An extract from Royal County Meath Yearbook 2011:

Four All-Ireland victories were the highlights of Sean Boylan's lengthy spell as manager of the Meath senior football team, but a wet and wonderful day during the summer of 1986 deserves its own special place among a treasure trove of memories. By Paul Clarke.

There were many in the attendance at Croke Park on Sunday, 27th July who couldn't remember a Meath team winning a Leinster SFC title. It had been 16 long years since that extraordinary recovery against Offaly in the 1970 decider which yielded a 2-22 to 5-12 victory and a 12th provincial crown.

In the years which followed it often appeared that a 13th title would never come. There were final appearances in 1973 when Offaly won comfortably and again in1974, 1976 and 1977 when Dublin got in the way. The only bright light was the surprise National League success in 1975 when a team coached by Mick O'Brien emerged from Division 2 to win the title with a thrilling final victory over the Dubs who were the reigning All-Ireland champions.

Some dreadful lows arrived in the early 1980s, particularly the first round championship defeats to Wexford in 1981 and Longford a year later, but with the arrival of Boylan definite signs began to emerge that Meath could turn the corner. By the summer of 1983 they had improved sufficiently to hold Dublin to a draw in the opening round of the championship, only to concede three goals in the replay and lose by a couple of points. Less than three months later Dublin won the All-Ireland title.

Meath claimed the Centenary Cup in 1984 and then won three games in the Leinster Championship to reach their first final in seven years, but with Mick Lyons an absentee through injury Dublin won by four points. Rapid progress had been made since Boylan answered the call in the autumn of 1982 and when championship time came around in 1985 hope had turned to optimism.

Kildare were pushed aside with reasonable ease in the opener at Pairc Tailteann, but a shattering defeat followed at Tullamore where Laois proved far too good, winning by 10 points. As the Meath players walked dejectedly off the O'Connor Park pitch a re-emergence in Leinster appeared as far away as ever.

Some of the more senior players, who would later share in so much success, could have been forgiven if they felt it was time to call it a day. They didn't and once the scars of that bitterly disappointing day started to heal there was a resolve to make amends and go all out for that elusive Leinster title. 

Several new faces emerged for the 1986 campaign, including teak tough defender Liam Harnan and Brian Stafford, who was later to become one of the best free-takers in the country. They strengthened the Meath panel considerably, but the opening to the championship in mid-June wasn't overly convincing as Carlow were beaten by just three points at Dr Cullen Park.

Wicklow, who crucially defeated NFL champions Laois in the 'Battle of Aughrim' in their Leinster quarter-final, proved no match for Meath three weeks later in a semi-final at Newbridge and the scene was set for a second final meeting with Dublin in the space of three years. The Dubs had been seriously deflated by the loss of two successive All-Ireland finals to Kerry and there was a sense that Meath's big chance had come.

Meath played into the Canal End against a strong wind in the first half and an early point from David Beggy helped to settle them into the contest. Scores were always likely to be scarce in such atrocious conditions and the teams managed 10 points between them in that opening period.

Dublin led by only two (0-6 to 0-4) at the interval, but as the second half wore on it became increasingly obvious that Meath had built up a momentum and a belief in their own ability which would carry them to the title. They limited Dublin to a solitary point in that period and as the rain came down in torrents and the light faded dramatically they added five themselves to win by 0-9 to 0-7.

Finian Murtagh notched two hugely important scores in that second half as Meath gradually edged to the front, but Pat Canavan had a great opportunity to draw the sides level when he shot badly wide. Barney Rock was a big loss to Dublin after he retired injured and Ciaran Duff was off target with a couple of efforts after he had been given the free-taking duties.

The last score of the final came from Colm O'Rourke after a fisted delivery from Liam Hayes and when referee Seamus Aldridge sounded the last whistle it signalled scenes of high emotion and great joy.

It was Meath's first Leinster SFC victory over Dublin since 1964 and how sweet it felt. From the scene of dejection at Tullamore a little over a year earlier they had turned things around and were provincial champions.

For the record, the teams which contested that 1986 final were:

Meath: M McQuillan; J Cassells, M Lyons, P Lyons; C Coyle, L Harnan, T Ferguson; L Hayes, G McEntee; F Murtagh, P J Gillic, D Beggy; C O'Rourke, B Stafford, B Flynn. Sub: M O'Connell for Gillic.

Dublin: J O'Leary; PJ Buckley, G Hargan, M Kennedy; P Canavan, N McCaffrey, D Synnott; J Roynane, J Bissett; L Close, C Duff, C Redmond; B Rock, T Carr, J McNally. Subs: T Conroy for Rock, P Clarke for Bissett, J Kearns for Close. 

Referee: Seamus Aldridge (Kildare).

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