Just to prove that their inaugural senior championship was earned and not given, Dunshaughlin cast any of their scattered doubters into silence by retaining their title in 2001. No flash in the pan, no fluke. Twelve months after securing their first ever Meath senior football championship, Dunshaughlin came back to prove it was theirs on merit, with victory over favourites Skryne in the first week of November, in the process becoming the first club since their vanquished opponents to win successive Meath senior championships. Like a thoroughbred racehorse, they timed their championship run to perfection, recovering from a less than convincing beginning to their campaign to lead where it mattered, within the shadow of the post, to haul the Black and Amber hordes into the winners' enclosure again. Given the manner of the success, from early summer angst amid poor performances, the first Sunday afternoon in November was a sweet one for Dunshaughlin, a day that saw them gain revenge for defeat at the hands of the Skryne men at the same stage two years ago. Indeed, but for Kilmainhamwood's surprise defeat of Skryne at the semi-final stage in the autumn of 2000, it would have been the third successive meeting of the sides in the county showpiece. Few would argue that Dunshaughlin and Skryne are not the most complete teams within Meath borders, though no-one who attended the decider on the first Sunday in November could have had any doubts as to which was the better of the two on the day. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the game was that Dunshaughlin failed to win by more. After struggling to settle in the early stages, when the breeze advantage was very much in their favour, they came into their own well before the half-time break, and bossed the second half to such an extent that Skryne could manage only a single score from play in that period. That it was a goal from Ken O'Connell meant the lighting of the bonfires down the N3 had to be delayed somewhat, but in truth Dunshaughlin were some way the better side and but for a series of spurned opportunities, would have had no requirement for deep breaths in those tense last moments. Skryne, in need of a three-pointer to salvage a draw, tried to break down the Dunshaughlin back line through every device imaginable, from raking hand-passing movements to dropping high balls into the leaders' massed goalmouth, but they were devoid of either the imagination or the battle-hunger necessary to forge an opening. Martin Reilly, Dunshaughlin's rookie acquisition from St Brigid's of Blanchardstown during the winter, was the Man of the Match recipient, as he mercilessly punished Skryne's indiscipline within scoring range with a host of second half frees. His first half score, also, taken off his right after cleverly eluding an oncoming challenge, came at a time when white flags were a scarce commodity. But it was further outfield wherein lay the roots of Dunshaughlin's dominance. The full back line was steady throughout, and coped admirably with the prayer-book missiles - largely aimed at the not inconsiderable presence of John McDermott - raining down on them in the last few minutes. Too often, though, the balls lacked the direction and surprise to cause the desired confusion; sure-footed and confident, Fergal Gogan, Ken McTigue and the captain, Ciaran Byrne, held firm ahead of goalkeeper Ronan Gogan Outside them, Denis and Aidan Kealy, robust as ever, dominated their space, and Ronnie Yore, all bustle and selfless industry, completed a boulder-steady half back line, restricting time and breathing space to Mick O'Dowd & Co. in Skryne's attacking half line. At midfield, Graham Dowd, facing into a cauldron inhabited by a refocused John McDermott - is there a tougher test? - responded with a thoroughly resolute performance, embellished by two cracking points in the opening half, the first his side could muster after 15 minutes of inertia. On a day when free-taking held sway, he was the only Dunshaughlin player to register twice from play, equaling his semi-final tally. On top of a drumlin of work around the field over the hour, his was quite a contribution. Niall Kelly, at right half forward, burst into life after a quiet opening quarter, and he too, as befits his talents, left his indelible mark on the game: running from deep, utilising his Taurean frame to win possession, pressurising the Skryne back line with searching long drives. Even at that, Kelly was far from his imperious best; when he happens to turn it on, no football follower will want to miss it. On the other flank of the half line, Reilly offered an outlet that Dunshaughlin had previously lacked. From frees, though he missed a couple, he was almost relentless, soul-destroying in his monotonous routine. As Skryne's discipline waned, Reilly made hay while the early winter sun shone. Michael McHale, big, strong, was the ideal foil from centre forward for the more ruthless assassins inside. And though the pistols of both David Crimmins and Richie Kealy misfired - neither of Dunshaughlin's principals could manage a score from play - both needed watching. On the scoreboard, the opposing defenders did their job, preventing Kealy, last year's MoM, and Crimmins, at full forward so often the focal point of this particular attack, from finding the target; in truth, it was far from being so clear-cut. As dangerous as brimstone, they never allowed the Skryne defenders rest on their laurels, dragging defenders from the sanctuary of their respective zones, creating space for attacking colleagues, drawing fouls from their markers. Trevor Dowd, a late call-up in place of David Tonge, completed the most dangerous scoreless full forward line in the business. It was not always so. This success, brought to fruition in the sticky ground of November, had its roots in the final of '99, when Dunshaughlin, fresh-faced and infectiously enthusiastic, just two years out of the intermediate ranks, travelled to Pairc Tailteann to face Skryne, the aristocrats, champions of Meath ten times within the previous 60 years. With the weight of public support behind them, Dunshaughlin faltered, failing to do themselves justice in front of the packed terraces. They held Skryne within their sights for 40 minutes but could not rise with the tide and eventually surrendered tamely beneath the waves, their cause hardly helped by a knee injury to Niall Kelly. They thought their opportunity for vengeance might come twelve months later, but Kilmainhamwood scuppered the plan by beating Skryne in the semi-final. Nothing for it but to blitz them and wait in ambush. And this year, from beneath the bushes, came the assault. Skryne had marched stoutly all the way to the decider, their only slip coming with a draw against Syddan in the unusual surroundings of Kilberry - not the natural habitat of Skryne's finest. In four games in Pairc Tailteann prior to the final, Skryne had collected 7-46, conceding an average of less than seven points a game. With Trevor Giles and John McDermott, Mick O'Dowd and Clare recruit Bryan McMahon, they had the big names, the big guns, the big reputations; but Dunshaughlin had the big idea. Case closed, after months of striving for justification, months when the champions often played their role with little of the anticipated zeal. In their initial taster of Leinster club football last winter, three games against Wicklow's Rathnew produced more controversy than free-flowing football and ended, eventually, in victory. After, or perhaps during, those games, Dunshaughlin's form dipped. Perhaps dented by the expenditure of effort needed to dispose of Rathnew, the Meath champions proved no match for Moorefield of Kildare, who eased through by virtue of a four-goal blast. But instead of the winter break providing the necessary recharge, Dunshaughlin returned to championship action with a similarly stunted level of form. It would be a fallacy to suggest that it had not been worrying. In the first round of their defence, victory came by way of struggle more than style against Ballinlough, who themselves narrowly avoided the unforgiving hand of relegation. Next they travelled to Dunsany to face Simonstown. Always cocked but rarely fired, Simonstown enjoyed one of their better days, and left talking of medals, should the potential be harnessed. The ones holding the medals, though, were thinking of revival, not relaxation. Needing a win in their final group game to be assured of at least a play-off for a place in the last eight, they faced Kilmainhamwood in Navan. The chips were down, and Dunshaughlin delivered, with just their third victory in seven championship games (including the Leinster club campaign) since overcoming the same opposition in the final of 2000. The margin of victory - a comfortable six points - also spoke volumes of an inner avowal to defend their title with fortitude. It was the clearest indication yet that they were far from a spent force. Though well beaten by Simonstown, the feeling lingered that had that game been make-or-break, Dunshaughlin would have made. Resolve, perhaps embodied best by the Kealy clan that comprises its backbone, has always been a major trait of this current Dunshaughlin set-up. Suddenly, Simonstown having slipped up against Ballinlough, they were in the last eight and, only an hour's football after their obituaries had been penned, they were being spoken off as possible champions. Most agreed that Skryne were the likeliest victors, and the bookmakers, those astute surveyors of form, made Dunshaughlin best of the remaining seven. They could hardly have been in a more envious position: proven in the particular rigours of championship, lying insidiously in wait for their prey, anticipating the moment when they might be asked to prove their worth. Events in the knock-out rounds conspired to ensure final favouritism would rest in the laps of the Skryne men, whose unconvincing performances had still yielded relatively angst-free victories over Kilmainhamwood and Dunderry. Had both Dunshaughlin's quarter-final and semi-final ended at the three-quarters stage, they would surely have been in pole position, well fancied to defend their crown come final Sunday. Coasting against Oldcastle, nine points up with ten minutes left, they conceded a couple of late goals and held on by two. Likewise against Walterstown in the last four, where an eight-point lead with 14 minutes left on the clock evaporated to just one, but the long blast - and some profligacy on the part of Walterstown's attackers - saved their bacon. The jury was out: complacent on account of an inherent superiority, or bereft of the killer instinct necessary to trouble the best? Against Skryne, the verdict would be delivered. The final was a poor affair, perhaps accursed by the intermediate final drama that preceded it, a case of the curtain-raiser upstaging Hamlet. The victors scored just three from play, a measly total, but still enough to outnumber the efforts of Skryne, who managed just two, including the goal. One score from play every twelve minutes might not have been enough to satiate the palate of the neutral observer, but they will care nought for that in the south Meath village. Four years in senior football, three county final appearances, two Keegan Cups. Strike rates rarely get much better than that. Which begs the question: what next? When the summit is reached, surely the only way to go is back down the mountain? Alacrity has never been more commonplace down Dunshaughlin way, however, and they will be keen to pitch camp at the top for a few more years yet. And anyway, as the old defenders of the battlements would vouch, it's easier to fight from a height, right? What price the first three-in-a-row since Navan O'Mahony's managed it in 1989? And there's a fall from grace to keep the Dunshaughlin men on their toes. Dunshaughlin (v Skryne, SFC final, November 4th, 2001): R. Gogan, F. Gogan, K. McTigue, C. Byrne (capt.), R. Yore, A. Kealy, D. Kealy, G. Dowd, D. Kealy, N. Kelly, M. McHale, M. Reilly, R. Kealy, D. Crimmins, T. Dowd. Macartans Martins 2001 was the kind of year you dream about for the St Martin's club. U-14 county champions in both football and hurling . . . things don't get much better than that. The trips to Tipperary and Cork for the Feile competitions were other highlights. Royal County spoke to football manager Macartan McGroder about a year he and his players won't forget in a hurry. If the U-14 football and hurling mentors of St Martin's had have sat down at the start of the year they couldn't possibly have concocted a more successful scenario than the one which was to follow in subsequent months. The undisputed kingpins of U-14 football and hurling in the county during the year, they did the county proud when taking part in the Feile hurling and football competitions which were held in Cork and Tipperary respectively this year. The hurling Feile was held in the Rebel County over the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd of June and the Dunshaughlin parish lads claimed a notable scalp when getting the better of the famed St Finbarr's of Cork. Unfortunately, host club Aghabullough and Antrim's Gort na Mona proved to be more difficult opposition but those defeats failed to dampen the enthusiasm and memories of the trip will live on in the minds of these young hurlers for many years to come. Paul Barry and Michael Wallace were the brains behind the club's hurling success this year and they were ably assisted by Meath Juvenile Board secretary Mairead Delaney. The footballers, meanwhile, fared out better when they travelled to Tipperary in early July. Host club Holycross-Ballycahill, Loughmore-Castleiney and Donegal's Bundoran were comfortably accounted for en-route to a semi-final meeting with Down standard-bearers An Riocht. Hopes were high of reaching the Division 2 decider but as events transpired, the red and black brigade, who were minus the services of star forward Conor Staunton, lost out on a scoreline of 1-6 to 1-2. An Riocht subsequently went on to claim the title. "Losing the semi-final was a regret I will always carry because it was a game we could have won," remarked Macartan McGroder who was manager of the team along with Tim O'Kane, Tom Finn and Dan McLoughlin. "But, in fairness to An Riocht they were an outstanding team, one of the best underage teams I have ever seen. "The whole Feile experience was great for the lads and they all really enjoyed themselves. They were playing football at the highest level and proved that they were a match for any team out there. It was certainly one of the highlights of my involvement with coaching underage teams," added Mac who has been involved with St Martin's underage teams for the past ten years. Incidentally, David Devereaux finished the tournament as his team's top scorers with 5-6 while Adrian Toolan, son of Dunshaughlin senior selector TP, represented Meath in the skills competition and narrowly missed out on a place in the final. The disappointment at losing out to An Riocht was shortlived as they were crowned Meath U-14 champions the Wednesday night after their return from the Premier County. The final was played in Bective and opponents Round Towers were defeated by 1-8 to 0-3. Despite having wind advantage in the opening half the eventual winners only led by 0-5 to 0-2 at the half-time break. A big effort was required for the final 30 minutes and midfielders Christopher Dixon and Michael Ahern, in particular, responded to the challenge. The St Martin's defence, which was marshalled superbly by centre-back Michael Wallace, was also in top form while full-forward David Devereaux caught the eye along with Conor Staunton and Shane Kelly up front. Devereaux opened the scoring for St Martin's with a close range point in the 5th minute and added a second from 40 metres out in eight minutes later. At that stage, the sides were level but Devereaux doubled his personal tally while Staunton also found his range to finish off the first half scoring. The anticipated Round Towers revival never materialised after the resumption and points from Kelly, Ahern and a marvellous effort from Dixon gave St Martin's a 0-8 to 0-3 cushion entering the final quarter. Staunton put the issue beyond any doubt when he struck for the game's only goal in the 54th minute to ensure victory for his side and St Martin's first triumph in the competition since 1959. "If I had to sum up this team, one thing I would say is that it is blessed with a large number of players who are willing to get stuck in if things are going wrong," said Mac. "None of them would drop their heads when things weren't going their way. They hated losing and that showed in their displays because they were always very committed." However, they weren't satisfied at just that. There was still the matter of the League final to be decided and this time St Martin's were due to meet Simonstown, who they had already beaten in the first round of the championship. The Navan team had knocked Round Towers out of contention in their semi-final while St Martin's had got the better of Summerhill. Conor Staunton scored a hat-trick in that particular encounter. The League final turned out to be a lot more convincing for the Dunshaughlin/Drumree combination as they emerged victorious on a scoreline of 3-18 to 1-7. A Shane Kelly goal gave them the perfect start and, although Simonstown did manage to hit the front midway through the first half it didn't take McGroder's troops long to regain control. At half-time they led by 2-6 to 1-6 but a Cillian Finn goal soon after the restart signalled a sign of things to come. One of the highlights of St Martin's performance was two converted '45s' by midfielder Michael Ahern, one in each half. "The weekend prior to that game we saw Wayne McCarthy from Dublin miss easier frees against Meath in the Leinster final," pointed out Mac whose son Stephen was a member of both the football and hurling panels. What now for this team in the future, can they make further progress up the Meath GAA ladder in the years to come? "It's difficult to predict what will happen in the future as regards underage football," replied Mac. "I would like to think that we can go on from here and win the U-16 in two years but it doesn't always work out that way. You have to take every year as it comes but hopefully if we can keep all the players involved then we can go on to bigger and better things. That is a big challenge though because there is a lot of other distractions for youngsters nowadays." The St Martin's panel which represented Meath in the Feile football competition was: Brian Coughlan, Stephen McGroder, James Gaughan, Patrick Doohan, Alan McLoughlin, David Wallace, Adrian Toolan, Christopher Dixon, Michael Ahern, Ciaran Farrelly, Shane Kelly, Cillian Courtney Finn, David Devereaux, Mark Caldwell, Ian Hand, Martin Cosgrave, Fionan O'Kane, John Coleman, John Coffey, Paul Kiernan, Shane Toher, Cathal O'Reilly, Keith Byrne. The St Martin's panel which travelled to Cork for the Feile hurling competition was: Tim O'Regan, John Coffey, David Bracken, Shane Kelly, Adrian Toolin, David Wallace, Ciaran Farrelly, Seamus White, James Gaughan, Paul Kiernan, Brian Coughlin, Paul Coffey, Emmet O'Callaghan, Christopher Duncan, Duncan Geraghty, Fionan O'Kane, Shane Troy, Fergal Delaney, Stephen McGroder, Val Gannon, Martin Cosgrove, Brian McKeon. Tweet

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