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Who Were The Last Team To Do A Meath On It Or Was It Done?

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How is everyone forgetting about Kildare? In 1998, the perennial Leinster bridesmaids defeated the 1995 All-Ireland champions Dublin, the 1996 All-Ireland champions Meath in the Leinster final, and the 1997 All-Ireland champions Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final. It was the first time a team had defeated the previous three All-Ireland champions. Unfortunately they lost to Galway in the All-Ireland final.

Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1220 - 01/09/2025 22:30:02    2634547

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Kildare brought the reigning all Ireland champions Meath to 3 matches in 1997. Very unlucky in first two , or bottled it whatever way you want to put it. Kildare drew with dublin in 94 when onto all Ireland final , Kildare were doing a lot more to be in conversation from 94 to 97 than Meath have from 2020-24, the last big top 6 team Meath defeated before dublin this year was ………….Dublin in 2010. That's really keeping your head down stuff. They didn't even make headlines for wrong reasons like Derry or Down and going the whole way to div 4 , they just stayed in mid table div 2 for that duration except 1 year in div 3 and 1 in div 1. I think the likes of cork would be a team comparable , can they do it next year? Definitely think Kildare , Down and Cork should be well able to along with Meath combined population of around 1.6 million people

dickie10 (UK) - Posts: 884 - 02/09/2025 18:30:09    2634650

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Replying To Viking66:  "If you are going to say that then Down in 1960, Offaly in 71, Donegal in 92, Armagh in 2002, Tyrone in 2003 have all exceeded your features as none of them had ever won it previously.
However, Down were Ulster Champions in 59, Offaly only lost the Leinster Final by a point in 1970, Donegal were Ulster finalists in 91 losing to the AI champions later that year Down in that final, Armagh got knocked out by Galway by just a point in 2001 and Galway won the AI Final that year by 9 points.
Tyrone might be the only 1 of all of you that could be said to have come from nowhere when they won in 2003 seeing as they were poor enough in 2002, although they were Ulster Champions in 2001 so that wouldnt really be the case either."
Viking what about Offaly in 1997? They were playing in Division 4 in the league and came from nowhere to win the Leinster Championship for the first time since 1982 and it was their first Leinster final appearance since 1983.

Ollie2 (Louth) - Posts: 1140 - 02/09/2025 21:04:41    2634672

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Replying To Ollie2:  "Viking what about Offaly in 1997? They were playing in Division 4 in the league and came from nowhere to win the Leinster Championship for the first time since 1982 and it was their first Leinster final appearance since 1983."
That's very true too Ollie. The current system wouldn't allow that to happen, food for thought.....

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17033 - 02/09/2025 21:21:22    2634675

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Replying To dickie10:  "ye ollie that was a fantastic year for Louth, they beat all the big guns except maybe kerry and meath in 57, but meath were on the slide perhaps kerry too. but in fairness, louth were very much top 8 at least in country in late 40s and early 50s. meath and louth had some battles those years, isnt their a stat from 1946 to 56 they met each year louth won 5 and meath 5 times and only a point between the sides each time, including a 3 game saga in 49, its begining to feel like that again. id say a bit of the bitterness will evaporate too now that louth are leinster champions , there the team to be knocked off their perch like westmeath in 05 or kildare 99. so maybe the meath run this year is the only one to include dublin and kerry and beaten finalists from previous year from a county seen as a mid table div 2"
Yeah Dickie Louth and Meath played every year between 1945 and 1953. They played 13 times in total. Meath won 5 matches, Louth won 4 matches and there were 4 draws. The winning side won by a point apart from 1945 when Meath won by 2 points. Between 1947 and 1953 the Leinster final was either won by Louth or Meath. Meath won 5 of these to Louth 3 titles. This included 2 Leinsters finals which involved both counties. Louth won 1950 Leinster final after a replay and Meath won 1952 final. This was the height of the Louth/Meath rivalry.

Ollie2 (Louth) - Posts: 1140 - 02/09/2025 21:29:37    2634679

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Replying To Ollie2:  "Viking what about Offaly in 1997? They were playing in Division 4 in the league and came from nowhere to win the Leinster Championship for the first time since 1982 and it was their first Leinster final appearance since 1983."
Good call on offaly . they did beat meath the all ireland champions although seriously depleted, but really had a handy enough run, they never beat Laois, kildare or Dublin in the champiohsip win and got meath seriously depleted so it has an astrix a bit with it, had Offaly gone on to beat Mayo in semi final and even of they lost the final to kerry then youd nearly have them on par alright. That would have meant they beat the all ireland chamions and all ireland finalists, the real cherry on top would have been to beat Dublin in the leinster semi final or something as well. its hard not to think a Leinster title where you avoid having to beat Dublin has the same value as one where you beat them along the way. Kildare in 98, Laois in 2003, westmeath in 2004 all took out dublin along the way. Would Louth have beaten Dublin this year had dublin beaten Meath? would dublin have been much improved on the perfermonace v meath? i think Louth would have gone very close this year to beating Dublin as well

dickie10 (UK) - Posts: 884 - 02/09/2025 22:22:25    2634690

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "That's true about Wexford 2008. But in fairness, if you're going to stick strictly to the original question of when did a team last come from almost nowhere to reach an All-Ireland semi-final, and beat Dublin and Kerry and the previous year's All-Ireland finalists along the way, then the answer is never."
I think the question asked is too specific in mentioning having to beat Dublin and Kerry.
It should be teams beating the best teams of their eras/ times.

It reminds me of reading an interview with a former all Ireland winning Meath great from years ago (it was either Paddy O'Brien or Jack Quinn, I can't remember which) being asked about his rivalary with Dublin and answering that for the majority of his inter county career Dublin weren't Meath's biggest Leinster rivals as other Leinster teams he played against were generally stronger.

GreenMan1987 (Meath) - Posts: 110 - 03/09/2025 01:37:30    2634695

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Replying To GreenMan1987:  "
Replying To Pikeman96:  "That's true about Wexford 2008. But in fairness, if you're going to stick strictly to the original question of when did a team last come from almost nowhere to reach an All-Ireland semi-final, and beat Dublin and Kerry and the previous year's All-Ireland finalists along the way, then the answer is never."
I think the question asked is too specific in mentioning having to beat Dublin and Kerry.
It should be teams beating the best teams of their eras/ times.

It reminds me of reading an interview with a former all Ireland winning Meath great from years ago (it was either Paddy O'Brien or Jack Quinn, I can't remember which) being asked about his rivalary with Dublin and answering that for the majority of his inter county career Dublin weren't Meath's biggest Leinster rivals as other Leinster teams he played against were generally stronger."
To beat Dublin and Kerry in the same year you would need to be drawn against them in the same year. Also there is a huge difference between winning a knockout game, and winning a meaningless one.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17033 - 03/09/2025 10:18:23    2634711

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Replying To Viking66:  "
Replying To GreenMan1987:  "[quote=Pikeman96:  "That's true about Wexford 2008. But in fairness, if you're going to stick strictly to the original question of when did a team last come from almost nowhere to reach an All-Ireland semi-final, and beat Dublin and Kerry and the previous year's All-Ireland finalists along the way, then the answer is never."
I think the question asked is too specific in mentioning having to beat Dublin and Kerry.
It should be teams beating the best teams of their eras/ times.

It reminds me of reading an interview with a former all Ireland winning Meath great from years ago (it was either Paddy O'Brien or Jack Quinn, I can't remember which) being asked about his rivalary with Dublin and answering that for the majority of his inter county career Dublin weren't Meath's biggest Leinster rivals as other Leinster teams he played against were generally stronger."
To beat Dublin and Kerry in the same year you would need to be drawn against them in the same year. Also there is a huge difference between winning a knockout game, and winning a meaningless one."]Good job so when Meath played Kerry this year it was not a meaningless dead rubber match with the winner automatically qualifying directly for a quarter final.

GreenMan1987 (Meath) - Posts: 110 - 03/09/2025 12:54:35    2634745

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Replying To GreenMan1987:  "
Replying To Pikeman96:  "That's true about Wexford 2008. But in fairness, if you're going to stick strictly to the original question of when did a team last come from almost nowhere to reach an All-Ireland semi-final, and beat Dublin and Kerry and the previous year's All-Ireland finalists along the way, then the answer is never."
I think the question asked is too specific in mentioning having to beat Dublin and Kerry.
It should be teams beating the best teams of their eras/ times.

It reminds me of reading an interview with a former all Ireland winning Meath great from years ago (it was either Paddy O'Brien or Jack Quinn, I can't remember which) being asked about his rivalary with Dublin and answering that for the majority of his inter county career Dublin weren't Meath's biggest Leinster rivals as other Leinster teams he played against were generally stronger."
Must have been O'Brien back in 40s/50s because during Quinn's career Dublin won 6 Leinster's to Meath's 4 and Dublin won 4 All Irelands to Meath's 1.

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 1010 - 03/09/2025 13:54:30    2634753

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I'd say 40s and early 50s . Meath snd Louth dominated Leinster with Wexford never far away. Dublin win in 55 over Meath was a huge shock

dickie10 (UK) - Posts: 884 - 03/09/2025 18:43:18    2634801

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It would be interesting to see some other counties in div 2 perfermonaces vs Kerry in group stages , that's really the only measurement to compare Meath. I think it's only mayo who were consistently div 1 top 6 team that beat Kerry in the few years it's come in. Am I right in saying that?

dickie10 (UK) - Posts: 884 - 03/09/2025 18:45:52    2634802

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Replying To sligo joe:  "
Replying To GreenMan1987:  "[quote=Pikeman96:  "That's true about Wexford 2008. But in fairness, if you're going to stick strictly to the original question of when did a team last come from almost nowhere to reach an All-Ireland semi-final, and beat Dublin and Kerry and the previous year's All-Ireland finalists along the way, then the answer is never."
I think the question asked is too specific in mentioning having to beat Dublin and Kerry.
It should be teams beating the best teams of their eras/ times.

It reminds me of reading an interview with a former all Ireland winning Meath great from years ago (it was either Paddy O'Brien or Jack Quinn, I can't remember which) being asked about his rivalary with Dublin and answering that for the majority of his inter county career Dublin weren't Meath's biggest Leinster rivals as other Leinster teams he played against were generally stronger."
Must have been O'Brien back in 40s/50s because during Quinn's career Dublin won 6 Leinster's to Meath's 4 and Dublin won 4 All Irelands to Meath's 1."]I didn't realise Jack was on Meath squad unill 1976 (coinciding with Heffos time as Dublin manager) until I just found an old Hogan stand article there.
His last years were as a bit part player due to injuries.

GreenMan1987 (Meath) - Posts: 110 - 05/09/2025 03:44:38    2634948

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