Final analysis means divided loyalties at two-county station

Broadcasting an intercounty GAA match on a local radio station is always that bit less balanced than on a national radio station - the home fans, after all, want to hear a positive view of their players on the pitch. Think back to the Meath-Mayo era and the late Mayo broadcaster, Willie the Shoe, the most passionate broadcaster in the west, and probably in the country. When two neighbouring counties are facing each other in a crucial clash, as Meath and Louth are this Sunday, there is always a greater rivalry, which will be felt all the more intensely along the county boundaries. But when one local radio station, in this case, LMFM, covers both counties playing, it throws up a quandary. LMFM's two main sports broadcasters are Meathman Brendan Cummins and Louth's Colm Corrigan, from Annagasson. "There's a great hype about the whole thing," Cummins says. "During the week, the first question asked everywhere we went was 'who's broadcasting the game? There's great excitement." The one thing needed in the situation is balance, explains the Dunsany native, adding that one always has to be very careful not to antagonise the followers of one side or the other. So they have come up with an almost unique way of broadcasting the game - in relays, like the Aintree Grand National. "We're going to do it in turns," Cummins says. "I'll do a section, and then Colm will do a section." To add to the balance, former Louth player Stefan White will be Cummins's analyst, and Meath's Mattie Kerrigan will join Corrigan. "It'll be like the Aintree broadcasters changing at the Melling Road," laughs Cummins. While Louth and Meath have met on a number of occasions over the past decade, none of their meetings have been as significant as the Leinster Final on Sunday. It is the first pairing of the two sides in the provincial final since 1952, and Louth's first appearance in a final since 1960 - exactly 50 years ago, and they will be hoping to go further. The Royal County, meanwhile, will be trying to reaffirm its once dominant place in Leinster, having overcome old adversaries, the Dubs, and so far avoided the qualifiers route. In 2006, the two counties met in a first round game in the Leinster Championship, which Meath won decisively, while the Wee County should have won that famous 2002 first round qualifier game in Pairc Tailteann, snatched from them by a Graham Geraghty goal deep into injury time. "Louth had a strong team in the late '80s and early '90s, but were blocked out by Meath and Dublin, mainly Dublin, at the time," Brendan Cummins recalls. "They have played exceptionally well in their last three games, and put on an exhibition against Kildare. They have exceeded expectations - maybe not their own, but everyone else's, in reaching their first final in 50 years." Meath have been improving all along, particularly since the League campaign, and Cummins believes that both players and management are becoming much more confident with their roles as each game progresses. The return of Kevin O'Reilly and Shane O'Rourke to the team is also an obvious boost, he adds. And what does he think the result will be? "I'm looking forward to a good exciting game," he says. "It's much easier to commentate on a close game than a runaway one and, fingers crossed, Meath are on top at the end."