Wolfe Tones returned to the senior grade at the first time of asking when they overcame a spirited challenge from Kilskyre in the Intermediate Hurling Championship decider at a wind and rain swept Athboy on Sunday October 20. With weather conditions reducing the contest to a lottery, club secretary and centre half back Aidan Jordan was happy to have the winning ticket. For a club like Wolfe Tones relegation was a bitter pill to swallow. Therefore the club was most anxious to regain its senior status at the first time of asking. There was an unspoken fear in the club. Failure to return to the senior grade could result in a loss on momentum and a prolonged stay in the intermediate grade. Aidan articulated the fear: "It was a big disappointment to be relegated in that the games we played were all close defeats. There can be a very small margin between relegation and indeed going on to win the championship. Despite being relegated, we felt we were better than intermediate. "We felt that if we didn't bounce back straight away there was a danger that we would lose momentum and languish in the intermediate ranks for a number of years. The fear was there and that spurred us to put in a huge effort this year." The 2002 Intermediate Hurling Championship final won't be remembered as a classic. The fact the both teams could only muster four scores a piece reflected the difficulties the players encountered in trying to come to terms with the weather conditions. The history books will record that Wolfe Tones came out on top (2-2 to 1-3) having trailed 0-1 to 0-3 at the interval. It will also note that Robert O'Kelly Lynch bagged 1-1, Donal Curtis weighed in with a point and substitute Rory Glennon was sprung from the bench to grab the winning goal in the dying moments. History will also suggest that the foundations for this victory were laid in the first half, when they defended valiantly as a unit and held their opponents, who had a strong wind at their backs, to just three points. However, beneath these cold statistics lies the fact that both sets of players turned in wholehearted and gutsy performances on a day as the saying goes "you won't put a dog out." It is to the players enormous credit that they even took to the field, so bad were the weather conditions. Wolfe Tones and Kilskyre met on three separate occasions in the 2002 Intermediate Hurling Championship - the Tones recording only four scores on each of these occasions. Their first meeting came in the group stages of the championship and ended honours even. Both teams ended on 11 points to top the group - the Tones winning four and drawing three of their seven fixtures. Their second meeting came in the semi-final play-off, with Kilskyre running out eventual winners. "We drew with them earlier in the championship. They beat us by about six points in the semi-final play-off. We were two points up at half time. We lost the momentum in the second half. It was one of those days when absolutely everything that can go wrong did go wrong. We weren't disconsolate. We knew that we weren't as bad as we looked that day and that we could turn it around," Aidan elaborated. Undeterred Wolfe Tones got their season back on track when they overcame the challenge, of the third placed team in the group, Gaeil Colmcille in the semi-final proper by a 3-10 to 1-10 margin. Aidan recalled: "We had a difficulty with fire power up front throughout the campaign. We nailed that lie in the game against Gaeil Colmcille. It was probably our best performance of the year in that it got us to the final. It was the one game where we played showed our true potential." In the run-up to the final the Tones were quietly confident that they could account for Kilskyre. A number of factors contributed to this quiet air of confidence. Aidan explained: "We were delighted going into the final because everybody was talking about Kilskyre. We were the underdogs going in to that game and we used that to our advantage." He added: "We would have a lot of players, including myself that are getting on in terms of age and experience. On the day it was age and experience that won through. It was a game where no quarter was asked and none was given. From a spectators point of view it wasn't a wonderful spectacle, but it certainly was a wholehearted affair." Aidan revealed that another spur came from an unlikely quarter. "The footballers were beaten in the quarter-final of the Junior Championship the previous Sunday. To be honest that was a help to us. The likes of Robert O'Kelly Lynch, John Tiernan, and Alan Fox were stung by that defeat and they were very anxious to bounce back. The rest of us felt for the lads involved in the football and were eager to win it for them." Certain sections of the media suggested that it would be better for Meath hurling if Kilskyre progressed to the senior ranks, because they were a young and stylish team. The inference that Wolfe Tones were 'over the hill' hurt deeply and provided even further motivation. "People said in the media in the build up to the final that it would be better for Meath hurling if Kilskyre won on the basis that they are a young and up and coming team. I feel we will do well at senior next year. Eoin Harrington, John and Stephen Tiernan are all young lads. There are other young lads coming through at under 16 and under 18 level so the future of hurling here is bright. "Any team in gaelic games has to be backboned by experienced players, with a good mixture of youth throughout the team. You won't get anywhere with too much of one or the other. We felt we had a fair balance this year." Looking forward to 2003 Aidan expects the Tones to be knocking on the door of the senior championship. "The Tones have always been title contenders over the past 10 years in terms of contesting semi-finals and finals. Not that many teams like playing the Tones, and I expect it will be the same next year. "The likes of Donal Curtis and Alan Fox, are tremendous athletes as well as hurlers. When you add in the young talent that is coming through, the Tones will be just as hard to beat next year, as they have been over the last 10 years," Aidan concluded. Junior success put on ice It is hard to tell if 2002 was a good year or a bad year for Wolfe Tones' footballers. In the junior championship they stumbled to an unlikely quarter-final defeat against Nobber yet they won promotion to Division 2A of the league. By Gordon Manning. In 2001 they came within touching distance of the Matthew Ginnity Cup only to lose out in the final to Curraha. Their good form ahead of that decider installed the Kilberry outfit as favourites but on the day Wolfe Tones were on the receiving end of a 1-13 to 1-6 score-line. Prior to this year's junior championship they were widely acknowledged as the team to beat. There was a nice mix of youth and experience in the dressing room and the 2001 final defeat would surely be an incentive to go all the way in 2002. Rarely before was there a team tipped by so many to win the junior championship. The general consensus was that they were too good for junior football. It was a lot of pressure for the team to carry on their shoulders but their pre-championship billing looked accurate after an impressive first round victory over Moylagh, 2-12 to 0-11. Wolfe Tones had been placed in Group A along with Moynalty, St. Michaels, Bective, Bellewstown and Moylagh. It was a tough group but they had avoided many of the bigger teams in the championship and they would remain unbeaten for the entire group stage. They recorded their second win of the championship season in comprehensive fashion over Bellewstown, 1-17 to 0-9. In mid-June they disposed of Bective, 2-13 to 0-6. Three games, three wins, it was impressive stuff. A 0-13 to 0-7 win over St. Michaels in early July followed before they faced Moynalty in their last group game at the end of the month. At that stage Moylagh were the only team within striking distance of Wolfe Tones having lost only once. Nevertheless Wolfe Tones fired four goals to the back of the Moynalty net as they notched up victory number five, 4-4 to 1-7, and finished top of the pile. They had advanced to the quarter-finals in impressive style but their opponents were still unknown as Navan O'Mahony's, Dunderry and Nobber had to play out a three-way play-off. Navan beat Nobber 0-14 to 0-10 to book their place in the last eight and so Wolfe Tones would face the winners of the Nobber - Dunderry clash. At the final whistle Nobber looked good for their victory, 1-15 to 2-7, and set-up a quarter-final date with Wolfe Tones. In a dramatic tussle Nobber emerged victorious by the minimum, 1-10 to 2-6, thanks to late points from Gordon Weldon and Gavin Farrelly. It had been a close, hard contest but at the whistle Wolfe Tones' championship ambitions were over for another year. The fact that Nobber went on to lift the Matthew Ginnity Cup brought little consolation to Wolfe Tones. They had been the form side all season with one hand firmly on the trophy yet, when it mattered most, they let their grasp slip. For a club that enjoys success in both codes, the junior football championship of 2002 was a huge disappointment, an anti-climax. However Division 3A of the league proved to be a happy hunting ground for the team this year. Their performances in the league are a good indication of the strength of this Wolfe Tones team. In a division dominated by intermediate sides Wolfe Tones played 11, won nine and lost only two games. They finished level on points with Oldcastle but in controversial circumstances the senior side refused to play the final. Consequently Wolfe Tones were awarded the title by default but Oldcastle, at the time of press, were still considering whether or not to lodge an objection. Wolfe Tones opened their league campaign against Athboy and ran out commanding victors, 3-5 to 0-5. Next up in early March were intermediate challengers Rathkenny, but it was the junior side that emerged winners by six points, 1-12 to 0-9. Two more intermediate teams fell victim to Wolfe Tones in March as they beat Slane, 1-12 to 1-6, and Moynalvey, 1-12 to 2-7. It was a fantastic start to the league but a defeat to junior rivals St. Michaels followed in early April. The Carlanstown club battled out a 2-10 to 1-10 win and Wolfe Tones' league aspirations received another blow from Drumree next time out when a hat trick of goals helped them to a 3-8 to 1-8 triumph. Two defeats on the trot had undone a lot of Wolfe Tones' good work in their earlier games but they bounced back with a win over Curraha, 1-14 to 1-5. For most Kilberry spectators present, it was a sweet victory. Wolfe Tones accounted for Duleek next in mid-July, 1-12 to 0-9, before they dismissed of Moylagh's challenge, 2-9 to 0-11. They continued their winning ways in late August by beating Dunsany 3-7 to 1-11 in their second last outing in the division. In their last match they faced Oldcastle and with Slane breathing down their necks Wolfe Tones needed to win if they were to make sure of promotion. By the final whistle it had turned into something a non-event with the senior side throwing in the towel early on and allowing Wolfe Tones record an easy win. Next year they will compete in Division 2A - a huge step up in terms of ability as many senior sides will be in attendance. In 2002 St. Pauls were the only junior side in the division and they struggled to find their feet. They finished second from bottom after ten defeats and only one solitary win. However if there is any junior outfit in the county capable of surviving in Division 2A it is undoubtedly Wolfe Tones. Playing against the likes of Trim, Blackhall Gaels, Cortown and Ballivor should also help improve the team. There is no substitute for playing against some of the top teams in any county. In that respect 2002 was a good year for Wolfe Tones but such are the ambitions of this club that failure to win the junior championship eclipses any league triumph. They believe they are good enough for intermediate football and few would disagree but ultimately they have failed to deliver the title. Yet again they will be among the pre-championship favourites in 2003. They have been knocking on the door for so long now that should it not open soon, it may remain closed. The team have suffered too much heartbreak in recent times and with every passing year their failure to make the step up to intermediate football becomes an increasingly demoralizing factor. If nothing else 2002 was the year Wolfe Tones proved they were good enough for the middle grade of Meath football by beating a number of intermediate sides in the league. Some might argue that most of those teams would have been concentrating on the championship and that the league took secondary importance, but they still had to be beaten. Wolfe Tones can boast a number of talented players such as captain Robert O'Kelly-Lynch, Keith McLoughlin and Stephen Corrigan while some on the team have also represented Meath at various grades. The panel has plenty of strength in depth and they play extremely well as a unit, hard to break down, yet potent in attack. However they must deliver on the potential they possess and win a junior championship soon. If they fail to make the step up the ladder it will be a travesty, because in truth they deserve to be playing intermediate football. The old cliché goes that if you keep knocking on the door it will eventually have to open, but occasionally the reverse happens. If you keep knocking and get no answer eventually you will become disheartened, tire and walk away. Wolfe Tones must not lose their hunger for junior success. It is a genuine concern but should they remain focused, they have the players to finally realise their potential in 2003. Tweet

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