Drumbaragh may not be big, but it's a place with great expectations. On the field this year those expectations went unfulfilled. And it hurts. The 'Drums' banged hollow this past 12 months, failing to make an impact in the Junior A Championship. They avoided relegation to the B Championship, but that was never really an option anyway. There was a time when the small rural club on the outskirts of Kells were quite content just to be participating in the Junior A Championship. But times have changed, and the club has higher goals these days. That's why 2004 will not be fondly remembered by the club's players and supporters. But off the field it was an historic year for the red and greens - with the club under the guidance of a new chairman for the fist time in 23 years. The effervescent Frankie Lynch passed on the baton this year after 23 sterling years as Drumbaragh chairman. Lynch saw the club rise from anonymity to become a force in the Junior Championship - one that boasts its own top class pitch. Niall Carry is the man who has succeeded Lynch as Drumbaragh chairman this season. Carry is a family name synonymous with the club and Niall was a popular choice after being nominated last year. "It's a great honour to be chairman of Drumbaragh. Frankie put in an amazing amount of work when he was chairman and the club is the better for it," said Niall. "And instead of just getting up and walking away from it all Frankie still helps out around the place. He's always available for a bit of advice if needed." Not that Niall needs too much advice after serving the Meath Ladies County Board as chairman for four years. The 34-year-old has been involved with the committee at Drumbaragh since he was 16 and had two spells as club secretary. "It's been a very busy year, it really has been non-stop but I enjoy it. It also helps when you have such a good committee working with you." Niall's efforts for the club also see him sell lotto tickets around Kells and the locality. Although he admits that 2004 was a disappointing year on the field, he points out that Drumbaragh won their first Championship game in a number of seasons. "It was disappointing not to be involved at the top end of the table but we did beat Moynalty - so that was a step in the right direction. We were also unlucky in some of the games, particularly against Moynalvey and Kilbride." Drumbaragh finished second from bottom in Group C of the Junior A Football Championship this term, with Moynalty at the basement. Drumbaragh collected three points from six games, winning one, losing four and drawing one. It was an unsatisfactory return for a year which started off with high hopes for the North Meath side. The first team have a number of young players but they have gained plenty of experience over the past few years. They were trained by Christopher Carry - Niall's brother - while Sean McDermott and Padraig Black were selectors. The management believed they were ready for a serious tilt at success this season. The more established players such as John Smith, Noel Corcoran, Mark Smith, James, David and Brian Connolly are supported by upcoming stars such as 2004 Meath minor Seanie Bennett, Eoin O'Sullivan and Brian Forde. In their first game they drew with Ballinabrackey 2-9 to 2-9 on April 14. It wasn't an ideal beginning to the year but with one point on the board they remained confident ahead of their second round clash against Navan O'Mahony's. However, the Drums capitulated to the town outfit, losing heavily - 2-11 to 0-5 in early May. The result had a devastating impact on the players and in truth they never really recovered for the rest of the Championship. The loss also meant that they would have to win pretty much all of their remaining games if they were to progress to the knockout stages of the Championship. They had over a month to recover from the O'Mahony's defeat before facing Moynalvey in mid June. The game turned out to be a titanic struggle, but Moynalvey edged the result by two points, 1-14 to 1-12. It was the kind of hard luck story that plagued Drumbaragh's season. Two weeks later they arguably played their most important game of the year in what was essentially a relegation six pointer against neighbours Moynalty. Both sides were sitting at the bottom of the table and staring a relegation play-off in the face. There was much more than local bragging rights at stake, but the Drums chalked up a two point win from a languid and scrappy clash, 0-12 to 0-10. It was their only win in the 2004 Championship, but nonetheless a victory that ultimately saw them retain their Junior A status. On July 8 they lost their third game of the Championship, yet again by just two points, when Kilbride proved too strong, 0-12 to 0-10. A horrendous 15 point defeat followed at the hands of Ratoath, 2-13 to 0-4, to round off a disappointing Championship campaign. Drumbaragh will be disappointed with their poor scoring return this year also, hitting just 3-50 in six games. Meanwhile, at the back they conceded 7-67 - leaving them with an overall scoring average of -29. It makes for humble reading this winter and something they will aim to rectify ahead of next year's campaign. The club's second team enjoyed more success in the Junior D Football Championship - finishing second in their group and progressing to the quarter-finals where they were eventually beaten by Dunderry. The Junior D side beat Moynalty and Meath Hill to collect four points in Group C. Although they lost to table toppers Moylagh they still qualified for the quarter-finals as runners-up. Unfortunately they came up against a highly rated Dunderry side that ran out 12 point victors, 1-17 to 1-5. A number of the Junior D players caught the eye this year and the A selectors may look at promoting some of them in 2005. As for Drumbaragh's league performances this past 12 months, neither team managed to finish in the top half of their respective tables. The first team competed in Division 4 of the A Leagues, finishing third from bottom. They won three games but lost eight during their campaign. St Ultan's, Kilbride and Ratoath dominated the division, while St Paul's and Bective finished below Drumbaragh. Yet again the only consolation for the Drums is that they avoided a dreaded relegation play-off. The second team fared little better in Division 6 of the B Leagues, failing to compete at the top end of the table. But from all the disappointments of 2004, there are still plenty of reasons for the club to be optimistic for the years ahead. They remain, essentially, a young team with players that have gained ample experience already. And it was no small achievement for the aforementioned Seanie Bennett to get noticed by the Meath minor management team in 2004. "It is a young team and many of them were involved in the Under-21 win a few years back. We are relying on those lads in the future and there are also other young players coming through," continued Niall. "There is no doubt that we have talented players but it is now just up to the lads to put in the commitment next year and if they do I think we will give it a good whack. "You just have to look at Wolfe Tones. They have had over twenty lads putting in huge commitment for the past two years and now they are in the senior championship. We just need the lads to give 100% effort and commitment. If we can get that then I think we will be there or thereabouts." Drumbaragh has always been a small place with big expectations, and that hasn't changed over the past 12 months. The 'Drums' intend to be banging loudly again in 2005. Tweet

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