Ciaron Byrne

Dunboyne boss has belief ahead of Leinster clash

Dunboyne manager Ciaron Byrne will be hoping history will not repeat itself when his adopted club clash with Kilmacud Crokes for the third time in Leinster Club SFC.

On the last two occasions Dunboyne claimed the Keegan Cup (1998 and 2005) they were knocked out of the provincial race on both occasions by Kilmacud Crokes.
Byrne has history with the provincial competition as he was part of the great Dunshaughlin side in the early years of this Millennium and he came on in the 2002 Leinster Club SFC final win over Mattock Rangers, so does he think his experience will be of any benefit to Dunboyne?
“The game has changed a lot since I played, but I did say to the Dunboyne lads that it took us (Dunshaughlin) three years before we actually believed we could achieve something in the Leinster competition,” Byrne told the Meath Chronicle.
“If the Dunboyne lads really believe and go at it then they won't have to wait three years. They certainly have the ability, so it will be down to belief.”
With a rare win in the Leinster SFC under their belt Dunboyne can now prepare for a bigger challenge and it is a test Byrne and his players are looking forward to.
“We have looked at Kilmacud Crokes, you nearly wouldn't sleep if you looked at them too much, but we are confident that we will go and perform and if we perform we will definitely be in with a good shout,” he said.
“There is no doubt we will need everything to go right. We could approach this game by sitting back and trying to contain them, but still end up losing by 10 points. We are going out with the attitude to try to win it. If it works it works, if it doesn't so be it, at least we are going to have a go at it.
“We definitely have nothing to lose, but I wouldn't necessarily say we are in bonus territory. We are a determined bunch and these players want to achieve, so I don't think they will be going to Navan just to make up the numbers.
“Unfortunately Donal (Lenihan) is gone, but our main strength all year has been our bench. We have brought on players at strategic times and it has worked for us, so now is their chance to get a start. 
“We look at Kilmacud as a whole. If we were to just focus on Paul Mannion we wouldn't have a chance. I don't think there was a full-back in the country that would have marked him in the Dublin final.
“The other 14 St Jude players needed to step up, but they didn't and they allowed ball into him, so we are going to have to work hard all over the pitch,” concluded the Dunboyne manager.
While David Gallagher is the last remaining link on the Dunboyne team from their previous two forays in Leinster Club competitions, he is not the only man with connections to when Kilmacud Crokes clashed with the Meath side in both 1998 and 2005.
Next Sunday Robbie Brennan will patrol the Pairc Tailteann sidelines in the purple and gold of Kilmacud, but he is also a familiar figure to the Dunboyne supporters as he lined out for the St Peter's side when they won the Keegan Cup in 2005 and he also managed the club in the SFC.


Brennan holds a rather unique distinction of having played for Kilmacud against Dunboyne in 1998 before lining out for Dunboyne against Kilmacud in 2005, and now, after previously managing Dunboyne, he will take charge of the Dublin champions against his old club.
There is also a strong Dublin vibe to the Dunboyne team with the Lowndes siblings Stuart and Craig brothers of Dublin All-Ireland SFC winner Eric, while Robbie McCarthy won an All-Ireland u-21 FC title under Jim Gavin for Dublin in 2010.