Several serious contenders for Intermediate honours
You would need a crystal ball in order to say who will be lifting the Brian McKeown cup when October rolls around, writes Anna Gardiner.
Rivalries are intense and there is little separating those who end up in relegation and those who make it to the latter stages of the competition.
St Ultan’s will have a point to prove. They lost to Skryne by six in last year’s final. They finished third in the league and were narrowly denied a place in the JK Cup final by Oldcastle. Key players include Shauna Bennett, Linda Smith, Mary Coyne, Lauren Rennicks, inter-county forward Rachel Casserly and the Meath u-20’s Orlaith Reilly.
Boardsmill are also serious contenders for the Intermediate crown. Relegated from senior in 2022 and intermediate the next year, the 2024 Junior A champions will be bidding to return to senior ranks.
Boardsmill claimed the Div 2 title over St Pat’s and made it to a JK Cup semi-final, but lost to Dunboyne. Multiple intermediate players were also involved in the second team’s JK Plate win and, with all four Troy sisters and Susan Kealy back, Seán Fitzgerald and his selectors will be optimistic.
St Colmcille’s are a team very much on the rise. Relegated in 2024, they have come straight back up and will be eager to get their season off to a positive start. New manager, Simonstown’s Niall Kane, has hit the ground running and his side had an impressive league campaign. They topped the Div 1 table but lost out to Royal Gaels in the final on a scoreline of 2-15 to 4-5. With personnel such as Natalie Davitt, Alannah Boland, Ellie Brodigan (Meath minor captain 2021), Saidhbh Collins and Ava O’Toole, the Seasiders are a force.
Meath and Leinster IFC champions in 2023, Na Fianna look like a strong outfit but it is unlikely that we will see Kerrie Cole or Shauna Ennis this year because of dreaded ACL injuries, but Frank Byrne has a team of skilled dual players.
St Michael’s have made it to the semi-final stage for the last three years. Ex-county forward Sinéad McCormack is back from injury. Shona Lynch has been working overseas and her niece, Chloe Callaghan, plays soccer for Dundalk. Cavan man, Martin Tackney might wish he had both of them in the forward line with Ellie Jackson and Claire Reilly. St Michael’s have had an underwhelming season so far but with players like Claire Halpin, Lily Kangley and Meath defender Áine Sheridan, they are a team that cannot be written off.
The other team that were beaten semi-finalists in 2025, was Brian Boshel’s Summerhill. The loss of Mary-Kate Lynch to the Sydney Swans is certainly a blow, but Rachel Moran will have a taste for victory after captaining TUS Midwest to Donaghy Cup glory. Meath stalwart Jenny Rispin will line out between the posts, while Aisling McCabe, Ella Reilly and county u-20s, Ciara Flaherty and Robyn Larkin, will be influential outfield.
Walterstown have been boosted by a number of players that have come up from the club’s successful underage teams.
Sarah-Jane Lyons and goalie, Meabh McCarrick, were on the county senior panel this year, while Niamh McGuinness impressed with the u20s.
Captain Mollie Browne will also be glad to have Isabel O’Connor back by her side, as O’Connor returns from county camogie commitments and a J1. Junior A winners in 2023, Walterstown have reached intermediate quarter-finals the last two years.
Simonstown were runners-up in 2024, but over the last two years, have suffered major losses to injury, on top of losing goalie, Alex Connor, to international rugby.
After narrowly avoiding relegation to Junior A last year, and finishing bottom of the Div 1 in 2026, Mick McAuley’s side face an uphill battle. His squad contains a number of young players, including two of the Meath u-20 team. Simonstown have quality operators in Meath’s Aoife Farrell and the other remaining members of the 2018 and 2019 senior championship-winning teams. While the odds are against them, Simonstown will fear no one.