Last year, Dunshaughlin missed out on the knockout stages of the senior football championship for the first time since 1998, this year there was a discernable improvement as Leo Turley's charges topped Group A of the revamped SFC with four wins from five starts. By Liam O'Rourke. The Laois man, who guided neighbours Blackhall Gaels to their maiden senior football championship success in 2003, was given the task of engineering Dunshaughlin's first SFC success since 2002 and fourth in all. A 0-12 to 0-10 win over previously unbeaten Summerhill in their final group game at Dunderry on Sunday, September 8 assured Dunshaughlin of top spot in the Group A, a very competitive section with six teams. Simonstown Blackhall Gaels, Duleek and Ballinlough were also in this group. Late points from substitute David Devereaux and Conor Staunton proved decisive in a match where the scores were tied on eight occasions. Caoimhin King also got off the mark as Dunshaughlin outscored Summerhill by 0-3 to 0-0 in the latter stages. Cathal O'Dwyer was a prominent figure in the Dunshaughlin attack while Trevor Dowd pointed three times from open play and the sides were level at 0-6 each at the break. Summerhill and Simonstown also qualified from this section leaving Blackhall Gaels, beaten semi-finalist in 2006 and runners-up the year before that, out in the cold. Things looked even brighter for the men in black and amber in the opening quarter of their quarter-final clash with Navan O'Mahonys as they raced into a 1-4 to 0-0 lead at Walterstown on Sunday, September 30. Niall Kelly got the ball rolling with when landing a free from close to the the halfway mark and the former county panelist went on to land another free and a '45' in that early scoring surge. Young Conor Staunton raised their other white flag in the opening exchanges. Dunshaughlin were further boosted when Martin Reilly scambled the ball to the net in the tenth minute after a tentative O'Mahonys defence failed to clear the danger. However, by half-time the lead had been wiped out and after turning around on level terms, 1-4 to 0-7, Dunshaughlin were outscored by 1-7 to 0-2 thereafter. Kelly and Michael McHale lost out to Mark Ward and Stephen MacGabhann in the midfield exchanges after that opening flourish while pointed frees from Kelly and Cathal O'Dwyer were the losing side's only second-half scores. Still there were only two points separating the sides going into the final quarter, 0-10 to 1-5, but David Bray's goal after Barry Regan's initial effort was saved by Dunshaughlin 'keeper Michael Ahern effectively decided the outcome and O'Mahonys went on to win by 1-14 to 1-6 and return to the last four of the SFC for the third year running. Dunshaughlin failed to win a game in the 2006 campaign but opened their 2007 SFC bid with an 0-11 to 0-8 win over Duleek, managed by Eamonn Barry, at Pairc Tailteann on the evening of Sunday, April 15. In a dour match, the eventual winners totalled 15 wides against a side that was short key players including Peter Curran and Padraig Howard. It was 0-5 each at the break and by the end Cathal O'Dwyer, Conor Staunton, Niall Kelly and Richie Kealy shared scoring honours for Dunshaughlin with two points each while Caoimhin King, Anthony Johnson and David Tonge also got off the mark for the winners. It was back to Pairc Tailteann for their second round match, a two points loss, 3-7 to 0-14, to Simonstown on Friday, May 4. Dunshaughlin got off to a dreadful start, condeding 3-1 in the opening ten minutes with John Lunney (two) and Shane O'Rourke getting the goals for the Navan men. Nearly 17 minutes elapsed before Dunshaughlin got off the mark but by half-time the deficit was down to four points, 0-8 to 3-3. Leo Turley's men deserve a lot of credit for bouncing back after that dreadful opening as well as for the quality of the football they served up. Despite going for nearly 20 minutes without scoring in the second period of a lively contest, the black and ambers finished with four points on the spin from Niall Kelly, Conor Staunton, Michael Ahern and Ray Maloney before running out of time. Dunshaughlin's third round meeting with Ballinlough was delayed due to David Crimmins' involvement with the county hurling side and when it was rescheduled for Pairc Tailteann on the evening of Sunday, July 8 the north county side didn't turn up. Ballinlough appeared to be unhappy to have to play a senior football championship game just 24 hours after their star player, Peader Byrne, had helped Meath (and scored the only goal) to an All-Ireland SFC qualifier win over Down and six days prior to their meeting with Fermanagh in the next round. Their stance appeared to be backed up by regulation 30 which states that "no club championship fixture involving a Meath senior county player shall be arranged for the period commencing at midnight on Saturday, one week prior to a senior inter county championship match". Dunshaughlin had similar grounds for refusing to play the fixture because of Caoimhin King's involvement with the county footballers but were willing to play. They also appeared anxious to play for the points and the match was refixed. When the fixture did go ahead at the county grounds on Thursday, July 26 (five days after Meath All-Ireland SFC qualifier win over Galway and the hurlers exit from the Ring Cup at the hands of Kildare), Dunshaughlin won easily on a 1-12 to 0-6 scoreline. Cathal O'Dwyer set Dunshaughlin on their way with three early points and a Conor Staunton goal boosted them to a 1-6 to 0-3 interval advantage. The winners finished with more wides than scores, 13 to 11, on their way to picking up their second brace of points of the campaign. That left Dunshaughlin in third place behind Summerhill and Blackhall Gaels and ahead of Simonstown with two rounds to go in the race to fill the three quarter-final places on offer in the group. Ratoath was the venue for the fourth round meeting of neighbours Dunshaughlin and Blackhall Gaels on Sunday, August 26, seven days after Meath's exit from the All-Ireland SFC race. The sides drew when they met in the group stage the previous year, one of four draws Dunshaughlin were involved in the seven-match programme. This time round they took a big step towards returning to the business end of the championship with a 1-10 to 0-12 success. Not for the first time in the campaign, Dunshaughlin opened brightly. Points from Niall Kelly (two) and Cathal O'Dwyer set them on their way and a David Crimmins' goal left the black and ambers in the driving seat, 1-6 to 0-4, at half-time. Michael McHale, David Tonge and Conor Staunton were involved in the build-up to the game's only goal, while the latter player was a constant thorn in the side of the Blackhall rearguard. Dunshaughlin were on the back foot in the third quarter and the scores were tied, 1-7 to 0-10, when Jonathan Meyler pointed as the game entered the final stages. The introduction of Cillian Finn improved matters at midfield for Leo Turley's charges and the former county minor added a point for good measure. That result left Dunshaughlin's destiny in their own hands and a win over Summerhill in the final group game saw them through to the knockout stages for the eighth time in the ten years since they rejoined the senior ranks after winning the IFC title in 1997. Dunshaughlin didn't make a big impression in the Division 1 FL, winning five and losing the rest of the ten league games played to finish two points above the drop zone. In the Feis Cup, Dunshaughlin overcame Wolfe Tones by 0-15 to 0-12 after extra time in the opening round. They went on to score a 1-12 to 0-7 win over Trim in round two before exiting the competition at the hands of intermediates Syddan, at the next stage. Michael Ahern was in goals for the Meath under 21 team that defeated both Kildare and Dublin in the Leinster championship before losing to Offaly by 1-10 to 0-10 in the provincial semi-final at Tullamore in wintry conditions on Sunday, March 18. Indeed the Faithful County might have won by a wider margin but for the form displayed by the Dunshaughlin netminder. On the plus side Caoimhin King continued to develop as a county player and was arguably Meath's best performer in the All-Ireland SFC semi-final defeat by Cork and was rewarded with an All-Star nomination. A hurling revolution: 1982 recalled This time 25 years ago a revolution was sweeping through Dunshaughlin - a hurling revolution. And like all successful, well planned revolutions it gained rapid momentum, culminating with a serious and triumphant assault on the Junior Championship title. Not since the early 1960s had the clash of the ash been produced by a local adult team in Dunshaughlin, but that all changed in 1982 when a squad made up of some young and some not so young hurlers got together and went on a wonderful adventure that would eventually bring them to Trim and to glory later in the year. The previous record of a Dunshaughlin team winning the JHC had been way back in 1908, so the centenary of that victory is next year. That was obviously a very good side because they won the senior crown in both 1909 and 1910 and that particular title was also annexed in 1923. So there certainly was tradition there as Dunshaughlin set out on the road to glory in 1982 with a team that included a number of players who had vast experience of playing the game at the highest club level, including Jimmy Walsh, who was a member of the Meath panel which won the All-Ireland SFC in 1967, Tommy Troy and Jimmy O'Rourke. Troy had captained Kilmessan to the junior title five years earlier. It was those sort of players who gave the team a solid backbone in the craft department and Walsh's scoring feats were one of the prime reasons why the side enjoyed instant success. By the time Dunshaughlin made it through to the JHC quarter-finals it was festival time in the village which was always a massive social occasion in those days. So it was fitting that Navan O'Mahonys kindly agreed to play the match in Dunshaughlin where the local hurlers responded with a victory in a game that produced no fewer that seven goals. Full-forward Walsh was the star of the show with 2-4 over the hour and his two goals came in the first half which helped Dunshaughlin to open up a five point (3-4 to 2-2) lead at the interval. Substitute Mick O'Brien also found the net in that period as the home side looked very impressive and they appeared to be in a strong position to go on and make it through to the semi-finals. Their performance dipped to a degree in the second period following that very productive first half showing and they added only four more points as O'Mahonys did everything in their power to revive their fortunes. They goaled twice more in that second half, but Dunshaughlin had done enough to safeguard themselves against a serious revival by the Navan men and were ahead by 3-8 to 4-3 when the final whistle sounded. That victory set up a semi-final against Boardsmill at Trim where Walsh was once again very much to the fore as he scored 1-6 in the 2-10 to 1-5 success. This was a very comfortable win and Dunshaughlin were well on their way to the decider when they led by 1-7 to 0-3 at the change of ends. Mick O'Keeffe, who was to play a major role in the final win, contributed 1-1 against the 'Mill, while Jimmy O'Rourke, Gerry Tuohy and Tadhg Delaney registered a point each. Excitement mounted as the final against a young and relatively inexperienced Killyon team drew near and a good sprinkling of Dunshaughlin supporters gathered at St. Loman's Park in Trim to watch their team finish the job in emphatic style. Their first year back competing in the small ball code had a fairytale ending in a match that produced seven goals. It was highly significant that five of them were scored by Dunshaughlin whose greater experience was also a telling factor on the big day. The reality was that Dunshaughlin were in control for the vast majority of the contest and never really looked in any danger of losing, even though it was Killyon who appeared the marginally better team in the early stages. A nine point winning margin just about accurately reflected the gap between the teams, though in fairness to the Hill of Down men they never stopped battling up to the final whistle. Dunshaughlin took some time to get into their stride, but once they settled down after the opening quarter it was apparent that there was going to be only one outcome. They possessed a match winner in local school teacher O'Keeffe who scored three goals at vital times in the contest to kill off Killyon's committed challenge. The experience and superior strength of players like Jimmy Walsh, Gerry Flanagan, Jimmy O'Rourke and Tommy Troy was of vital importance in the victory, as it had been throughout the campaign, but there was also the youthful enthusiasm and energy of the younger brigade like Martin Walsh, John Neville and Gerry Tuohy who made very significant contributions. Despite playing against the wind, it was the Killyon men who looked to be warming to the task slightly better in the opening minutes of the final and they got the first score on the board when Tom Duignan belted over a free. Jimmy Walsh soon equalised to help settle early Dunshaughlin nerves, but that man Duignan responded by restoring Killyon's slender advantage. If the very early exchanges could be taken as an accurate yard stick then a close final appeared to be on the cards, but it was significant that Killyon failed to hit the target again in the first half as Dunshaughlin's greater experience and craft began to tell. Walsh had given them a significant boost after 18 minutes when he scored the first of their five goals. But it was no ordinary effort and was regarded as one of the most spectacular goals witnessed at the St. Loman's Park venue in years. Not content to go for a point from a free as most players would, he lobbed the sliotar over Killyon goalkeeper Enda Quirke and as the net shook Dunshaughlin had taken an important step towards securing the junior title. Tadhg Delaney and the impressive Walsh added points and then the game turned firmly in Dunshaughlin's favour when O'Keeffe blasted a second goal in off the underside of the crossbar to earn his team a seven point (2-3 to 0-2) cushion at the break. Dunshaughlin had half the job completed and it was now a matter of maintaining the effort over the second 30 minutes. However, they certainly had no room for over-confidence, despite their hefty lead, because goalkeeper Martin Walsh had come to their rescue on a number of occasions in the opening period, including one particularly brilliant save from a John Rafferty point blank effort. Killyon had also hit seven wides in that half, so it was clear that they were creating plenty of chances. It was Killyon who made the more productive start to the second half as Paddy Kelly and Tom Duignan found their range with points to cut the deficit back to five, but Dunshaughlin soon rocked them back on their heels when O'Keeffe notched his second goal in the 39th minute. Killyon had absolutely no intention of throwing in the towel and when Seamus Duignan scored their second goal 10 minutes from the end they must have sensed that they had a chance. However, Dunshaughlin always looked capable of responding to any serious threat posed to their lead and when Mick O'Brien scrambled home another goal the result was beyond doubt. Just to make absolutely sure O'Keeffe completed his hat-trick when he rifled to the net after a Delaney pass.There was still sufficient time for Killyon's Kelly to score the seventh goal of the final and they might well have got another on the stroke of full time only for a block by Ollie O'Neill from Rafferty's penalty. When the final whistle sounded Dunshaughlin were ahead by 5-4 to 2-4 and it was a very proud moment for team captain Jimmy Walsh when he accepted the Thomas Kane Memorial Cup on behalf of his team mates from Hurling Board deputy vice-chairman Tommy Cummins. It was time to celebrate; party time had arrived. But Dunshaughlin got down to business again once those celebrations died away and they were back the following year to win the Intermediate Championship, a title they won again in 1987. However, it was that junior triumph a quarter of a century ago that really got things moving. It was a truly memorable year for all concerned. The teams which contested the 1982 Junior Hurling Championship final were: Dunshaughlin - M. Walsh; O. O'Neill, T. Troy, H. Doyle; G. Flanagan, J. Neville, G. Keane; J. O'Rourke, F. Kelly; G. Tuohy, J. Condon (0-1), T. Delaney (0-1); M. O'Brien (1-0), J. Walsh (1-2), M. O'Keeffe (3-0). Killyon - E. Quirke; G. Brady, E. Regan, P. Farrelly; G. Fennessy, Paddy Duignan, Pat Duignan; L. Dempsey, O. Mooney; T. Duignan (0-3), P. Kelly (1-1), M. Ryan; S. Duignan (1-0), N. Dempsey, J. Rafferty. Subs - A. Mooney for Regan, P. Doyle for Rafferty, Rafferty for L. Dempsey. Tweet

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