Two years ago the Dunshaughlin club were celebrating a long awaited Intermediate championship success, this year they came to within sixty minutes of landing Meath football's blue riband prize. Their meteoric rise up the rankings is the kind of stuff fairytales are made of and despite their final loss at the hands of neighbours Skryne, the Eamonn Barry coached side should be proud of their achievements in 1999. The David V Goliath scenario which arose when Dunshaughlin squared up to Skryne in this year's Meath SFC decider whet the appetite of gaelic football supporters throughout the county but, unfortunately for Dunshaughlin, there was no giant killing exploits as the Tara men - inspired by 'Footballer of the Year' Trevor Giles - justified their favourites tag to claim their eleventh senior title, 1-12 to 0-8 was the final score. With just five miles separating the Dunshaughlin and Skryne pitches it was inevitable that family (and neighbour) relationships would be strained in the build up to the highlight of the Meath GAA calendar. Brian and Tiernan O'Rourke - sons of Fergus of the famous Skryne clan - were key members of Dunshaughlin's XV while their cousins, Felim and Liam, were on the Skryne panel. Dunshaughlin substitute Ronnie Yore's first cousin, Alan Carty, was also on the Skryne panel. It was the Skryne contingent who were sporting the biggest smiles when referee Peter Fox blew his final whistle. A seven minute spell early in the second half effectively decided the destination of the Keegan Cup for 1999. The sides were level at the break, 0-4 apiece, Dunshaughlin having had the better of the opening thirty minutes, but Skryne rattled off 1-5 during a profitable period to effectively seal the issue. To their credit Dunshaughlin kept plugging away but they were left with a mountain to climb. The early departure of midfielder Niall Kelly through injury didn't help matters while the one point return from play was never going to be sufficient. David Crimmins was unlucky in the first half when his goal bound effort was well saved by Phillip Kinsella in the Skryne goal. Drawn in Group D, a four team group along with Walterstown, Trim and reigning Keegan Cup holders Dunboyne, a senior final appearance was the last thing on Dunshaughlin supporters' minds after they had witnessed their team open their championship campaign with a defeat at the hands of Walterstown. The scoreboard read 2-9 to 0-8 at the end of the tie at Navan. The town team had only themselves to blame for coming away empty handed as, between them, Graham Dowd, Dermot Kealy and David McCormack were guilty of missing eight scoreable frees, four of which were from close range and in front of the posts. They were by far the more dominant team in the first half and should have led by more than 0-5 to 0-3 by the 27th minute stage. A Walterstown goal, just before the interval, undid Dunshaughlin's good work. All-Ireland medal winner Richie Kealy was the Black and Amber's best performer and he hit three points in a row, between the 14th and 22nd minute. Dowd and Dermot Kealy were others to hit the target in the first half. Walterstown held a 1-5 to 0-5 advantage when referee Peter Fox brought an end to the first half proceedings. Dunshaughlin's squandermania continued unabated on the resumption and they brought their wides tally to 13 after six misses in the first 10 minutes. Walterstown were more economical in front of the posts and made Dunshaughlin pay the price for their misses. Substitue Stephen Claire (0-2) and Dermot Kealy were responsible for Dunshaughlin's three second half points. Dunshaughlin were now facing a knock-out situation so, it's fair to say, they would have preferred to play anyone else but Keegan Cup holders Dunboyne in their next encounter. As events transpired they relieved neighbours Dunboyne of their senior crown thanks to a 1-8 to 1-7 victory at Summerhill. This was one of the games of the 1999 Meath SFC, it produced two penalty goals, a sending off and a nailbiting climax with Denis Kealy hitting the headlines as Dunshaughlin's hero of the hour by slotting over two highly pressurised frees in the closing stages. Dunshaughlin probably deserved to shade the tie. They were the hungrier side and nobody deserved to have the final say more that left half back Kealy. The number 7 scored 1-4 of the winner's tally. His only score from play was superb 51st minute point when he burst through the Dunboyne defence to leave the sides all square, 1-6 apiece, for the first time in the game. Andy McEntee and Kealy ('45') traded points and everyone expected referee Seamus McCormack to blow his final whistle at this stage but surprisingly he played an extra five minutes during which McEntee received his marching orders for a second yellow card after a foul on the influential Kealy. A subsequent foul on captain Dermot Kealy handed his younger brother the opportunity to earn maximum points with a 30 metre free and he made no mistake to knock Dunboyne out of the Keegan Cup race. Dunboyne took the lead for the first time in cruel circumstances in the 47th minute when they were awarded a penalty for a foul on county star Nigel Crawford. McEntee's effort rebounded off the post but hit the back of goalkeeper Brian O'Rourke and finished up in the back of the net. It was 1-4 to 0-4, in Dunshaughlin's favour at the break. Their goal arrived via the penalty spot when Kealy punished a foul on David Moroney. Dunshaughlin, who were in unfamiliar maroon jerseys, bounced back from the concession of the penalty goal to record a memorable win. Next up was a final group game against Trim with a place in knock-out stages up for grabs and once again Dunshaughlin's supporters got value for money. The losers would face a relegation play-off and both teams certainly played with the men in black and amber winning by 0-18 to 0-12 Trim had looked the more likely winners for the majority of this entertaining contest but six points in the last seven minutes ensured Dunshaughlin's qualification. It was 0-12 apiece when Denis Kealy, David Crimmons, Tiernan O'Rourke, Stephen Claire (free), Trevor Dowd and Richie Kealy raised white flags at the hospital end in Pairc Tailteann to secure Dunshaughlin's win. No fewer than nine players in black and amber stripes got amongst the scorers. Graham Dowd, the only Dunshaughlin forward not to register, had the game's only goal chance but his effort was well saved by the Trim custodian after six minutes. Four times in the first half Trim led by two points and once by three but four times Dunshaughlin responded to draw level and it was 0-8 apiece at the break. Meath colleagues Darren Fay and Richie Kealy were in direct opposition in the first half and early in the second quarter Kealy found enough space to point with the left. Trim resumed with Fay at centre field and he got amongst the scorers 13 minutes into the second half to put his side 0-11 to 0-9 to the good. Denis Kealy (free) and substitue Trevor Dowd (with his first touch) replied. Another Denis Kealy free put Dunshaughlin into the lead. Trim restored parity but the floodgates opened for Dunshaughlin soon after and they made the push for home. Despite their impressive wins over Dunboyne and Trim, Eamonn Barry's charges were still considered as underdogs entering their quarter-final clash with Simonstown Gaels. The Navan side provided the opposition when Dunshaughlin made their debut in the top flight in 1998 and inflicted a 1-7 to 0-6 defeat on the then senior new boys. But Dunshaughlin were a year older and wiser when they met in Pairc Tailteann in early October and booked their place in the penultimate stages with a fully merited 1-10 to 1-7 success. It capped off a memorable week for Richie Kealy who had come on as sub seven days earlier in Meath's All-Ireland victory over Cork, while the display of his brother Denis, at 20 the youngest of the Kealy's, attracted the attention of Sean Boylan and his selectors and earned him a call up to the senior panel for the trip to Boston. He contributed 0-6 (five from frees) to his side's total but it was his all round play from his half back berth that particularly caught the eye. Simonstown were flattered by the end scoreline. It wasn't until the closing stages that they made an impact and Dunshaughlin had put the issue beyond any doubt by the 54th minute when they had established a 1-10 to 1-4 lead. They could even afford the luxury of settling for a point when Tiernan O'Rourke was fouled for a penalty ten minutes from the end. Denis Kealy opened Dunshaughlin's account after just 50 seconds of play but they found themselves behind a minute later when Simonstown netted. Tiernan O'Rourke provided the perfect response two minutes later when his shot thundered off the underside of the crossbar for a goal following a knock-down from Richie Kealy. Their Navan counterparts levelled soon after but Dunshaughlin upped the tempo and points from Denis (0-3) and Richie Kealy left them 1-5 to 1-2 ahead. The lead should have been greater but five wides, between the 12th and 25th minutes, kept Simonstown within touching distance and they punished Dunshaughlin with a brace of points which left the bare minium between them at half-time, 1-5 to 1-4 in Dunshaughlin's favour. As in the first half, Denis Kealy was the first off the mark with a close range free and midfielder Niall Kelly, who featured on their year's Meath U21s, hit a massive 50 metres point at the beginning of the final-quarter. Graham Dowd maintained Dunshaughlin's initiative with a fine effort from the right touchline and Tiernan O'Rourke got in on the act in the 52nd minute as Dunshaughln raced 1-9 to 1-4 ahead. Kealy's pointed penalty arrived soon after and by the time Simonstown had injected some urgency in their play the tie was effectively over. Ken McTigue was outstanding for the winners at full back and not even Richie Kealy's premature retirement with injury in the first half could knock Dunshaughlin out of their stride. Dunshaughlin's reward was a semi-final date with championship favourites Dunderry and they proved that their championship form to date was no flash in the pan when registering a 1-8 to 2-2 win over the 1995 Meath senior champions. Four of the Kealy clan started this tie while two Brendan (who was also a selector) and Kevin came on as substitutes. Each played their part in the biggest win of the club's history. Tommy Dowd's contribution to Dunderry's year was, like with the county team, seriously curtailed by his back injury. He did play the full sixty minutes on this occasion but was well below his par. Ken McTigue and Denis Kealy combined to snuff out his threat. Dunderry weren't helped by the third quarter dismissal of their corner forward Keith Folan but they can have no complaints at the end result as Dunshaughlin were the better team over the hour. Indeed their winning margin should have been more but again their tally of 14 wides, seven in each half, kept the door open for Dunderry. Dunderry added some respectability to the scoreline in the closing stages with a goal but they never looked like threatening the eventual winners' lead. The team in black and white took the lead with a point in the fifth minute, but Dunshaughlin replied instantly when Richie Kealy sent over the first of his three points. David Crimmons was then fouled and Denis Kealy popped over the free but they were responsible for more wides than points at this stage and coach Eamonn Barry and his selectors must have been worried. Their concerns were eased somewhat when full forward Tiernan O'Rourke rattled the net after some good work by Richie Kealy and that gave them 1-3 to 0-1 breathing space at the interval. Dunderry's hopes were boosted by a trademark Tommy Dowd point on the restart but the Dunderry revival failed to materialise and Dunshaughlin were 1-4 to 0-2 ahead by the end of the third quarter but they continued to increase their wides tally. Their opponents manufactured a goal and it looked as though an exciting finale was in the offing but points from Denis Kealy and David Moroney reaffirmed the Sherry Auctioneers sponsored side's superiority. Dunderry's late goal failed to ruffle any feathers. Finally, a review of Dunshaughlin's year would not be complete without special mention of Eamonn Barry's contribution to the Black and Amber's. The former Walterstown player has enjoyed success with Duleek, St. Peregrines of Dublin and the Meath juniors in the past and is one of the most respected coaches in the Royal County. Along with his selectors, Brendan Kealy and TP Toolin, he had Dunshaughlin playing a nice, attractive and, most importantly of all, an effective style of football. While he will be as disappointed as anyone with the final defeat, with him in their corner, Dunshaughlin have every chance of going one step further in 2000. The Dunshaughlin XV which lined out against Skryne was - B O'Rourke; C Byrne, K McTigue, Denis Kealy (0-6); S Kelly, A Kealy, F Gogan; Dermot Kealy, N Kelly; S Claire, R Kealy, D Moroney; G Dowd (0-1), T O'Rourke (0-1), D Crimmins. Subs: B Keely for N Keely, R Yore for S Kelly, T Dowd for G Dowd. An all Rounder Shane O'Brien talks to Dunshaughlin's 'Hall of Fame' winner Patsy McLoughlin about his playing and refereeing days as well as his administration record. Patsy McLoughlin has been one of Dunshaughlin's most loyal servants since first donning the black and amber in an U15 challenge game against Batterstown in 1943. As player, referee, official (at club and County Board level) he has given a distinguished service to the club and this was recognised at Dunshaughlin's dinner dance when he received the 'Hall of Fame' award from Co. Board Chairman Fintan Ginnity. "I was very surprised when I learned that I was to receive the 'Hall of Fame' award, I didn't think I deserved it," he reflects modestly. "It was a tremendous honour for me and I'm extremely thankful to the club for choosing me. Anything I ever did I did because I thoroughly enjoyed myself and it has been a pleasure to be associated with such a great club." Since making their long overdue Intermediate breakthrough in '97 - ironically at the expense of Duleek, who were then coached by present Dunshaughlin manager Eamonn Barry - Dunshaughlin proved this year's that they can mix it with the best in the Royal County. "The Committee, Eamonn Barry included, have put in a terrible amount of work to make sure that we continue to make progress. There's few better chairmen or secretaries around than Paddy O'Dywer or Cyril Creavin. The players have responded accordingly, they gave great commitment this year. Unfortunately they couldn't beat Skryne in the final but they were a credit to the club. I'd love to see the Keegan Cup coming to Dunshaughlin soon, I'd definitely die a happy man." The seeds of Dunshaughlin's progress at adult level were sown by the club's underage section, St. Martins. "We've had our fair share of success at underage level these last few years and the majority of the present senior team would have come up through the ranks. It's vital to the progress of any club to have a good underage structure, afterall it's the stepping stone to the adult teams. We're very fortunate to have Jim Gillian as a teacher in the local school. He's put a lot of effort into underage football in the area and it's paying off now." Together, Patsy and Jim Gilligan produced the history of the Dunshaughlin club in 1982 and to this day it's still regarded as one of the finest club publications in the county. The highlight of Patsy's days in the club colours was the junior championship success of 1950 at Martry's expense. It was Dunshaughlin's first ever football title win and the affable McLoughlin lined out in the number 2 jersey. Whilst up in the senior ranks, neighbours Skryne proved to be Dunshaughlin's Achille's heel. "We reached the senior quarter final in 1952 but Skryne knocked us out, and they did the same two years later in '54, this time in the semi-final. They went on to win the championship that year so it proves that we weren't too far away." He continues: "We went back Intermediate in '55, Duleek beat us in the semi-final. O'Mahonys beat us in the final, after a replay, the following year. We had the help of Drumree players from 1950-'56 but they went back on their own so in '57 we went down to junior. We won the junior championship again in '58. I retired then in '61." Patsy has a long overdue confession to make. "I played in the minor final of 1947 against Julianstown when I was a year overage. The game went to a replay but they won by two or three points so, I suppose you could say, justice was done!" A Junior 'B' encounter between Donaghmore and Skryne in Dunshaughlin in 1952 was Patsy's introduction into refereeing, he blew his last whistle in 1980! On the domestic front, the Minor final of 1961 was the highlight of his career as one of the men in black while he also refereed intercounty games. For example, he officiated at a Louth/Dublin U21 clash in Drogheda when one Jimmy Keaveney first came to the public's attention. He remembers refereeing four games in the one day! "I was in charge of a Feis Cup game between St. Pats and Kilbride and a junior championship game between neighbours Donore and Lougher, both in Skryne. Later that evening I refereed two seven-a-side games in Dunshaughlin. I slept well that night I can tell you," he adds laughing. Did referees come in for the same level of criticism back then as they do now? "No, but then there weren't as many rules in those days as there are today. I enjoyed my time refereeing and there were some great teams around like St. Vincents, Skryne and so on. It was seldom that referees would get any trouble from players from those teams." Patsy served three terms as chairman of the Dunshaughlin club, 1952-'57, 1968 and 1983. In between he did a stint as Deputy Vice-chairman and was the club's Co. Board delegate for a number of years. He's now an Honourary President of both the St. Martins and Dunshaughlin clubs. Also at County Board level, he was Chairman of the Juvenile Board from 1978-'81 and also served on the Special Investigations Committee for a number of years. Patsy attended his first Annual Convention in 1948 and has only missed one since, in 1992 due to health reasons. The Royal County's success this year was made all the more pleasing for Patsy, and indeed all the Dunshaughlin club, by the fact that one of their own featured prominently throughout the campaign. "Richie (Kealy) did us proud this year, he's a brilliant footballer and I was delighted for him. All the Kealy family are very dedicated and they've played a big part in our successes of recent years. "In 1967 we had Noel Curran and there was, of course, Larry O'Brien and Billy Rattigan in '54. They were lovely footballers, Larry on the forty and Bill out on the wing. There were few better than those two around that time." When I rang Patsy for this interview, our two clubs (I'm a Simonstown man), were due to meet in the quarter-final of this year's senior championship a couple of weeks later. When I informed Patsy of my allegiances he replied: "whatever the result I'll not fall out with you anyway . . . in all the years I've been playing, refereeing or attending games I've never fallen out with anybody." That didn't come as too much of a surprise to me, because that's the kind of gentleman he is. Former St Martin's players come of age Much has been said about the brilliant performance of the Meath Senior Football team in bringing Sam back to the Royal County. St Martin's proudly claims two of those heroes; Evan Kelly and Richie Kealy. They both started their playing careers with St Martin's which is the juvenile football and hurling club for Dunshaughlin and Drumree. Evan and Richie played on the same U14 team with Ken McTigue and Aiden Kealy which won the Div 2 league in 1987. The same year St Martin's were minor champions in Div 1 with Dermot Kealy, Stephen Clare and Ciaran Byrne on the team. Drumree are the present U21 special hurling champions. Most of these players started their hurling careers with St Martin's. Most of the present Dunshaughlin senior football team are also former St Martin's players. This year we have three players on the Meath U14 hurling team, namely Caoimhin King, Rory Bowe and Ronan Gilsenan. Caoimhin King is also on the Meath U14 panel. John Crimmins represented St Martin's on the Meath U15 Hurling team and Christopher Doyle is on the Meath U17 Football team. On the local front St Martin's contested three football finals (U12, U13 and U14) and two hurling finals (U13 and U14) this year but winners medals eluded us. Hopefully next year we will go one better and bring home some silverware. St Martin's GAA St. Martin's U13 hurlers round off a successful 1998 for Dunshaughlin parish . Despite the concession of four first half goals, a physically stronger St. Martin's side proved too much for Boardsmill in the 1998 U13 B HC decider which was played at Kiltale. The Dunshaughlin side emerged victorious on a scoreline of 2-9 to 4-0. David Farrell's hat-trick and a James Fay goal gave Boardsmill a 4-0 to 1-5 advantage at the interval, but they fell apart in the second half and failed to add to their tally. By contrast, St. Martin's found their form in the second period and went ahead thanks to scores from Ronan Gilsenan and John Kiernan. Gilsenan, Kiernan, Caoimhe King, Ruairi Bowe and Cormac Delaney impressed for the winners. St. Martin's scorers - R. Gilsenan 1-5, J. Kiernan 1-1, D. Wallace 0-2, S. McGroder 0-1. Tweet

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