New rules and good vibes fuelling Royal revival

The green and gold flags are back all around Meath.

A first Leinster championship win over Dublin in 10 attempts was already huge but the Royal county have surpassed that by beating recent All-Ireland finalists Kerry and Galway to reach the last four of the All-Ireland SFC for the first time since 2009.

Trevor Giles, the last Meath captain to lift to Sam Maguire, 24 years ago, says interest in football has reignited in the county.

"It's the main topic of conversation when you meet someone," he told RTÉ Sport. "Everyone is happy, everyone is in good form.

"A man down the road had a car he was using to teach his kids how to drive in a field beside the house. So he got it sprayed green and gold.

"We grew up going to Croke Park watching Meath in the '80s and, with nostalgia and hindsight, they were great. When you are coaching and you see your senior team going well it is massive. It is a great thing as a teenager going to be proud of your county and all your friends being there."

"A lot of the game is confidence. Beating the likes of Dublin completely changes you as a player"

Fourteen months ago, then Meath manager Colm O’Rourke admitted there was a "vast gulf" between his side and the Dubs after a ninth championship defeat in a row - by 16 points - at the hands of their once arch-rivals.

But now, after ending the Dubs' stranglehold on Leinster – and despite losing the provincial final to Louth – the Royals are on the brink of a first All-Ireland final appearance since 2001.

Giles was a coach last year, the final, and more testing, of Colm O’Rourke’s two in charge.

"It's a tough station when things are going bad and you are not getting results. But I have to say I really enjoyed the year last year," says Giles.

"Pleasantly surprised how well we're doing. I thought we would be better this year, that all the younger guys would be a year older, a little bit stronger physically. The team that is going to play on Sunday, a couple of them it’s their first year, a couple their second, a couple their third. They’re very young still.

"But it’s fantastic to be that young and winning the games they have been winning. They’re going to be different players for the next five or six years on the back of that. A lot of the game is confidence. Beating the likes of Dublin completely changes you as a player.

"We feel, with the age profile of the team, Meath will be there for the next few years and really competitive at the business end of things. I am just delighted that Meath are going well. That's the main thing."

What has changed to take them from group proppers to table-toppers?

"Great credit [is due] to Robbie [Brennan] as manager and Conor Gillespie, a great player for Meath and had to finish earlier than he would have liked. And to Shane Supple the goalkeeper coach.

"Last year may have helped the lads. What they went through last year and the year before.

"The new rules as well, we always struggled against the northern teams with their defensive set-ups. We weren’t good on opposition kick-outs, they would get a kick-out away and suddenly you are chasing for three minutes.

"Jordan Morris was injured all of last year and is playing great this year. Matthew Costello is playing great this year.

"A little bit of good fortune to get Dublin in Portlaoise on a windy day and enjoy the breeze in the first half and we capitalised. And they are a completely different team once they got over Dublin."

Trevor Giles was speaking at an AIB event ahead of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-finals

Giles feels that improved underage structures and county board unity has been key to Meath's revival. The county were Leinster U20 champions last year and runners-up this year after a 10-year absence from the decider. That followed on from minor successes in 2020 and '21 that bridged an eight-year gap.

"I think when Meath were doing well for about 20 years that the underage was somewhat neglected," he suggests. "The underage in Meath at the moment is excellent and has been very good the last few years. That has been a big help. If you want to be a county footballer in Meath, you will get every opportunity, the way the underage academy and structures after that are aligned at the moment.

"A lot of the leadership in a county comes from the top and your county board being on top of their game. Michael Duignan [former Offaly chair] is a great example of how a county board can come in and lead. The success Offaly have had in football and hurling has come off the back of that.

"There have been different county board chairmen there. It's like every other county, football and hurling need to be looked after, there’s ladies, there’s underage. I’d say there are not too many county boards fully united. But at the moment everyone is happy, there’s no-one giving out about anything.

"Everyone is very proud of the lads and players feel that, whether people are behind them or on their backs. And that affects your performance."

Jim McGuinness' Donegal stand in Meath's way

Never afraid to defy convention – remember the self-tailored sleeveless shirts in his playing days – Giles goes against the grain of pundits blindly tipping their own counties and admits he expects Donegal (and Tyrone) to contest the All-Ireland final.

But he warns that his county men are dangerous underdogs, as the Kingdom and Galway have already discovered this summer.

"The reason I say Donegal is that Jim McGuinness is such a brilliant manager," says Giles. "He has one All-Ireland to his name and I have no doubt wants or deserves two. So I think he is going to be very driven. They could have won that semi-final last year against Galway. I think they're on a mission so it’s more likely they will win the game.

"We're outsiders but we’re dangerous opponents on Sunday. Confidence is good but we’re under no pressure whatsoever and we’re playing well. For Irish people, I think that's the position they like being in, slightly written off and no pressure on them.

"Someone said it's bonus territory but at the same time it’s an opportunity to get to an All-Ireland final. The likes of Donal Keogan probably thought he would never get this close to playing in one. You can’t underestimate the hunger that the likes of him, Seamus Lavin, and Bryan Menton will bring to Sunday.

"I’m sure Donegal will come out and try to blow Meath away, as quickly as they can. And that may happen but if it doesn’t happen, suddenly you get a little bit jittery then and Meath will have a good crowd behind them."

Watch the All-Ireland Football Championship semi-finals with RTÉ Sport. Kerry v Tyrone on Saturday from 4.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player and Meath v Donegal on Sunday from 3.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.

Follow live blogs on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to commentaries on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on The Sunday Game at 10.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player

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