Meath Forum

How Do We Improve Meath Inter County Hurling?

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I'd still say it's between 4/5 teams at the moment . Na fianna it's hard to know with them. Going through managers over last few years is not good to see in a team.

Dunboyne on their day can be a great team to watch and play some nice hurling. I'd still watch out for a few teams in the intermediate. Might not all be just Rathmolyon or Dunboyne who are in same group and it will be between them who is 1st or 2nd.

Meathgaafan25 (Meath) - Posts: 22 - 24/06/2025 23:06:10    2620842

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Replying To Meathgaafan25:  "I'd still say it's between 4/5 teams at the moment . Na fianna it's hard to know with them. Going through managers over last few years is not good to see in a team.

Dunboyne on their day can be a great team to watch and play some nice hurling. I'd still watch out for a few teams in the intermediate. Might not all be just Rathmolyon or Dunboyne who are in same group and it will be between them who is 1st or 2nd."
The senior is open in my eyes to Ratoath, Trim, Kiltale, Kildalkey and Kilmessan. Think Kiltale have a freshness to them even with the old guard still in place, they wont be far away and will want to lay down a marker in the league final, Kilmessan are building from the bottom up, might not make a final this year but its not far away, they have a good side and will be in the shake up, Trim are Trim and you would expect them be in the last 4 at least, likewise Ratoath all be it Cole will be a loss, their new manager couldn't get Rathmolyon over the line in intermediate so we will wait and see here, should make a semi tho, Kildalkey don't seem as strong as previous years but they are an experienced championship team, so my opinion on how groups will end are,

Kiltale
Ratoath
Kildalkey
Blackhall
Longwood
Athboy

Trim
Kilmessan
Na Fianna
Killyon
Dunderry
Navan
Alot of the above will depend on injuries, what players are away travelling etc., its just my opinion based on the teams i know something about,

So Kiltale and Trim in semi finals with Ratoath, Kildalkey, Kilmessan and Na Fianna in qtr finals, if they land like i think it will be Ratoath v Na Fianna winner playing Trim which i expect to be Ratoath, this would make for a great semi final with Trim winning it i think, other qtr will be Kilmessan and Kildalkey, to good teams with tradition of winning championship games, might be a year to soon for Kilmessan so i give Kildalkey the nod here but only just, that would see Kiltale play Kildalkey and again 2 teams that have been at the top a few times in recent years and know how to win games, both teams have a few players pushing on and will be looking to get to another final where anything can happen, Kildalkey by a slender margin, final of Trim and Kildalkey, recent years suggest that Trim would win this and regain the Jubilee, Athboy to be relegated from senior but you could relegate 4 if you there was appetite for decent change. ,

One major factor on all the above will be football and injuries, with Kilmessan possibly the least effected by football,
Ratoath, Na Fianna, Trim & Summerhill will have eyes on senior, so effects Ratoath, Trim, Na Fianna and Kiltale hurlers,
Moynalvey & Ballivor on Inter, so effects Kiltale and Kildalkey hurlers.

Intermediate hurling is of a very poor standard in Meath, Rathmolyon are favorite's since god was a child and i don't see them winning it this year either, they continue to play Div 3 hurling which might change this year, Kilskyre will need the injured county players to be back but i still don't think they will have enough, Boardsmill just don't have enough full stop, Kildalkey's league position suggests that their seconds are weaker than previous years, the 2 teams for me will be Drumree and Dunboyne, with Dunboyne returning to senior,

ParcT (Meath) - Posts: 39 - 25/06/2025 10:59:07    2620899

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Replying To ParcT:  "The senior is open in my eyes to Ratoath, Trim, Kiltale, Kildalkey and Kilmessan. Think Kiltale have a freshness to them even with the old guard still in place, they wont be far away and will want to lay down a marker in the league final, Kilmessan are building from the bottom up, might not make a final this year but its not far away, they have a good side and will be in the shake up, Trim are Trim and you would expect them be in the last 4 at least, likewise Ratoath all be it Cole will be a loss, their new manager couldn't get Rathmolyon over the line in intermediate so we will wait and see here, should make a semi tho, Kildalkey don't seem as strong as previous years but they are an experienced championship team, so my opinion on how groups will end are,

Kiltale
Ratoath
Kildalkey
Blackhall
Longwood
Athboy

Trim
Kilmessan
Na Fianna
Killyon
Dunderry
Navan
Alot of the above will depend on injuries, what players are away travelling etc., its just my opinion based on the teams i know something about,

So Kiltale and Trim in semi finals with Ratoath, Kildalkey, Kilmessan and Na Fianna in qtr finals, if they land like i think it will be Ratoath v Na Fianna winner playing Trim which i expect to be Ratoath, this would make for a great semi final with Trim winning it i think, other qtr will be Kilmessan and Kildalkey, to good teams with tradition of winning championship games, might be a year to soon for Kilmessan so i give Kildalkey the nod here but only just, that would see Kiltale play Kildalkey and again 2 teams that have been at the top a few times in recent years and know how to win games, both teams have a few players pushing on and will be looking to get to another final where anything can happen, Kildalkey by a slender margin, final of Trim and Kildalkey, recent years suggest that Trim would win this and regain the Jubilee, Athboy to be relegated from senior but you could relegate 4 if you there was appetite for decent change. ,

One major factor on all the above will be football and injuries, with Kilmessan possibly the least effected by football,
Ratoath, Na Fianna, Trim & Summerhill will have eyes on senior, so effects Ratoath, Trim, Na Fianna and Kiltale hurlers,
Moynalvey & Ballivor on Inter, so effects Kiltale and Kildalkey hurlers.

Intermediate hurling is of a very poor standard in Meath, Rathmolyon are favorite's since god was a child and i don't see them winning it this year either, they continue to play Div 3 hurling which might change this year, Kilskyre will need the injured county players to be back but i still don't think they will have enough, Boardsmill just don't have enough full stop, Kildalkey's league position suggests that their seconds are weaker than previous years, the 2 teams for me will be Drumree and Dunboyne, with Dunboyne returning to senior,"
The hurling fraternity in the county seem to have grasped the concept of using "Na Fianna" when referring to the amalgamation of Enfield and Baconstown. However when it comes to Clann na nGael, there seems to be an insistence that the club is still called Athboy for some reason.

oceanofnoise (Meath) - Posts: 57 - 25/06/2025 19:25:20    2621069

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Replying To oceanofnoise:  "The hurling fraternity in the county seem to have grasped the concept of using "Na Fianna" when referring to the amalgamation of Enfield and Baconstown. However when it comes to Clann na nGael, there seems to be an insistence that the club is still called Athboy for some reason."
One would wonder where clann na gael play their home games.

Irish_downunder (Meath) - Posts: 660 - 26/06/2025 07:50:36    2621128

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Have they lost a lot of players over last few weeks Clann na ngael.

Meathgaafan25 (Meath) - Posts: 22 - 26/06/2025 13:12:57    2621207

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Too much weight being attributed to league performances. A completely different story in the championship.

CrookedSticks (Fermanagh) - Posts: 19 - 26/06/2025 13:27:22    2621215

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anyone have a link / pdf of times and venues of the championship games?

hurlingcowboy101 (Meath) - Posts: 39 - 26/06/2025 14:25:22    2621247

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Replying To Irish_downunder:  "One would wonder where clann na gael play their home games."
The club is in the fortunate position of having two locations where home games are played.

oceanofnoise (Meath) - Posts: 57 - 27/06/2025 09:36:05    2621414

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Any guys putting their hands up in the club championship to date to get a call up for the 2026 season ?

Slowandonesided25 (Meath) - Posts: 2 - 26/08/2025 15:26:28    2633667

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Amalgamate with Westmeath

numberedjerseys (USA) - Posts: 376 - 08/09/2025 10:07:00    2635279

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Was in Navan yesterday at the games and there was a decent standard of hurling on display. Kiltale look like a group enjoying each others company and on a mission

Trim got rid of Paul kelly a couple of weeks back and it looked like there was a little hangover there also.

Johnny Greville was in attendance and word in the stand from a couple of people was he has a new head coach who played with limerick over the last couple of years and was there as well with the management team

Slowandonesided25 (Meath) - Posts: 2 - 08/09/2025 10:54:34    2635287

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Replying To Slowandonesided25:  "Was in Navan yesterday at the games and there was a decent standard of hurling on display. Kiltale look like a group enjoying each others company and on a mission

Trim got rid of Paul kelly a couple of weeks back and it looked like there was a little hangover there also.

Johnny Greville was in attendance and word in the stand from a couple of people was he has a new head coach who played with limerick over the last couple of years and was there as well with the management team"
Obviously I'll reserve judgement till next year, but we've had a list as long as your arm of coaches with sparkling CVs in Meath hurling over the years and it has never been a silver bullet.

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1711 - 12/09/2025 12:15:53    2635840

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For the first time since quater finals came in 2007, we will have a really cut throat hurling championship next year, the westmeath model should be brillaint. id say there will be big numbers at matches from the first round on as its nearly win or bust, real proper championship fare next year. im looking forward to it already. 6 best teams in group, top goes straight to final and 2nd v 3rd in play off, thats a brillaint system, still 3 going out of 6 which gives plenty of chances but plenty of jeoprady too. 4 out of 6 would have been disastrous setup. as a team could go to a final with just one win out of 5 matches like ratoath in 2022 i think. games being out of navan will help a lot as well, more matches in Boardsmill, Kilmessan, Athboy and Kildalkey would be a big help to atmosphere. Imagine Ratoath v Trim in a first round match in Kilmessan? or Kildalkey v Trim in Athboy to stay in championship basically a semi final as it was in 90 and 94 in Athboy. When county board sees it in action they will kick themselves they didnt have it in years before.

dickie10 (UK) - Posts: 900 - 09/12/2025 09:29:11    2647579

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Very surprised no change in management after this years disaster.
Would love to know reason to keep them on

hurlit (Meath) - Posts: 445 - 09/12/2025 09:46:56    2647584

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Replying To hurlit:  "Very surprised no change in management after this years disaster.
Would love to know reason to keep them on"
I've heard on the grapevine that although it was a disaster on the field it was very successful in terms of budget with expenditure way down on previous years. Top brass will be delighted with this, especially with the footballers on the up.

Looking ahead to 2026 I'd be very fearful of how bad things could get. Talk of a lot of lads not going back in. We'll wait and see.

begining (UK) - Posts: 327 - 09/12/2025 11:57:43    2647612

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yes could end up a long messy year, particularly with likes of Tyrone and Donegal improving so much even Sligo and Cavan have come hugely in last few years. Sligo gave Wicklow a 10 oint beating 2 seasons ago, while Cavan were 4 points up at half time against London in Ruislip in League this year.

dickie10 (UK) - Posts: 900 - 09/12/2025 15:48:24    2647673

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If no change in management you could be looking at double relegation this year.
Why would players from the top 3 or 4 senior teams waste their time with current setup.

hurlit (Meath) - Posts: 445 - 09/12/2025 20:46:20    2647720

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