enough to win the championship. The potential and talent is certainly present in the players. I would love to see all the lads give 100% for one year and I think we would win the championship. I mean one year is not really that long and if we give it our best shot we won't be far away. It would all be worthwhile if we got the chance to run out in Pairc Tailteann next September to play in an intermediate final. Even if we don't win it, at least we can say we gave it everything." Away from the club scene Liam played for the Meath seniors in November this year, when Sean Boylan's charges took on All-Ireland champions Armagh for an official pitch opening in Newry. The Castletown man was brought on at midfield during the game as Meath ran out victors, 4-13 to 2-9. "It was a great honour to play for the Meath seniors. I wasn't too nervous or anything before the game. More than anything else you would have great respect for the players around you on the team." Indeed the talented midfielder might well be in line for further call-ups to the Meath side as Sean Boylan has had very little strength in depth in that area over the last few years. Nigel Crawford and John Cullinane played in the centre of the field for Meath this year but they had very little cover. Nigel Nestor can also play there but his versatility is too important for Sean Boylan to locate him at midfield. Evan Kelly is another possible candidate after he lined out at midfield in the challenge against Armagh but the Drumree player has made the wing forward berth his own in recent years. Consequently there is a real opportunity for Liam to stake a claim on the panel. "From a personal point of view I would love to get another run with the Meath team but from a club perspective winning the championship would be absolutely fantastic. Perhaps even more so than anything else I would like to win the Intermediate Championship with Castletown. Anything after that would be a huge bonus for me," he states. Castletown will once again be among the pre-championship favourites in 2003. The middle grade of football in Meath is perhaps the hardest of any to win, but the green and golds are determined to be in the running for the Mattie McDonnell Cup next year. Liam will be on board again, carrying that thoroughly unquenchable belief with him, from the dressing room to the playing field. If his colleagues show the same amount of conviction, Castletown will be hard to stop. Indeed next year could be a huge year in Liam's football career. He is on the verge of big things with both club and county. He will give it his best shot, and should they both ultimately prove fruitless, at least he will know he gave it everything. In the 1991 Royal Meath Yearbook former Castletown footballer and treasurer Jimmy Young earmarked Liam as one of the best young footballers in the club. "A player for the future. I mean it, watch him develop over the next five years, he has what it takes." Just over five years later Liam Clarke led the U-21 team to glory. Since then the midfielder has proven he has what it takes and Castletown now hope that 2003 is the year he helps bring championship success to the intermediate side. Tweet

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