Fun in the snow for RTE's Gavin Jennings
On the national scene Meath are very well represented with many high-profile and well-regarded journalists plying their trade in sport, politics and current affairs.
In a series of features with FERGAL LYNCH over the next few weeks we have asked some of those national journalists to take time out from their hectic schedules to pen a few words recalling their favourite sporting memory.
Today Morning Ireland presenter on RTE Gavin Jennings who looks back on the day Meath beat Kildare to all but secure promotion back to NFL Div 1 after 16 years in exile.
GAVIN JENNINGS (RTE)
Gavin Jennings presents Morning Ireland on RTE Radio 1. He grew up in Kilcloon and later, Navan, and started his career in journalism writing about schools football for the Meath Chronicle. A qualified medical doctor, he combined working in A&E departments with working as a political reporter for the Belfast Newsletter before working for BBC Northern Ireland and later RTE. He now lives in Dublin, within walking distance of Dalymount and Croke Park.
I'VE BEEN going to Meath games for almost 40 years.
My first, was also Sean Boylan’s first in charge, against Dublin at Croke Park in 1983.
I’ve been there for the highs of the Centenary Cup in 1984, the All-Irelands in 1987 and 1988, the four-in-a-row against the Dubs in '91, that semi-final hammering of Kerry in 2001 and the surprise quarte-finals wins against Tyrone and Mayo in 2007 and '09.
I’ve been there for the lows too – losing to Laois in the first round of Leinster in 1992, to Louth to drop into Div 3 in 2012, Longford in 2018 and the seemingly endless run of championship exits in Ulster grounds...Clones, Omagh, and Dungiven.
The glory years were wonderful, but as fortunes have declined, my attendance rate at Meath games has actually increased largely because, I’ve had the pleasure of the company of my daughter, Lucy at matches.
Dublin born and with a support too for her mother's native Monaghan, following Meath for Lucy has been less about trophies and winning and more about appreciating sandwiches, crisps, trips to Navan and Division 2 football – a lot of Division 2 football.
We’ve developed a routine about games at Pairc Tailteann – arriving well over an hour before throw-in to make sure we’ve a seat in the stand. Tea and sausages from the back of the stand, a visit to Grannys after the game and more recently a half-time kickabout on the pitch.
We were beginning to fear that after the Leinster final win against Louth in 2010, that Meath were cursed. Meath teams of this decade appeared to enjoy no luck. The bounce of a ball favoured the opposition. Every close game went the wrong way. Any win had to be fought for so hard.
Sometimes, it seemed like Graham Reilly, Donal Keogan and Cillian O’Sulivan were playing into a permanent storm force wind.
On 3rd March, 2019, they were playing into an actual storm in Navan, against Kildare, in Division 2 - it's a game that sticks in my mind.
It started awfully.
1-3 for Kildare after seven minutes.
1-7 to 0-5 points at half time.
And its snowing.
But Meath came back.
As memories of Meath comebacks from the glory years returned, the crowd in the stand got excited and louder.
Two points down, five minutes of injury time flagged, a Graham Reilly ball finds full-back Conor McGill near the Kildare goal. It breaks to Shane McEntee. He’s tumbled by Keith Cribben.
Penalty!
Barry Dardis steps up and puts Meath ahead!
A frantic finish, including Niall Kane breaking an arm to stop an equaliser and a thunderous roar to greet the final whistle. Meath win 1-9 to 1-8!
It was probably our biggest and most enjoyable win in a decade, my daughter's first experience of a glorious Royal comeback and, in four decades, my favourite Meath game.
Playing on the pitch at half-time against Galway, in Navan, last March on the day the first case of cororanvirus in Ireland was reported feels like a very long time ago.
I can’t wait to go to another Meath game, even in Division 2.