For the third successive year, Trim fell at the penultimate hurdle in the Meath Senior Football Championship in 2005. After Simonstown Gaels twice ended their dreams of glory, last September the Reds were well beaten by Blackhall Gaels and the gap going back to their only Keegan Cup triumph in 1962 gets wider. By Noel Coogan. This year appeared to throw out a great opportunity for Trim to take the title for the second time. Again they went through the group stages unbeaten, winning six times and drawing in one, before getting the better of former kingpins Dunshaughlin and then slumping to an eight points semi-final defeat as their supporters were again left wondering if the SFC drought would ever end. Trim did not seem to be playing as well as in recent years when they were threatening to win the football title to put along their hurling successes and they failed to sparkle in the home straight. After playing below par for much of the tussle with Dunshaughlin, they finished well in that outing but then performed dismally as Blackhall reversed an earlier nine points loss to advance to the final for the second time in three years. After losing two SFC finals, to Navan O'Mahonys in 1997 and to Dunshaughlin in 2002 Trim have been unable to get back into the decider and Eamon McEneaney has not got them to clear the extra hurdle or two. While some other teams could lose two or three times and remain in the title hunt, some may feel it is unfair to see Trim exit after one loss. In the group stages they had nine points to spare over both Navan O'Mahonys and Blackhall Gaels and their closest contest was in the 2-6 to 1-9 draw with Dunboyne at Pairc Tailteann. Perhaps, like Kerry, the easy run to the knockout phase militated against Trim in the long run. "When you win every game in the group stages like we did last year, it can be hard to be critical of performances or identify weaknesses. It might be said that we would be better off pacing ourselves but, realistically, you go out to win every game," said captain Joe Tighe before the start of the 2005 SFC campaign. Trim were 6/1 joint second favourites along with Blackhall Gaels with Simonstown Gaels heading the market on 4/1. "It remains to be seen what psychological last years semi-final collapse to Simonstown will have on Trim. They will know that they threw away a glorious opportunity to bridge the 42-year gap since their last SFC success," wrote Paul McCabe in The Weekender last April. Local rivals Summerhill gave Trim their second closest game in the opening round but the Reds did very well to gain a winning start on an 0-8 to 0-7 scoreline at Longwood, despite losing Paul Gilsenan and Richie Fitzsimons to second yellow offences in the last quarter. A converted free by Ronan Fitzsimons into the stiff breeze four minutes from the end gave Trim the right start There was a much more comfortable ride for Trim in the second round when defeating O'Mahonys by 1-9 to 0-3 at Dunsany. .They trailed by 0-2 to 0-3 at the break, having failed to score from play in the first half. Then the side in the blue and white hooped jerseys did not score at all in the second period. Points from Paul Gilsenan and Ronan Fitzsimons pushed Trim into a clear advantage before Eoin McGrath netted a late goal. After three rounds Trim was the only team in the Keegan Cup race with a perfect record. A 2-8 to 0-5 victory over Blackhall Gaels at Summerhill suggested that they were well capable of goping through Group A without dropping a point. It was 2-2 to 0-3 at the break and Ronan Fitzsimons finished up with 2-1. Then after a gap of ten weeks the fourth round took place towards the end of July and Trim were less than convincing in the 0-11 to 0-8 win over lowly Dunderry. Michael Lowther, who was in and out of the team because of injury during the campaign, sent over five points Before their next SFC outing the team suffered a sad tragedy with James Conroy, who had come on as a substitute in a forward role against Dunderry, lost his life in a road accident. The team wore black shorts for the rest of the championship and against Dunboyne they battled back from a deficit of six points to gain a draw and a place in the last eight. That was followed by a 0-12 to 0-4 victory over Ballinlough at Kells in a game which was described as pretty awful. Paul Gilsenan contributed six points as Eamon McEneaney's charges ambled through a torrid tie. Then the formality of completing the group schedule saw them trounce Cortown by 2-15 to 0-6 at Kildalkey with Paul Gilsenan scoring 1-6, the goal being shot from a penalty kick, and substitute Kevin Meehan also finding the net. Paul Gilsenan was again the main marksman, helping himself to 2-3 in the 2-11 to 0-10 win over Dunshaughlin in a quarter-final at Pairc Tailteann on the afternoon of the All-Ireland final after extra time. Trim were less than impressive during normal time and looked to be on the way of the title race before Gilsenan netted the first goal following a long delivery from Darren Fay. It was 1-6 to 0-9 after an hour and Gilsenan bagged his second goal near the end of the first period of extra time. Goalkeeper Brendan Murphy brought off one magnificent save and then in 0-5 to 1-10 flop against Blackhall Gaels he was one of the few players on the losing side to perform up to the required level. Trim were quite dreadful in the second period and not a lot better in the first half which ended with them ahead by 0-3 to 0-2 after playing with the aid of the breeze. Again they were awarded a penalty but Paul Gilsenan put the kick outside the uprights after 23 minutes. The Reds began on a negative note with Darren Fay placed at right full back on Mark Crampton. The county player was later moved to his more familiar centre back berth but was unable to lift his side. Ronan Fitzsimons struck a couple of neat points in the first half to raise hopes but when he got on target again at the end the score meant nothing. It looked a great opportunity for Trim but once again they only succeeding in frustrating their fans. Although he would have preferred otherwise, Peter Darby retains the distinction of being the only Trim player to be presented with the Keegan Cup. Former Ballinabrackey clubman Seamus Brennan, who was on Meath's Leinster minor winning side in 1972, has been involved with the Trim club since the early 90s and was a first year senior selector in 1975. He described the semi-final exit as "very very disappointing." "The team played very well until the semi-final against Blackhall Gaels. It is difficult to understand why the lads did not perform up to the expected standard in that game, perhaps some of the games in the group stages were too easy for them. Dunboyne held us to a draw but some of the games were one-sided and one or two more close contests might have been more beneficial in the long run," said Brennan. "Maybe there were signs of what was to come in the quarter-final against Dunshaughlin. The lads were sluggish for a good while in that game but they put Dunshaughlin away at the end," he added. Seamus was very impressed by the commitment of the players. "The commitment was tremendous. We were seldom missing players at training sessions, the amount of effort was phenomenal but outright success just wasn't to be. I honestly thought they would do it this year but they just didn't play well on the day of the semi-final." Seamus was full of praise for Trim manager Eamonn McEneaney, saying he was very impressed by the man from Monaghan. "Eamonn has done great work since coming to Trim, he is very thorough and communicates with the players very well," said the selector. However, according to Brennan, the Reds were affected by injuries to a few players during the year. Son Robert was sidelined all year with a groin problem, David Hegarty was bugged by a knee ailment, Mickey Lowther was in and out of the team with a hamstring injury and Francis Murphy hurt a foot before the semi-final. Seamus feels that with Trim winning so many games in the group stages over the last couple of years, other clubs may be studying their style of play and finding ways to beat them. But he is still hopeful that they can soon make the big breakthrough. "I hear Latton in Monaghan had a record similar to that of Trim, going close a few times before winning out this year. We will have to keep trying and hopefully the big reward will come sooner rather than later," concluded Brennan. Trim's Super Ted Ted Murtagh's lifelong contribution to Trim GAA club was fittingly recognised when he was honoured with a Sean Gael award in September. Here, the Westmeath native reflects on his long involvement with the St. Loman's Park outfit. Despite hailing from Collinstown in Co. Westmeath, Ted Murtagh is Trim GAA through and through. He has made an outstanding contribution to the club in a variety of capacities over the past half a century and this was fittingly recognised when he was the recipient of a Coiste na Mi Sean Gael award in September. "It was a great honour for me and for Trim," he says. "Only the previous night, I was presented with a Bene-Meranti medal for 50 years of service to the St. Vincent de Paul, so it was a particularly memorable weekend for me and my family." Murtagh came to Trim as a 16-year-old in 1951 to work in a drapery shop (he set up his own drapery shop, which is now run by his son CJ, on Hackett Street in 1987). He immediately became involved with Trim GAA and the following year, was a member of the minor hurling team that won the county championship. Ted insists that he wasn't a great hurler, but he still managed to win a Feis Cup medal with Trim in 1954 and a Westmeath senior championship medal with his native Rickardstown in 1959. The legendary John 'Jobber' McGrath was the undoubted star of the Rickardstown team and scored 0-3 from midfield in the final against Castletown-Geoghegan. "I was too small to make it as a hurler. I only weighed about nine stone so I was always going to struggle against bigger opponents," he reflects. "While I played most of my hurling with Trim, I went back to play with Rickardstown for a brief spell and was fortunate enough to win a senior championship medal in '59. I was privileged to play alongside the great 'Jobber' McGrath, who was a star of Westmeath and Leinster hurling at that time and was known throughout the length and breath of Ireland." Ted was still in his twenties when he commenced a refereeing career which would extend over 25 years. He had never intended to take up the whistle; it just happened. He recalls: "There was a tournament football final on in Trim between Kells and Navan O'Mahony's one Sunday and the late Tommy Murray from Boardsmill was down to referee it. But Tommy never turned up and I was asked to step into the breach. I was reluctant to do it, but if I hadn't, the game would have been postponed and I would have been the worst in the world!" Murtagh went on to become one of the most respected referees in Meath. He refereed at every level in hurling and football, and also refereed on the inter-county stage. His big assignments in the Royal County included four senior hurling championship finals as well as a number of senior football championship semi-finals. This year Ted attended his 53rd All-Ireland hurling and football finals, an achievement which wouldn't have been possible but for his refereeing connections. "I got tickets for most of those finals through the Referees' Association. Since I retired from refereeing, the Trim club have been very good to me and have always put a ticket aside for me," he explains. Murtagh has served a variety of roles within Trim GAA. He had long stints as secretary and treasurer, and held the position of juvenile treasurer for 25 years. He is currently assistant treasurer of the juvenile board. Ted's two sons, CJ and Derek, inherited his love for the GAA. CJ, who is the current Trim hurling manager, is the holder of nine senior hurling championship medals and represented the county in both hurling and football at underage level. Derek, who now lives in Tenerife where he works as a musician, was also a talented dual player and won an All-Ireland 'B' minor hurling championship medal with Meath in the 1980s. Incidentally, Derek's 10-year-old son, Ross, is a gifted soccer player and he has attracted interest from a number of top clubs, including Manchester United. Ted is very appreciative of the support he has received from his wife Ann down the years. "Ann isn't a GAA person, but she has given me tremendous support over the years and I'm extremely grateful to her for that." 2005 was a disappointing year for Trim with the senior football and hurling teams experiencing frustrating campaigns. After topping Group A and beating Dunshaughlin after extra-time in the quarter-final, the senior footballers exited the championship at the penultimate round stage for the fourth year in succession when succumbing to Blackhall Gaels. The hurlers also failed in their bid to taste championship honours. "I suppose the footballers' failure to reach the county final was the biggest disappointment. They have a great manager in Eamon McEneaney and have been among the favourites to win the championship in the last few years, but for some reason it hasn't happened for them. When it comes to the big day, they don't seem to be able to perform and that is disappointing," the affable draper says. For Ted, Trim's disappointing year was offset somewhat by Westmeath's victory over Down in the inaugural Christy Ring Cup final. One of the stars of the Westmeath success was long-serving full back Christo Murtagh, who is Ted's nephew. "I was delighted for Christo because he had been soldiering for a long time without winning anything. The victory was a great boost for Westmeath hurling and I can see no reason why Meath can't achieve the same next year. "Hurling in Westmeath used to be stronger than in Meath, but I think the two counties are on a par now. Meath were the only team to beat Westmeath in the Christy Ring Cup this year and hopefully they will take encouragement from that." The recent football rivalry between Meath and Westmeath left Ted in an awkward position, but he says: "I always keep my mouth shut when the two counties are playing one another. The only team I support is Trim and that has always been the case." Ted is also kept busy through his involvement in the local Active Retirement Club, of which he has been a member for the past 20 years. In conclusion, he says: "Between the GAA, the Active Retirement Club and the St. Vincent de Paul, I have plenty of things to keep me going. It goes without saying that I'm a very proud Trim clubman and I hope to remain involved for another few years." Tweet

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