Johnny Meehan, an All-Ireland medal winner in 1949, a founder member of Cortown and as good an interviewee as our man Royal County has come across. In watering holes the county over, the legends of gaelic games remain immortal. Magical moments and heroic feats performed on the field are re-lived as stories of great acts and great men are recounted. These deeds are reported passionately, listened to intently. Often, the characters concerned become almost mythical and larger than life as, for effect, the stories are embellished by exaggeration. However, there is no need for any such sensationalism or padding when it comes to discussing Johnny Meehan - simply the greatest footballer Cortown ever produced. It seems that all great entertainers perform under an endless list of aliases, pseudonyms and nicknames; in this respect, Johnny Meehan was no exception. When he pulled on the Meath jersey, he was 'Jack' Meehan . . . or 'The Black' Meehan (to distinguish him from his brother Jim 'The Red' Meehan) . . . or sometimes just pure and simple Johnny Meehan. No matter what you called him, he was always brilliant! As fine a full back as you could ever wish to have in your team. Indeed, but for persistent injury problems, we'd have heard much more about Johnny Meehan. Johnny Meehan is a Cortown man to the very marrow of his bone. His father Jimmy hailed from Cortown as did his grandfather and his great grandfather before him. His sons, too, are Cortown through and through. Johnny has always been interested in football. His father played the game and he can remember also travelling to watch his uncle, Jimmy, line out in the company of the likes of Nipsheen Farrelly for Kells Stars in the 1910s. There was no Cortown club in existence while 'Jack' was a player, and he and his three brothers - Bill, Jimmy and Francis - all played together with Fordstown. All four Meehans were involved with Fordstown from its inception in 1948; Johnny was resident full back until the club disbanded in the late 1950s. The arrival of Fordstown on the Royal County GAA scene was a real breath of fresh air. Suddenly, here was an exciting young team, built around the Meehan and Timmins clans but with other very talented performers in Ben Ward, Tom Collins and Mick Finnegan. They signalled their arrival by winning the Junior Championship in 1954. They also reached the intermediate decider of '58 but were beaten by one point by St. Mary's of Donore. Subsequently, many of the players emigrated and the club disbanded. Johnny started to play with Kells in 1960, but broke his leg that year. The injury effectively ended his career. 'The Black' had broken on to the Meath junior team in 1949 . . . little did he realise that he was destined to win a senior All-Ireland medal that year. The juniors had reached the Leinster final, but Johnny was drafted onto the senior panel for the first round game against Kildare. The Lilywhites were duly defeated and Meath qualified for a second round clash with Wexford. In the meantime, Johnny injured his knee in a club game with Fordstown. The injury meant he missed the remainder of Meath's historic All-Ireland campaign. Seamin Heery took his place in the team, Johnny remained on the panel. He did appear as a substitute for Christo Hand in the Leinster final . . . but the injury recurred and he was consigned to the bench from there on in. He was on the bench for the decider and received a winners medal. He still has it. It is only fair that he has his mememto because a fully fit Johnny Meehan would never have lost his place on the team that year. The injury dogged Johnny throughout his career. "Medical facilities in those days were nothing compared to what they are today," he recalls. "Nowadays, you have keyhole surgery and an injury can be cleared up in a matter of weeks. Back then, you had to grin and bear it and hope the problem cleared up. If you were brought to hospital, they'd throw a bandage around the injured limb and send you home." 'Jack' remembers clearly all the excitement surrounding his county's first All-Ireland win: "The whole county was buzzing and, even though very few people had cars or anything, a huge crowd attended the final. We played Cavan who were going for three in a row. There was a tremendous rivalry. Fr. Tully, the County Board Chairman, had taken over the running of the team for the first time and he had us really fit. "In those days, we had what was known as Collective Training which meant the whole panel got together and trained every day for three weeks prior to the All-Ireland final. We were brought to Gibbstown and stayed together in the community school. Those were very memorable times. When we won it, the whole county joined in and there were bonfires and torchlit processions. "Physically, we were as fit back then as players are today but it was a totally different game. There wasn't as much emphasis on coaching and tactics; players played in their position and didn't roam around all over the pitch. All the teams were playing catch and kick and there was very little hand-passing. The hand-passing has taken the spectacle out of the game. With the catch and kick, you used to get some spectacular catching." Johnny Meehan is well qualified to talk about catching. He himself had a devastating spring and an unbelievably clean pair of hands. Such was his ability that he never had to resort to playing the man. He played the game the way it was meant to be played - and was never once sent off during the course of his career. Johnny's brother Jim - 'The Red' - had also been drafted on to the senior panel in 1949, just after Meath were defeated in the Leinster junior final. He won his medal that year and went on to make history by playing a key role in Louth's All-Ireland triumph of 1957. A founder member of the Cortown club in 1969 and a selector on the club's senior team in '98, Johnny has been one of the driving forces behind Cortown for the best part of thirty years now. He recalls the events that led to the club's formation: "The Fordstown club had disintegrated and suddenly we found ourselves in the situation where we had a number of very talented players in Cortown, many of whom were playing with Bohermeen. So, we set the club up, based mainly around the Henry and Rennicks families." Today, Cortown are genuine contenders. In 1996, the won the Intermediate Championship. And, in '97, their first ever senior year, they went all the way to the semi-final of the SFC. "All of a sudden, we were one of the top four teams in the county," a proud 'Jack' states. When it comes to telling great stories, Johnny Meehan has a talent to rival the best of them! Take this little gem, for instance: "One of our selectors in 1949 was Paul Russell from Kerry. He always carried a couple of Baby Powers in his pocket and if any of the players were a bit nervous or off their game he'd bring them in and give them a drop. You wouldn't see anybody doing something like that today - but it seemed to work!" Johnny Meehan played in the company of some great players. He selects Mattie McDonnell as probably the best but also rates Brian Smith and Paddy O'Brien very highly. But few were better than Johnny 'The Black' Meehan. Brian Murtagh an honorary Cortown man The past 12 years have been the most exciting and the most productive in the history of the Cortown Club. Our manager Pat Coffey brought a group of very young men to the junior football final in 1987, only to suffer defeat at the hands of Moynalty. Little did we realise then the wonderful odyssey on which we were to embark. The men of Cortown have been training from January to November ever since. When Pat Coffey decided to step down as manager at the end of 1992 the Club were faced with the unenviable task of replacing him. However, a telephone conversation with Westmeath man Brian Murtagh proved to be a winner. Our 6 year association with Brian has proved to be unbelievably successful. In his first year in charge 1993, Cortown annexed the junior championship ending many years of heartbreak. The coaching and motivation of our new coach had brought out the winning streak in us. But it was to get better. In 1994 Simonstown Gaels beat Cortown in a replay of the Intermediate semi-final. A lull followed in 1995 but 1996 saw Brian coaching and cajoling his charges to a famous victory over Duleek in the Intermediate Final. In 1997 Cortown, with Brian Murtagh displaying all his coaching skills, reached the senior semi-final only to be beaten by Trim. Cortown had really arrived on the big stage as serious contenders for ultimate honours - the Keegan Cup. As coach Brian accepts responsibility for all our teams, Under 21, Junior 'C' and Senior. This year, 1998, he coached our Junior 'C' side to a famous success over our neighbours and fellow parishioners St Ultans - a most tensely and sportingly fought encounter. This means that under the tutelage of Brian Murtagh practically every current playing member of our club has won a Meath championship medal - some achievement! Add to this the winning of the Division III 'A' League in 1993. Who is this man that has achieved all this success? He is a native of Athlone, a most accomplished footballer who represented Westmeath at Under 21 and Senior level. A very promising career was brought to an early end with serious knee injuries. He is a qualified PE teacher who lives in Navan with his wife Jacinta and two sons John and Ronan. He coached many teams but really came to provenance in Meath when he coached O'Mahonys to three successive senior championships, a feat they had not achieved for nigh on 30 years. After a short spell with his native Westmeath he arrived in Cortown where he has had such a major influence. His achievements mark him out as one of the most successful coaches in the county and further afield - a players man, a GAA man through and through and an honarary Cortown man. Cortown GFC Junior 'C' glory for Cortown Normally the Meath Junior 'C' football championship wouldn't generate much interest amongst Royal County GAA afficionados, but when neighbours Cortown and St. Ultan's emerged as the contestants in the 1998 equivalent, the entire parish of Bohermeen (and indeed its surrounding environs) made the trip to nearby Kells for the eagerly awaited showdown. Those who attended weren't disappointed either with both teams belying the inclement weather conditions to produce an entertaining spectacle, and in the end it was Cortown who prevailed on a scoreline of 1-5 to 0-6. Former senior player David Henry's goal a minute into the second half paved the way for the team in yellow and green to secure victory. As the game unfolded that proved to be the decisive score. Ivor O'Halloran and Martin Barry were others who played an influential role in attack for the winners, while Vincent Keating, Alan Heary and Mark Watters took the laurels in defence. But the 'man of the match' performance came from John Casserly who was listed to play as a half-forward but who roamed the field, popping up at crucial times in both defence and attack. He made a huge contribution to the Cortown success. Cortown, perhaps would have shaded affairs in betting circles entering the clash. They qualified for the final in impressive circumstances, dishing out a hammering to Simonstown's third string in the process. Also the inclusion of former first team players such as Henry, Keating and captain Barry, and a decent sprinkling of youth, afforded them the platform from which a serious bid for honours could be built. Cortown started the brighter and Kenny Henry opened his side's account following a quick free from Barry. But a series of missed chances allowed St. Ultan's take advantage and at half-time they held the initiative with the scoreboard reading, 0-4 to 0-2. Barry was the other Cortown player to get his name amongst the scorers. The Cortown management must have been worried at the interval. Despite practically owning the ball for the opening period, they found themselves in arrears but some strong words from Brian Murtagh had the desired effect with Henry's goal spurring them into action. The winner's began to get to grips with midfield where Paul Mullen and Andrew O'Brien had rediscovered the form which saw them control affairs in the semi-final against Simonstown. O'Brien's long ball was superbly fielded by Barry, who in turn found Henry who confidentially dispatched the ball to the back of the net. Barry had the chance to further stamp Cortown's authority on the game when he found himself in acres of space but his well struck shot rebounded off the upright and away to safety. To their credit, the Ultan's refused to throw in the towel and restored parity after 36 minutes. By this stage Cortown's tendancy to waste scoring chances had reared its ugly head once again and scores were proving difficult to come by. But following some poor free attempts, David Henry recovered his composure to put a point between them again before brother Kenny and Ivor O'Halloran looked to have put the issue beyond any doubt. St. Ultan's did pull one back and had chances to draw level, but Cortown held on to collect the spoils. Cortown - A. Daly; A. Heary, V. Keating, G. Casserly; C. Watters, M. Watters, A. Watters; P. Mullin, A. O'Brien; S. Brady, D. Henry (1-1), J. Casserly; I. O'Halloran (0-1), M. Barry (0-1), K. Henry (0-2). Sub -D. Casserly Meath and Bohermeen's Johnny Murtagh Life in the saddle has been kind to two times Irish champion jockey Johnny Murtagh. But as a youngster growing up in Meath it was gaelic football which occupied most of his spare time. Shane O'Brien discovers that not much has changed. taken from hogan stand, vol. 8-31 Murtagh on Royal County football Do you remember your childhood dreams? Top Irish jockey Johnny Murtagh has little difficulty in recalling his earliest ambitions. Whilst growing up in the parish of Bohermeen in Co. Meath, visions of Croke Park on All-Ireland final day fuelled every idle hour the young Murtagh spent catching and kicking. It hasn't subsided with time. Still he harbours a deep passion to sample that unique atmosphere. But would he be willing to swap his racing success in order for his dreams to become reality? "I would love to play for Meath in an All-Ireland final," admits the affable Murtagh. "I don't know about swapping all of my racing success, but definitely I would swap some of it for the opportunity to march behind the Artane Boys Band with the green and gold jersey on my back. "When I was growing up, football was always my first love. I didn't know anything about racing back then. I've always been a keen follower of the Meath team and remember the early days vaguely. In the eighties, when we were very strong, the trip to Croke Park was a regular occurrence. With the likes of O'Rourke, McEntee and Flynn, they were memorable days." 1991 won't be forgotten by Meath followers in a hurry. The epic four-game marathon with Dublin captured the imagination of the country. Racing responsibilities prevented Johnny from witnessing history unfold at first hand but the television was a more than acceptable substitute. "I remember I was riding in Naas on that Saturday but I flew out of the track after the second last race and went to a pub down the town. The place was full of fellas wearing Dublin jerseys and they were in good form because Meath were trailing by five points with ten minutes to go. I was stuck in the middle of them but when Meath got the goal I let a right roar out of me. It was brilliant stuff," he recalls. Murtagh on Meath V Kildare With the Leinster football final looming over the horizon the two times Irish champion jockey finds himself in the unenviable position of having to choose between his native and adopted counties. With the minimum of fuss he leaves us in doubt as to where his allegiances lie. "I was talking to the local butcher Paddy Byrne, who is as loyal a follower of the Lilywhites as you can find and is also over the local Round Towers club, the morning after Kildare's semi-final with Laois. He was looking forward to the challenge of playing Meath and was saying to me that I can't lose, that they had me converted into a Kildare man. But I had to put him straight on what colours I'll be wearing on Sunday!," he laughs. "There's a lot of Meath lads working down here so the stick has been flying." Kildare midfielder Willie McCreery, who squandered a glorious goal chance in the first half of his team's semi-final win over Laois, has been at the receiving end of some of that stick. "Willie is involved with Charles O'Brien whom I ride for so I know him well and of course I haven't let him forget that missed goal opportunity. Hopefully, he doesn't make me eat my words on Sunday." Earlier, Johnny spoke of the great Royal County side from the eighties. How does the current side measure up to the men he idolised in his youth? "I think the present Meath team is very strong. Darren Fay is a big influence in the backs while Paddy Reynolds had a very good game the last day. Midfield will be a tough battle. Kildare are very strong in this area and the two Meath boys will have to be at their best. Up front, Trevor Giles is a class act, as is Graham Geraghty. I would love to see him doing what we all know he can do for the full seventy minutes." During the course of the seventy minutes, it's inevitable that Kildare's All-Star centre-back Glen Ryan and Meath's '96 All-Ireland winning captain Tommy Dowd will at some stage lock horns. Two of gaelic football's greatest ambassadors, they also have something in common off the pitch - in that both are close friends of Johnny's. "Tommy's father and my father are very good friends, and me and Tommy have known each other since we were young lads. I've always had a soft spot for him and it's great to see him doing so well. He has been a loyal servant to Meath football over the years and he always produces the goods on the big occasion. "I'm also very friendly with Glen Ryan who in my opinion is one of the best footballers around. If Meath had Glen at centre-back they would be, as we say in the racing world, certainties. Barry Callaghan who has come in at centre-back this year has done nothing wrong but I would prefer to see him corner-forward where he performed so well in '96 when we won the All-Ireland." What has impressed Johnny about Kildare this season? "There were doubts over their ability to finish off teams but any side that scores 2-13 against Laois can't be bad and they only conceded 10 points which indicates a strong defence. "After what happened against Offaly last year Meath will be determined not to take anyone for granted. The game has all the ingredients of a classic and hopefully it will live up to the high expectations." Murtagh the footballer Johnny's fantasy of mounting the steps of the Hogan Stand on the last Sunday in September wasn't the product of an overactive imagination. Small in stature though big in heart, he was a corner forward with that most treasured of gifts, a knack for scoring. Under the guidance of local National School teacher Master Hand (a man who Johnny says had a major influence on him during his youth), he was first introduced to competitive action with Bohermeen. A blossoming football career was prematurely cut short when fate intervened to steer the fifteen year old Murtagh in a different direction. "I was doing a bit of boxing in Navan Boxing Club at the time," explained Johnny who, incidentally, went on to become an Irish Amateur Boxing champion in 1985. "My mother met this guy who gave her the number of the apprentice school in Kildare and I went on from there." That was 1985. Six years later he blew the dust off the boots to make a comeback with the neighbouring Cortown club. It turned out to be a wise decision as an U21 championship souvenir was garnered. "My cousin Joe Rennicks was working with me in the Curragh at the time and he was travelling home most weekends to play with Cortown. I decided to go up with him and ended up winning an Under 21 championship medal. I came on as a corner-forward in the quarter-final and scored 1-1 and kept my place for the semi-final and final." While Johnny has been off carving a niche for himself in the Sport of Kings, his contemporaries from that victorious outfit have progressed to establish Cortown as one of the premier senior clubs in the Royal County. Players like the Henrys, John, Kit and David, Johnny's cousins Joey and Liam Rennicks, played an integral part in the club's march to last year's county semi-final. The small rural club's rag to riches story is the kind of stuff fairytales are made of. "I'm delighted with the way things have gone for Cortown in the nineties. The majority of the lads from the Under 21 team have stayed on and helped them win the junior and intermediate championships. "It's a small closely knit club with a tremendous spirit and a great atmosphere." Despite his hectic schedule, Johnny made yet another footballing comeback as recently as last year - this time in the colours of Kildare's Round Towers. "It was really only a bit of fun," he reveals. "The team had only fourteen players for one particular match and Paddy Byrne asked me if I############################################################################################ would be interested in a game. I jumped at the chance but I couldn't afford to get hurt so I kept running around for the hour. I enjoyed it immensely though." From the tone of his voice, and his undisguised enthusiasm for Royal County football, one suspects that it wouldn't take much to coax the Bohermeen native out of retirement. A phone call from Dunboyne's most famous herbalist would be sufficient to do the trick I'd say. "Tell Sean Boylan I'm available for selection if he's looking for a corner-forward." What was that I was saying about childhood dreams? Tweet

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