Meath football has been struggling for years, with the last time a team from the county contested a provincial senior club football championship final being in 2004. The standard of club football in the county is simply not good enough, and it has been reflected in their recent Leinster club campaigns. Despite a population of over 220,000 and Gaelic football remaining the predominant sport, Meath has only managed to secure one provincial title in over two decades. The specter of Dublin’s dominance looms large over Meath, with each hammering eroding their confidence and disconnecting them from their fans. There is a lack of culture of winning, which has resulted in a new team struggling to find their identity and leaders in the dressing room. Colm O’Rourke has asked for patience as he tries to assemble a new team, but the responsibility for raising coaching and playing standards falls on the clubs. Meath may not want to be in the Tailteann Cup, but they deserve to be there and will have to change their mentality in order to succeed.
