Over the past decade or so, Ratoath has been one of the most progressive juvenile clubs not just in Meath but anywhere in the country. 'Royal County 2006' spoke to Ray Murphy - who doubles up as juvenile treasurer - about the remarkable strides being made in the underage section of the Dublin border club and also grabbed a word with former Monaghan footballer Senan McElvaney, who - now in the twilight of his career - is enjoying the experience of lining out alongside some of Ratoath's emergent talent. Due to a dedicated youth development programme, Ratoath have emerged as a dominant underage force in Royal County GAA. First came the vision; then came the hard work; then the positive results. The club has come a long way in ten short years and hopes are high that the huge strides made at juvenile level in recent seasons can soon be translated into some long-overdue success at adult level. Hard to believe, but it's not all that long since Ratoath were forced to join forces with neighbouring clubs such as the Martins and Donaghmore/Ashbourne to have any hope of winning something at juvenile or minor level. How things have changed! - they are now a powerful entity in their own right with no sign of a let-up in the remarkable rate of progress being recorded from minor level down to the club's nursery teams. U12 and U14 Division One football titles were garnered in 2005 and - with increasing numbers living in the area due to the ongoing population explosion as well as the genesis of facilities that are the envy of most clubs in Meath - the future is looking decidedly bright for the Blue & Gold. There was great excitement in the area when Ratoath scooped the 2004 junior football championship to take their place in the second tier. Unfortunately, some momentum seems to have been lost at intermediate level during the intervening two seasons but, with more and more young talent filtering through, hopes remain high that the club will make the step-up to senior football sooner rather than later. "The work is still going in at underage level and we're really hoping to see it filter through in the next couple of years," juvenile treasurer Ray Murphy notes. "Though we had a relatively quiet year in 2006, the minors contested a Division One football final, so the momentum is certainly being sustained at underage level." With vast juvenile strength, rising membership, expansive new facilities (opened in 2003) and a dedicated, ambitious committee, Ratoath have clearly never been better positioned, all of which is music to Ray's ears. Ray hails originally from Wexford and hurled with the famous Faythe Harriers (the club that spawned modern-day football phenomenon Mattie Forde). The Ratoath secretary is delighted to note that the small ball game is also going strong in his adoptive club. Looking to the future, Ray is confident that Ratoath will continue to attack on all fronts. He also feels that the area is more than capable of sustaining a new senior football team: "Our target is to achieve senior status inside the next few years, so hopefully we will get there. The structures are in place to keep pushing at juvenile level. With continued support from the local community, there's no reason why we can't keep moving forward." Monaghan man Senan McElvaney has been lining out for the Ratoath second team for the past three seasons and, in that capacity, has had the opportunity of playing alongside some of the club's upcoming talent. Originally from Monaghan town, Senan represented the local Monaghan Harps club and also had the distinction of wearing his county colours at minor and U21 levels. Though his intercounty career was cut short by an accident at the age of 19, Senan returned to club football after a year on the sidelines and continued to represent the Harps until he emigrated to England at the age of 24. Upon relocating to Ratoath about for years ago, the Monaghan man soon joined forces with Ratoath as a way of integrating into the local community. He's been lining out regularly for the second team since, lending some experience and leadership to the younger lads, and is toying with the idea of maybe taking a coaching course once his weary limbs finally decree that it's time to hang up the boots! "It would be hard to leave the football behind completely after playing for 25 years," he notes. Senan works as a site engineer with PJ Carey Construction Ltd., a UK-headquartered civil engineering firm. The Ratoath clubman has been a member of the PJ Carey crew for the best part of a decade now. PJ Carey Construction's head office is in London, with branches in Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Scotland and Ireland. The Irish office is in Santry and PJ Carey recently agreed to carry out some work on behalf of Ratoath GAA club, providing finishing tarmacadam touches at the new clubhouse facility, including the car park. With all hands on deck, a bright future beckons for the gaels of Ratoath. On the evidence of what he's seen since joining the club a few years ago, former Monaghan footballer Senan McElvaney believes there are plenty of good times ahead. He was particular impressed by the club's U16 Class of 2006, whom he saw in action first-hand: "They were very, very impressive. The thing that really grabbed my attention was that they played a mature brand of football, which you wouldn't normally associate with underage players. If those lads are any indication of the quality of footballers Ratoath have coming through, then the club is in very good hands. The young players in the club are being coached brilliantly and they have the talent to make a difference. "I have no doubt that Ratoath will soon be moving up from intermediate to senior level." Tweet

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