Ratoath's U14s made light work of playing in Division One for the first time, storming to the 2005 all-county U14 Div 1 FL crown with a series of superb performances - the club's first top-flight juvenile title. Dub Clive O'Reilly of Na Fianna fame (who took charge of the team in conjunction with Marty Mannering and Dermot Rooney) thoroughly enjoyed his first stint in juvenile management and was delighted to contribute to a historic breakthrough for his adopted club. Securing the services of Clive O'Reilly in '05 represented a significant coup for Ratoath's underage arm. The appointment of the Dub would reap immediate dividends. A stalwart of the senior management team in Na Fianna in north county Dublin, Clive now resides in the burgeoning south Meath village and was obliging enough to divide his time between both clubs in 2005. He stayed on alongside Mick Galvin and Keith Barr as a senior team selector with Na Fianna (one of the most professional club set-ups in the country, with a veritable intercounty team of talent at their disposal) for a final season and also accepted Ratoath's invitation to bring a fresh coaching dimension to an U14 side on the verge of a major breakthrough. That breakthrough arrived as a brilliantly-drilled and talent-laden team claimed the Division One FL crown - the club's maiden success at this level. It was a year of celebration for Ratoath GFC. The club celebrated the first anniversary of the official opening of Sean Eiffe Park, won their first-ever juvenile Division One title in the form of the U14 FL, and went on to add the U12 equivalent as they emerged as one of the Royal County's dominant underage forces. Clive O'Reilly's background in coaching is in senior club football with the famed Na Fianna club in Glasnevin. How did he become involved with the Ratoath U14s? "I was approached to look after them because it was their first time in Division One and they wanted a fresh approach. They had been beaten in the U12 final two years earlier and wanted to make amends for that. "I had been involved with three Dublin club championship winning Na Fianna sides, one of which got to the 2000 All-Ireland club final against Crossmaglen Rangers, and with Ratoath being a small village the club became aware of my football background. "They approached me and I told them I was interested. I hadn't done much with kids before, so it was a fresh challenge and it was a chance to work with a team in the area where I live. When the opportunity presented itself, I decided to give it a shot." Clive approached first teamer Marty Mannering, a key cog in the Ratoath side that had clinched the 2004 Meath JFC before going on to contest an All-Ireland junior club championship final, and Marty agreed to join the U14 management team. As neither had worked with juveniles before, they also enlisted the services of Dermot Rooney, the main driving force behind Ratoath's phenomenal underage revival. The Na Fianna clubman notes: "Dermot is the man who had brought all these players on from they were very young. He had already done tremendous work with this team and there's no way Ratoath would be where they are now without him. It was vital that we brought him in for his experience, his knowledge of the team and a bit of continuity." With the management team in place, it was time to get down to business: "We started around February with a couple of challenge games in Dublin. My very first game with the team was against St Vincent's, who are very strong. We beat them by six or seven points and I said to myself 'We have a reasonably good squad here'. "A lot of the lads played soccer up until May and naturally there's a bit of conflict there, but we resolved it as best we could and everyone benefited from the common sense approach. We worked together. If there was a big soccer match coming up, we rested some of the players and if there was a big gaelic match, the soccer coaches used some of the fringe players. There was good co-operation there and it worked to everybody's advantage." Next up, Ratoath took on a combined Kildare team but the result was not so favourable. They were thumped by about 20 points on their own patch and it was time for the backroom team to prove their managerial mettle. "After that game, we told the lads that we would never be beaten on our home patch again. We made it our fortress and we vowed that there would not be a repeat. We trained Wednesdays and Saturdays with a game most Sundays right through from February 'til May. "The training was all based on football. We did a lot of drills to improve their skill levels and their application of the basics. We wanted to do more kicking, more catching, more hand-passing and more pick-ups than any other team in Meath. I think we achieved that…" Clive continued to use his considerable contacts to set up meaningful friendlies against crack Dublin outfits. Whitehall and the Sylvesters 13s were accounted for and a draw was earned against Na Fianna. This was a marked improvement from the disastrous result against Kildare and Ratoath were set up nicely for the commencement of the all-county football league. The first league game was against Na Fianna in Enfield in early March and Ratoath made a winning start by virtue of a comfortable 2-15 to 0-5 success. The second league fixture was also away, against Round Towers in Kells, and this time the Ratoath lads won even more emphatically, 6-14 to 0-2. Another comprehensive victory followed at the expense of Dunboyne, before things started to heat up. The clash with St Martin's was a real ding-dong battle which finished in a thrilling draw. Clive remarks: "That was a fantastic result and I remember commenting after that game that the Martins might go on to win the championship." The trip to Navan O'Mahonys resulted in a disappointing five-point defeat ("We didn't perform and got a good beating on the night, so fair play to the O'Mahonys"), but Ratoath bounced back with a ten-point drubbing of Trim. They then battled to a five-point home win over Simonstown. Having topped the group, Ratoath qualified for a semi-final spot against fourth-place Na Fianna in Summerhill. The game was played on Clive's birthday, May 18: "It was a good, close match," he recalls. "We led by a point at half time but came out with a scoring spree and were six up with a minute to go. They got a late goal but we held on to book our place in the final." This was against Simonstown in Walterstown a week later. "We started shakily and they built up a lead of three points to no score, but we fought back and it was level at the break, 1-4 apiece, I think. We told the lads at half time that this was their last ever match together as U14s. They responded magnificently and put on an exhibition in the first 20 minutes of the second half. They saved their best football of the year for the final and played some great stuff on the way to a 2-15 to 1-7 victory. As it was their first year in Division One, they were delighted with themselves. They were the best team in the league all year and they deserved it." Beating Simonstown, who had conquered Ratoath two years earlier, made victory extra sweet. How satisfying was it for the management team to see their players produce such a huge performance when it most mattered? "It was very satisfying. I also looked after the Ratoath second team and was with Na Fianna again this year and I gave the U14s every bit as much attention. They were treated every bit as well as the other two teams. "They got Lucozade Sport and water at half time. They got jaffa cakes and Nutrigrain bars for energy and there was a lot of professionalism in our approach. "We invested our own money in footballs and other equipment for them. We made sure every one of them had a ball and we trained with the ball. During training, they had a ball in hand at all times and their skills developed accordingly. "My own club is as close to intercounty standard as you'll get. We have the likes of Kieran McGeeney, Jason Sherlock, Senan Connell and Dessie Farrell in the dressing-room. I honestly saw no difference between those lads and the U14s in Ratoath. We told them to expect nothing less from here on. "Ratoath is very much on the up and up. With competition from rugby and soccer, a lot of dialogue and consultation will be needed, but it's working reasonably well for now. Kids just want to play and it's up to the adults to look after them. "The success of the junior team in 2004 did a lot for the profile of gaelic football in the village. They reached an All-Ireland final and the kids looked up to the players on that team. It was great to see so many young kids wearing Ratoath jerseys and showing such an interest. "There's a very pro-active chairman and secretary in the club and they facilitate everyone. They handle things extremely well and I can see Ratoath going from strength to strength." Having played his part in Ratoath's historic 2005 breakthrough, Clive is considering taking a break from football in the near future to recharge the batteries. Two of his kids - Glen and Jennifer (who made the Meath U12 girls Development Squad in 2005) - are part of the Ratoath juvenile ranks, however, so he might not wriggle off the hook that easily! Ratoath's first-ever U12 crown It's hard to believe that Ratoath had never won a Division One underage title prior to the landmark successes of 2005. An U14 crown followed swiftly by an U12 one changed all that forever. The manner in which the U12s stormed to glory suggested that they were seasoned veterans at capturing silverware, giving rise to the opinion that Ratoath's dramatically improved juvenile arm is destined to continue reaping the rewards of one of the greatest revival's in modern-day Meath GAA. From practically nowhere, Ratoath have emerged as a genuine force at underage level. It's not that long since they were the laughing stock of the county and the butt of many cruel jokes, but those days are gone now, gone forever. Ratoath's juvenile stock his risen so high that they are the envy of practically every club in the county. The U12 side that stormed to the all-county Division One FL crown under the guidance of tireless mentor and bona fide gaelic football guru Dermot Rooney is a case in point. Worthy county champions, they made history and they did it in style. The final was played in Dunsany on Saturday June 25. Familiar foes Simonstown provided the opposition and the Ratoath lads rose to the occasion brilliantly to claim a magnificent 1-10 to 0-7 success. Boasting a solid spine right up the middle, the winners were particularly well served in the final by dominant midfielder Bobby O'Brien and free-scoring attacker Bryan McMahon, who contributed 1-4 to their tally. The goal arrived in the third quarter and Simonstown, who fell 1-7 to 0-4 adrift during that period, were unable to regain a foothold. Ratoath dominated the first half but some nervy inaccuracy in front of goal meant they led by just a point at the break, 0-4 to 0-3. The first half scores came from wing back Eamon Wallace, McMahon, Conor Rooney and O'Brien. The sides were level within three minutes of the re-start, but Rooney was on hand to restore the Ratoath advantage within a minute. McMahon slotted left-footed to the bottom corner of the net and, after Conor McGill had stretched the advantage, followed up with a 42nd-minute point as his team took an unassailable lead. The Blue & Golds were home and dry and they didn't have to worry too much when Colm Nugent's late thunderbolt rebounded lucklessly off the woodwork. Nobody could begrudge Ratoath their historic victory as they'd been beaten in the U12 finals of the previous two seasons. And nobody was more pleased for the young lads than mentor Dermot Rooney, who has been involved with this crop of players since they were knee high to the proverbial grasshopper. Dermot has played a major part in the revitalisation of Ratoath's previously flagging juvenile section. He took it upon himself to orchestrate a major shake-up after acting as stand-in referee for an underage game against Meath Hill/Drumconrath, which the Ratoath team lost on a cricket score. "It was embarrassing," he reflects. "I had played against the lads who were on the line with Meath Hill/Drumconrath all my life and I wondered what on earth was wrong with Ratoath. I couldn't understand why we were so weak, and I decided to so something about it." His own kids Conor and Gareth were coming through and Dermot was taking all the relevant courses, so he decided to act accordingly. He saw that there was no U10 or U8 football at all in Ratoath and felt that this age group had to be catered for to lay some sort of foundation for success: "I went to the schools, sent notes out to the parents and got Dermot Reilly on board. Dermot is still with me and John McMahon also got involved at an early stage." The U8s received coaching every Saturday morning and, slowly but surely, improvements were made. "We started to play friendlies. We entered the U10 tournament in Laytown and kept at it until we won the Division One final there. We went to the Foran Cup in Walterstown and were beaten the first year, then we got to the final, and then we won it three years on the trot. That's where it all started. The lads made very rapid progress." Soon, an U12 Division One crown would be garnered by a group of lads that Dermot had been working with since they were six and seven. The all-conquering 2005 side is the first group he started with at U8 level and the progress that's been made within a handful of years is nothing short of astonishing. Ratoath have come from nowhere and are now a Division One force to be reckoned with. The signs were always encouraging that this U12 team would come good. The manager notes: "We brought them to an U10 tournament in Warrenpoint and there were about 16 teams there. We lost our first match but then won six in a row to win the Shield. It was the first time the Shield came south. It was a great achievement. You should see the names on that Shield - Crossmaglen Rangers, An Riocht and all the top clubs in Down and Armagh. "We bring them away every year. We played Austin Stacks in Tralee, we were in Cork and beat Clonakilty and Bandon, and we went to Ballina this year." A novel approach is adopted to training. "All the training is done with the ball. I have never done laps. It's all about ball work and skill. First touch. That's what our teams are built on. We try to play direct, fast stuff and we keep the negative attitude out of it. I've never trained any team more than once a week - there's no point running them into the ground. "We don't wind down for the soccer either. We train all year round, except for Christmas and a couple of weeks in the summer. We play little seven-a-side matches and make sure they get plenty of football. "We have great relations with clubs in Kildare from U14 level down, and also with some top clubs in Dublin, and the challenges we play against them are a huge help." As a player, Dermot won an U14 Curran Cup in 1975 as well as two minor championships with Donaghmore-Ratoath. Hew also trained Ratoath/St Marys to a minor championship in '87, a team that had two of his brothers on board. "We've never had our own minor championship team in all that time, though, and that's our aim - to have a minor championship team in Ratoath. "We'd never won anything at U12 before this year, either, so that shows us that these objectives can be achieved." The U14 team that won the 2005 Division One football league included nine players who'll be eligible again in '06. Further success beckons. "None of this would be possible without Dermot Reilly and John McMahon and the full backing of the juvenile chairman of the past few years - John again and Noel Quigley. You can't get things done without the full backing of the club and Ratoath have given these players everything we've asked for." Others who did great work with various teams in the past year include Tommy Wallace (U10s); Brian Halpin of the Parnells club in Dublin, who has a team of four or five helpers assisting him with the U8s, who take part in numerous Blitzes; Davy Donnelly (U16); and Clive O'Reilly and Marty Mannering, who led the U14s to Division One glory. The club has also developed one of the finest facilities in the county, so everything is heading very much in the right direction. Back to the U12s and a quick reflection on the year through the eyes of the manager: "At the back end of 2004, I got six challenges between September and October against clubs like Celbridge, Maynooth, Ballymun and Raheny. When we won those six matches, I knew we had something special on our hands. In February, we played the Dublin U12 Development Squad's B team, and we beat them. That was 24 guys from 15 different clubs, and our lads beat them! "It's a great team effort and every player earned his salt this year, but there are a few outstanding individuals in the team as well. The likes of Bryan McMahon, Bobby O'Brien and Colm McCullagh are rare talents and they will all wear the Meath jersey. They're serious footballers on a serious team. "They're a great bunch of kids. They have wonderful character and it comes from their parents. As well as being good footballers, they're all very well behaved and they're a credit to their families and themselves." Ratoath, 2005 U12 FL Division One winners: C Riordan; B O'Connor, P Flood, D Mulvaney; B Powell, C McCullagh, E Wallace (0-1); B O'Brien (0-1), C McGill (0-1); C Nugent, B McMahon (1-4), M Daly (0-1); A Quigley, J McGowan, C Rooney (0-2). Sub: S Sweeney. Ratoath reach final of St Jude's All-Ireland 7's Ratoath did brilliantly in this All-Ireland 7-a-side competition by reaching the last two teams out of 24 starting off. With the first game starting at 11am and the final being played at 6pm it was a long day of football and unfortunately Ratoath had to play a lot of the competition with only 8 players as they lost Jamie Gainey and Ian Foley due to injury in the early rounds of the competition. This was the first time for Ratoath to have a team competing in this competition. They started off with a draw to Eire Og (Armagh) they then went on to beat St Johns Balinteer (Dublin) before playing the group leaders Tuam Stars (Galway). This game ended with another win for the Ratoath lads, but at this stage Ratoath were left with only eight players, and these remaining players were now beginning to feel the pressure of having only one substitute. The last game in the group Ratoath won convincingly by beating St John Volunteers (Wexford) with a scoreline of 4-8 to 1-2. Ratoath topped their group and qualified directly to the Cup semi-final where they had a convincing win over last years beaten finalists Kilmeena (Mayo). Kilmeena started off impressively and got two early goals but Ratoath came back fired up and started to get some quick scores, including a well taken penalty taken by Ger McCullagh which left them with a convincing win through to the final. The two finalists left in the completion out of the 24 teams, ironically were Stewartstown (Tyrone) and Ratoath, who met earlier in this years All-Ireland junior club semi-finals. Stewartstown started off stronger and led by three points at the short interval, but Ratoath never gave up and led by a point early in the second half. At this stage though, the eight leg weary players began to show the effects a long day of football, as Stewartstown finished the stronger by three points. Great credit and recognition must be given to the players and mentors involved. It was a great achievement to reach the final of this very well organised competition and to represent the county proudly. The final score was Stewartstown 0-10 to Ratoath's 1-4. The experience of playing in this competition will stand to Ratoath as they now prepare for their upcoming Division 3 League Final against Syddan. Panel for Ratoath: Davy Byrne, Paul Flaherty, Jamie Gainey, Graham Clarke, Leonard Browne, Simon Donnelly, Barry Crowley, Ger Mc Cullagh, John Kirwan, Ian Foley. Tweet

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