Back in 1975 Eamonn Barry was entrusted with the No. 1 or goalkeeping position as he helped a Walterstown/Seneschalstown combination win the Minor Football Championship. 30 years later the majority of the county's GAA delegates gave him their No. 1 vote as he finally fulfilled his burning ambition to become Meath senior football coach. Barry kept a clean sheet in the '75 MFC decider against Duleek and that was one of many medals won at club level by a player who was soon dispatched out the field to play a key attacking role as Walterstown became not alone a power house of Meath football, but a team that was feared and respected at provincial and All-Ireland levels too. However, he was still a young goalkeeper when he filled the role of substitute as the Blacks were heavily beaten by Summerhill in the '76 SFC final and in '77 he was captain of the team that defeated Longwood in the final to win the old Div. 2 FC. Walterstown made the historic SFC breakthrough in '78 as they defeated five-in-a-row chasing Summerhill in the final on a wet but wonderful day for the Johnstown parish club at Pairc Tailteann and by that stage Barry's undoubted potential as an attacker had clearly been identified as he lined out at right half-forward. Barry went on to be a hugely influential forward as the Blacks took the club scene by storm, winning further Meath SFC titles in 1980, 82, 83 and 84 and also annexing two Leinster titles and appearing in two All-Ireland Club finals. Some of his scoring feats during Walterstown's golden era were simply phenomenal, including his 2-5 in a Leinster final against Eire Og of Carlow and a sensational 1-10 against Sligo kingpins St. Mary's in an All-Ireland semi-final. At the height of his powers Barry was a joy to watch as he combined his pace with an abundance of accuracy, craft and skill. When his playing days were over he proved himself to be a very astute coach and the highlights were undoubtedly his successes with Dunshaughlin as he helped guide them to three successive Meath SFC titles and a Leinster crown. There have been many other high points too and he also enjoyed successes as Meath junior team manager and with Duleek and St. Peregrine's. But Barry is ambitious and that desire to become Meath senior manager clearly never abated, even when he suffered the disappointment of missing out on the job as Sean Boylan maintained his amazingly long stint in the hot seat. "I have an ambition to be a county manager at some stage and I would rather be manager of my own county," he had said. Well he obviously believes in the theory that everything comes to those who wait because his persistence in persuit of the Meath job finally paid off on the first Monday night of September this year when he was elected with plenty to spare at a County Committee meeting in Navan's Ardboyne Hotel, securing 57 votes, compared to 25 for his former Walterstown playing colleague Paddy Carr and seven for Benny Reddy. The previous year he had received 37 votes to Boylan's 50, so it was clear that he did have the support of plenty of delegates in the county. Twelve months later, with Boylan having withdrawn from the race after 23 years at the helm, there was no stopping Barry and he could wake up on Tuesday morning, 6th September happy in the knowledge that he was the new Meath coach. Of course, now there are the huge challenges that lie ahead as Barry attempts to translate his undoubted ability as a club manager to the inter-county scene and restore Meath to a position of power in the footballing world. There can be no denying that the county has slipped alarming down the ladder over the past few years and, whereas Croke Park was once a home from home for Royal County teams, victories at the venue have become as rare as hens teeth. Barry has no illusions about what lies ahead, but he isn't afraid of the challenge he has taken on and he will undoubtedly meet it head on. "It's a huge challenge, but I'm just pleased to get the opportunity," the new coach said. "I'm looking forward to it. It 's a huge job to restore pride and respectability because we have slipped back more than we should have. "Meath were only two points off Dublin in the Leinster Championship this year. The challenge is to get back up there, to be serious contenders for the Leinster title. But form counts for nothing at times and it's hard to explain the team's form after the Dublin game. There was a substantial turn-around in form from the National League game against Cavan in Navan to the championship match. "However, one thing I do believe is that there are as good a footballers in Meath as there are in the likes of Dublin, Kildare or Laois. It's about effort, attitude and commitment. They are hugely important." For a county that became so accustomed to success under Boylan, the last few years have seemed so barren, so empty. The county needs the sight of a Meath captain lifting a major trophy in Croke Park again and Barry has his sights set on a serious assault on the Leinster Championship crown in 2006. With Graham Geraghty confirming that he has absolutely no intention of calling a halt to his inter-county career the prospects of regaining the provincial title next summer have been given a significant boost. "I wasn't at all surprised to hear that Graham is going to be there," Barry added. "He's still a young man. He's a super athlete with a real touch of class and you can't beat class." A Leinster title should surely always be the minimum ambition for a county with Meath's pedigree in football, but how close does the new coach feel the county is to getting into a position to challenge for an All-Ireland? "I honestly don't know," he said. "It's hard to know how long it will take players to develop. So many of the present Tyrone players came through from minor and under-21 levels. If players are successful at minor level, or are at least contenders at that level, winning provincial titles, it helps in their development." Talking to Barry, it's clear that he cares passionately about Meath football, from juvenile level up to the county senior set-up. "All coaches from under-14 level up must be working together," he added. "How they train, how they are coached is so important. It's vital to get that right. Meath are proving very good at under-14, 15 and 16 levels, but they are not coming through to minor level. "I know players are being lost to rugby - that is happening. We need to hold onto them and keep them in the system. "From the time a player leaves minor it takes three or four years to come through at senior level. "I would like to see more in-house coaching seminars, looking at how we are training players, so that we are all working off the same agenda. I really believe that is important. "Since I was elected I have phoned plenty of people around the county. I wanted to tease out how we have gone back at senior, under-21 and minor levels. Why has it happened? I have talked to a lot of people. "The whole thing has to be looked at. The successful counties are clearly doing things that we aren't doing. But we are capable of doing these things. Dudley Farrell and his team will be there for a second year with the minors and Benny Reddy and his people will be there with the under-21s for a third term. That's what's needed, continuity." Everybody needs a bit of luck in whatever persuit they take on in life and that applies to the position of Meath senior coach. Eamonn Barry will bring to the position a tremendous amount of knowledge from his successes as a club manager and he also possesses a good organisational sense when it comes to dealing with players. He has demonstrated tremendous persistence in his quest for the Royal County hot seat and the fervant hope has to be that he will be rewarded for that persistence in the shape of some overdue silverware. A Leinster SFC title would do nicely to start with next summer. Tweet

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