BOYLAN TALKS SPORT Joy, disappointment and perspective - that was the week that was

What quirky habits have you inherited from your parents? With the folks here being of a particular vintage, one thing I definitely got from Da was the habit of checking the death notices first thing every morning.

I know himself used to meet the late Brian Smyth - Meath’s All Ireland winning captain of 1949 - every morning. Where they would congregate at a table and chairs - which I am firmly convinced the shop assistant deliberately left there for them - to see “Who’s on the way up the road today”. Now, naturally, when somebody held dear - never mind actual family - is called to the retirement resort up top it becomes an altogether more harrowing task.

There’s no point in or merit to comparing one case with another. However, no matter how much grief and sadness one has had to deal with in, say, the last decade or so, there will always be one which will knock you sideways. So it was early last week, when nothing but stunned silence was all which could be mustered on becoming aware of the passing of young Tom Lynch of Ballinlough GFC and Kilskyre HC.

I only met the brave, inspirational young man on a handful of occasions, but his courage, strength of character passion for and knowledge on a variety of different sports would bring a tear to the one seeing eye and inspire you to get your own act together all at the same time.

As was said to one of the bereaved family during the week, he packed an awful lot into his 12 short years. Inspiring people right, left and centre as he did so. Something manifested in the messages of sympathy pouring in from such entities as the Meath Co Committee, the IRFU and Manchester City.

The late youngster didn’t lick being inspirational off the ground. That, I can personally vouch for, as it was the Lynch family - trading as the Lynn Group at the time - who gave me my first ‘break’ in the media world. Writing in the Meath GAA Yearbook of 2001.

As former Ballinlough and Meath midfielder and the little star’s uncle Declan (Lynch) said to me during the week - “Don’t be surprised if he engineers a Leinster title from up there”.

Which neatly leads into the next crossroads in this week’s ramble. With next Sunday and the Dubs in mind, do we dare to dream?

Before getting into the nuts and bolts of that very conundrum, for anybody emotionally or otherwise invested in Meath football, the previous week had brought joy, disappointment but also a trailer load of perspective.

The latter facet of that has just been outlined above, the other two subsections may seem mundane in comparison, but, when GAA is such a central tenet of life as is the case here, the ups and downs of club and county teams takes on much greater importance than the mere results of what goes on between the lines.

During the past week, the joy and disappointment showed itself in all its glory and gloom. Firstly, the joyfulness. On Tuesday night as the u-20s eventually wore down the challenge of an obstinate but talented Wexford side.

Then, Thursday night saw the county’s Minor footballers head for Longford knowing that nothing other than a win would suffice if their season was to be elongated.

Hitting a half dozen points without reply at the game’s beginning wasn’t a bad statement of intent. To be fair to the defending Leinster champions, they did show the character thereof, when they got back to within a point of Meath (0-9 to 1-5) by half time.

With the outstanding Nathan Reilly conducting the orchestra, Joe Cowley’s charges looked brilliant in spurts but were never truly able to shake the challenge of the locals at Allen Park, Clonguish.

This despite brilliant contributions from the introduced triumvirate of Sean Delaney, Adam McEvoy and Lewis Ryan.

Ultimately, though, the three point margin at the end was more than a little flattering to the blue and gold. Against that, there will surely be a cognisance within the Meath camp that conceding 3-10 is not conducive to profitable operations.

Conversely though, akin to the other two male Meath football teams left in championship action (and the hurlers), in Will Byrne, Robbie Johnson, Stephen Cahill and the introduced trio they have forwards capable of keeping any defence busy and can look forward to their Leinster MFC quarter final with quiet confidence.

Speaking of good forwards, mind you, on the Ladies Football scene, are there many better forwards than Emma Duggan and Vikki Wall? That’s not so much posed as a question, more a point of reassurance after the green and gold again came up short against the two shades of blue.

In what is alarmingly becoming a pattern, again Shane McCormack’s side had some decidedly harsh refereeing decisions go against them, but in the interest of fairness it should also be said that a huge slice of credit must also go to the Dublin defence who put up the barricades on the supply of ball to Duggan, Wall and Ciara Smyth. Undoing those locks will most likely hold the keys to the rest of Meath’s season.

However, for the week that was, it’s poignantly fitting to leave the last word to the Meath hurlers. Between the u-20 team and the seniors, on more than one occasion in the recent past, the phrase “Darren O’Higgins loves a goal” has cropped up in commentary.

He netted with both ensembles during the course of the past week while his Kilskyre/Moylagh clubmate Daire Shine sent over two fine points against Tyrone. The two players no doubt had a little extra help in their jerseys from two local heroes on the pitch far away. May Paddy Muldoon and young Tom both rest in peace.