Finally Bellewstown ladies collected the Junior championship title. The Royal county talked to the man who helped make it all possible, Mick Collins. Popular cliche would have it as third time lucky but it would be way off the mark to attribute any elements of fortune to Bellewstown ladies' long-overdue Junior Football title. Hard-fought for and highly-warranted, the club's victory over Rathkenny finally laid to rest the lingering sadness of two consecutive showpiece defeats in '98 and '99. No, there was no luck involved: Bellewstown cut a powerful and imposing swathe through the 2000 campaign, playing solid, sometimes sumptuous football; and ultimately they clinched the title at Dunsany minus the services of their star forward and best player Eimear McAuley. Deserved, is the word. Looking back, what a year 2000 was for Bellewstown manager Mick Collins. Having steered his club to historic glory, he also helped lead Meath to their only All-Ireland title of the millenium season: the U16 ladies All-Ireland title. So a hectic season that usually involved Mick training his charges four nights a week ended with joy, and relief. A victory for commitment. The Collins household, thankfully for Mick, is dominated by football. He has no explaining to do. "We eat, sleep and drink football in our place," he says. Sons Kieran and Mark play underage football with Duleek; daughter Lorna lines out at full back on the Bellewstown team; and Mick's wife, Anne, was the pioneer of ladies football at the east Meath club. It was she who sowed the seeds of Bellewstown success. Those early days in '95 and '96 were anything but easy. A saint's patience would have been tested. "Most of the girls couldn't handle the ball properly," says Mick. "We didn't do much running in the early days, just concentrated on ball skills. It was a painstaking operation." The personalities of the girls had a two-faced effect: it made it easier and harder. "They can be fierce giddy," he says. "But they have a great sense of humour. Nothing affects them. They'll whinge and cry when you get them to do laps but they'll always do them, and no one ever drops out." He contends that it's easier to coach a girl who's an absolute beginner than a lad in the same position. "We got a young 14 year old girl last year, Michelle Dunne, who'd never kicked a ball in the her life before. She caught on to it in no time and was on the Meath U16 team that won the All-Ireland. "The thing about girls, and it's true for them all, is that they'll always listen and do everything you tell them. They never let advice slip out of the brain." Like everything else, there's a touch of science involved. It's just that with ladies football, the science can sometimes involve the uncontrolled burning of phosphorous, when all hell can break loose. The unpredictability, the volatility which makes the female code so enjoyable is a cue for a coach's hair loss. "The clean pick is what makes the game faster certainly but the only thing is, in ladies football you could be winning by 12 points and then all of a sudden you could be behind by 12 points." No such - call it carelessness or ill-fortune - struck Bellewstown in 2000. It was a big season. The club could only countenance victory, nothing else. A third consecutive final defeat, and God knows . . . The first one came against Simonstown in 1998. "We were too cocky," says Mick. "There was too much hype around the locality; the general feeling was that all we had to do was turn up on the day. But on the day we discovered that to win a Junior championship takes less hype and more preparation." The second one was against Dunboyne "who pulled the wool over our eyes". "We should have won that one," he says. Their determination in 2000 could not have been fiercer. "Even when Eimear [McAuley] got injured we had an unbelievable will to win. The girls realised that if they wanted to win it, they'd have to win it without Emer, and they did." McAuley's absence on the day was made lighter by the outstanding display of Meath senior panellist Catriona Cunningham who notched 2-3 from full forward to propel her side to victory. Then there was midfielder Grainne Farrell whose barnstorming performance really caught the eye. "Grainne was on the Meath U14s a couple of years ago but then she sustained a cruciate ligament injury which kept her out for two seasons - she missed both the junior finals that we lost. But she came back this season as strong as ever. She's an awesome all-round player, a real powerhouse." Indicative of Bellewstown's dominance on the pitch, if not on the scoreboard, was their 13 first half wides. With defensive lynchpins Lorna Collins and Grace Davitt in uncompromising form, however, Bellewstown waywardness was not to be punished, and they went in at half time 2-3 to 0-2 in front. The second period witnessed Bellewstown clock up the exact same scoring total, quashing a mini Rathkenny revival. On a scoreline of 4-6 to 2-4, Bellewstown finally claimed the Junior Championship title. Complete joy broke out in the Bellewstown locality. "There was far less hype before this year's final and that stood us in good stead. Catriona put in a wonderful performance for us. She played a real captain's part. I reckon she should have started for Meath in the senior semi-final." The reception the winners received in their home parish was a mirror image of the support they have received in the last number of seasons. Bonfires were lit on the hill and the jubilation went on for many a day. "I have to say," says Mick, "the community has always been right behind this team. Plus, we've had tremendous financial support down through the years - we're very appreciative of that." Mick didn't have much time to celebrate Bellewstown's great victory. Along with his wife Anne and Seneschalstown's Geraldine Sheridan, he was a selector for the Meath U16s who later that week took on Galway in Ballinasloe for the All-Ireland title. "It was a great honour being involved with Meath U16s and I have to thank Geraldine for giving me that opportunity." Having been beaten in last year's final, Meath were not going to let disappointment visit them again on this occasion. They ran out easy 3-11 to 1-8 winners. "It was a victory that meant a lot to a lot of people," says Mick. "And it was fully deserved for the hard work those girls put in throughout the year. I would say that eight or nine of them will make the Meath senior panel. "The game has never been stronger here in the county. It gets great support from the public and great coverage in the local papers. I think things can only go from strength to strength." For Bellewstown and Meath. The Bellewstown team that won the Junior championship title: S. Watters, C. Brannigan, L. Collins, F. Coyle, S. Rooney, G. Davitt, Deirdre Brannigan, G. Farrell, G. Meade, M. Dunne, O. Whyte, C. Power, R. Duffy, C. Cunningham, Denise Branigan. Subs: F. Kearns, M. Kearns Tweet

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