'We have been chasing this for the last five or six years'

Wolfe Tones were determined to prove they were no flash in the pan

Thomas O'Reilly has been a fantastic servant to both his club and county over the years and he was instrumental in Wolfe Tones victory over Donaghmore/Ashbourne in the Meath SFC final on Sunday as the Kilberry/Oristown side claimed their third Keegan Cup in fine style.

Wolfe Tones built up a nice lead in the first quarter and despite Donaghmore/Ashbourne experiencing a purple patch just before half-time, Shane McCoy's army pulled away from their opponents in the second-half and in the end were comfortable winners.

O'Reilly has been a key player for the Tones not only on Sunday but throughout the campaign and he spoke about the odds being stacked against his side with Donaghmore/Ashbourne's home advantage, how the team set their stall out early and stayed composed, the pain of final defeat in 2024 and the joy of being back on top.

"It's an unbelievable feeling. We have been chasing this for the last five or six years since we won it last. Everyone thought we were a flash in the pan and a one-time team," remarked O'Reilly.

"We had it all stacked against us today playing against Donaghmore/Ashbourne in Ashbourne. We knew how difficult it was going to be so we set out our stall early to try and get on top quickly and dominate.

"We did that but they came back at us and we knew they would. It was just all about staying composed. We knew once we took our scores we would be in a good position. We felt like we left one behind us in 2024 but today we are back on top."

A lot of the talk in the build up was how much of an advantage Donaghmore/Ashbourne were going to get from playing a Meath SFC final at home but O'Reilly explained that the Tones prepped well for the venue and it paid off.

"We tried to train accordingly in the build-up. It is probably a slightly smaller pitch in comparasion to what we have been playing on in the last few games at Dunganny. It takes a small bit of adjustment, esspecially in your forward play and you have to be a little more selective up front," suggested the Wolfe Tones number 11.

"That was what the emphasis was on over the last couple of weeks. Thankfully, today we worked a lot of good scores when we needed to and stayed composed. Our little bit of experience probably told and I'm just delighted we got over the line."

Three minutes before half-time, Wolfe Tones led by eight points but a flurry of scores just before the break for Donaghmore/Ashbourne meant that their lead was cut to just three points at the break.

O'Reilly spoke about how getting back on top in the middle third was a key component as the newly crowned SFC champions pulled away from the opposition in the second-half.

"During their purple patch before half-time we kind of let ourselves down a bit in the breaking ball around the middle third," said O'Reilly.

"In every game it is a bit of a battlefield around the middle of the park. We had to get back to basics, get bodies on either side and compete under the breaking ball. Adam (O'Neill) and Eoin (Donegan) got back on top. Once we secured primary possession and got ball in hand, we had the patience to build up the scores well.

"It's never over until it is over and it was all about the next play until that final whistle sounded. It is nice that we built up a bit of a lead there but you have to stay present and patient.

"We stuck to the process and to the mantra of what we have been doing all year which is play until the final whistle. That is what we did for the last 10 minutes, even though we had a nice lead, we kept going and kept pushing."

In 2024, Wolfe Tones lost out in the Meath SFC final to Dunshaughlin having been in a commanding position in that game. O'Reilly spoke about how that loss affected the team and credited everyone in the background who helped push on the side again.

"That 2024 final defeat sat with us for a very long time. We were a bit disappointed with last year. We have a great group of lads there who have been all willing to put the shoulder to the wheel and the management team have been absolutely brilliant. There are so many people in the background that have helped push us on as well and a great player group."O'Reilly was keen to give huge credit to manager Shane McCoy who in his first year in charge of Wolfe Tones has guided them back to the summit of Meath football.

"Shane McCoy and the rest of the management team have been brilliant. All the lads who have been involved have been brilliant.

"They have given us licenses to play. They have put the standards in place that have been there. We are playing good attacking football as well which is an aspect that we have really tried to improve upon.

"The lads have exposed us to another level and I'm delighted that it showed there today."

There is no doubt that O'Reilly, his teammates and everyone connected with Wolfe Tones will enjoy the celebrations.

"We will celebrate long into the night and enjoy it for the next few days. A lot of work goes into it. This started last November when we set out our stall. It has been a long cycle so we will definitely enjoy it."

O'Reilly concluded by expressing his hopes that Wolfe Tones can make a good account of themselves in the Leinster Club SFC.

"I think we can absolutely do well in Leinster. We obviously haven't thought about it at the moment but when the celebrations are done we will settle down and set out our stall again. We want to keep the journey going and go as far as we possibly can. We will try and push on and make a good account of ourselves in Leinster."

It has been a few years since a Meath club has really made their mark in the Leinster club SFC and only time will tell if Wolfe Tones will be able to make an impact in the provincial competition. For the moment, they will deservedly enjoy the celebrations.