Mickey Naughton knows what it's like to win an Intermediate championship as a player. It is for this reason that he is as determined as anyone to see Duleek back in the championship winners enclosure. According to the present-day selector some steps of progress was made during 2000. The Mattie McDonnell cup is the only prize that matters as far as the gaels of Duleek GFC are concerned. It hasn't been kind enough to pay them a visit in recent times but hopes are high that little misdemeanour will be remedied in the near future. Present day selector Mickey Naughton was centre half back on the last team to win the Intermediate championship. The year was 1978 and Kilmainhamwood were defeated in the decider at Navan. "That was a very close game," Mickey recalls. "Shay Lane pointed a last minute free to win it for us. "Kilmainhamwood had beaten us by 11 points earlier on that year and would have been favourites to win the final but we produced an excellent display despite losing Pat Cullen, who was arguably our best player, midway through the second half with injury. "Ben Cullen, who later went on to play for Meath, moved from midfield to full back to replace Pat and he had a blinder. Shay (Lane) and Pat Grogan also had great games that day." Success was a scarce commodity when Mickey was growing up, playing underage with Duleek, so he was delighted to finally get his hands on a piece of silverware. At the beginning of '78 did Duleek expect to capture the Intermediate title? "We knew we had a reasonable chance of doing it," Mickey replied. "Probably the best game that team played was against Summerhill in the Feis Cup when we drew with them three weeks after they had won the Leinster club championship. "That performance gave us confidence in our ability to go the whole way." The men who masterminded that memorable triumph were Gerry Tolan (trainer), Fr Tully, Tony Callaghan, Tom Heaney, Vincent Geraghty and Paddy Curley. Duleek's reward for winning the Intermediate championship that year was, as it is today, promotion to the senior grade. Unfortunately, their life in the top flight was shortlived as they returned to the Intermediate two years later. "We lost the three Cullens to injury and they were the mainstays of the team so we struggled to compete in the senior championship." Twice during the nineties the opportunity presented itself for Duleek to return to the upper echelons of gaelic football in the Royal County but on both occasions, in 1996 against Cortown and 1997 against Dunshaughlin, the men in green and white failed to find a happy ending to a rags to riches story which began with the junior championship victory of 1994 at Drumconrath's expense. Mickey, a Tara Mines employee, was a selector on the junior winning team along with Eamonn Barry who has since gone on to carve out quite a reputation for himself as a coach within the county. "That was the best period in the history of the club that I can remember. Ok we were bitterly disappointed to lose out in two Intermediate finals but at least we were up there challenging. Wouldn't it have been worse if we weren't winning games." Along with former Castletown player George Clarke (trainer), Cianan Murray, another from the team of '78, and Liam O'Brien, Mickey was a selector with the club this year and they narrowly failed in their bid to qualify for the knock-out stages of the championship. Defeats at the hands of Castletown and Drumree and a draw with Ballivor left them relying on other results going their way but their hopes evaporated when Drumree, who had already qualified, and Ballivor drew in the last game of the group and that paved the way for Ballivor to progress. While it was disappointing not to emerge from the group, Mickey says that it was a major improvement on the previous year when the east Meath side were involved in a relegation fight. "Last year we were relegated from Division 3 of the league and just avoided a play-off to avoid relegation from the championship while this year we were in with a shout of qualifying for the knock-out stages and did well in the league. "So from that point of view it was a successful enough year. We had a couple of injuries too which hampered us but every other club would have faced a similar situation so that can't be used as an excuse." So what about the forthcoming year, can the upward spiral in Duleek GFC's fortunes be maintained? "Things, it must be said, look extremely good for the future. We reached the Minor Div 2 final this year and while we lost to Trim it proves that we have some good up and coming talent in the club. "We perhaps could have won the final but Trim were that little bit stronger on the night and probably deserved to win. But the lads, and their management team of Andrew Watters, Tony Johnson and Brendan Woods, deserve credit for the way they played all year. Three of that team, captain Paul Martin, Michael Johnson and Conaill McGinley played for our Intermediates this year." Mickey, whose daughter Clodagh plays underage football with Bellewstown and Meath, has been involved on the Duleek committee for the past 20 years or so and that spell includes a two year stint as chairman in the late eighties. A move of venues is top of the present committee's list of priorities but according to Mickey there is nothing cast in concrete of yet. He adds that the club have been blessed to have so many dedicated people involved down through the years. Sadly, two of these, former chairman Vincent Geraghty and Hon. President and committee member Bartle Lenehan passed to their eternal reward during 2000. "They were two excellent, hard working clubmen and their passing has left a void in Duleek GFC which will never be filled," concluded Mickey. Tweet

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