Meath manager Robbie Brennan at Oldbridge House, Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre in Drogheda, Meath during a media event for the 2025 Leinster GAA Senior Football Championship Final between Louth and Meath which will take place on Sunday 11th of May in Croke Park, Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile.
By Paul Keane
The way Robbie Brennan sells it, Andy McEntee 'drove it to within an inch of his life' when managing Meath and Colm O'Rourke then shoved things on a step further, blooding many new players.
"A lot of the heavy lifting was done and we just nudged it on that little bit," claimed Brennan, who took over as manager himself for 2025.
Chances are, a lot of Meath fans wouldn't buy that version of events though. Sure, McEntee poured his heart and soul into each of his six seasons in charge, between 2017 and 2022, and O'Rourke certainly did Meath a service by introducing so many talented young players to senior county activity across 2023 and 2024, winning the Tailteann Cup along the way.
But Brennan's careful choreographing and fingerprints are all over this current team which he has steered to Sunday's Leinster SFC final against Louth.
For starters, there is the midfield platform of Bryan Menton and Jack Flynn which he has established. Menton retired after McEntee left in 2022 and didn't feature in the O'Rourke era while Flynn left the panel early last year and missed the majority of 2024. Both were immediately called up and thrown the number eight and nine jerseys.
So far this year, they have started at midfield together in nine of Meath's 10 games. They would have done so against Dublin last month too only for Flynn's hamstring injury which, Brennan hopes, has cleared up in time for Sunday's Croke Park summit.
"They have been huge for us," said Brennan of his towering midfield duo. "Given the new rules...and look, we weren't really fully sure what was going to happen around the new rules, but the two lads have been massive for us in terms of that, in that area, for what we do.
"There are other guys like Conor Gray and Cian McBride and Daithi McGowan and Charlie O'Connor as well, loads of other big lads that are sitting there and trying to get Jack and Mento out of the team. Adam O'Neill obviously came in the last day against Dublin and played really well. We're quite strong in that area and have some good options as well."
Meath supporter Christy Cooney congratulates Meath manager Robbie Brennan after the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship semi-final match between Dublin and Meath at Laois Hire O'Moore Park in Portlaoise, Laois. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile.
Defender Seamus Lavin is another player that Brennan has returned to the Royal County setup this season, starting all 10 of their league and Championship games. The Dunboyne man hadn't previously played for Meath since 2021 but has been an underrated figure in their return to prominence.
"Seamus, to be fair, had come back last year but just picked up a few injuries," said Brennan, explaining why the tight-marking defender didn't feature under O'Rourke. "He just didn't get a run really at it last year. It's been great to have him back and I've obviously known Seamus a long time through the club. Just brilliant to have lads like that back."
Another Dunboyne player, Jack Kinlough, will unfortunately miss out this weekend following a serious knee injury that required surgery. Jordan Morris, who was in strong form earlier in the year and who won a place on the Sigerson Cup Team of the Year, has been out with knee trouble too though rumours have circulated in the Royal County all week of a potential comeback.
"Don't think so," said Brennan plainly when asked if the Kingscourt man could feature against Louth. "No, it'll be too soon unfortunately for Jordy."
Louth, in turn, have been boosted by the return to full fitness of their own talisman attacker, Sam Mulroy, while All-Star Craig Lennon and Conor Grimes have overcome injuries too. Ominously for Meath, none of those players featured when Louth defeated Meath in the league this season.
"They're rightly favourites," argued Brennan, highlighting Louth's strengths ahead of the decider. "They've beaten us the last two times in the last year, in the Championship and obviously a big league game. Certainly it was a big league game for us because it could have given us promotion. They obviously have Sam and Craig back, and one or two others. So they're probably a stronger team again than they were in Inniskeen."
Meath manager Robbie Brennan and captain Eoghan Frayne, left, with Louth captain Sam Mulroy and manager Ger Brennan, right, at Oldbridge House, Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre in Drogheda, Meath during a media event for the 2025 Leinster GAA Senior Football Championship Final between Louth and Meath which will take place on Sunday 11th of May in Croke Park, Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile.
Brennan's namesake, Louth manager Ger Brennan, has spoken about the almost 'subdued' reaction to his team's semi-final defeat of Kildare. He interpreted that as a sign of maturity having already contested two Leinster finals.
Meath manager Robbie was keen to make it clear that his players were quick to refocus too despite their landmark semi-final defeat of Dublin, the first time anyone had defeated the Sky Blues in Leinster since 2010.
"Even if you wanted to stop the celebrations on the pitch, you wouldn't have been able to in Portlaoise," he said. "That was 15 years of hurt, if that's the way you want to say it. It was bound to come out.
"But from a player perspective, once we got back in, obviously the dressing-room was buzzing, but once we got it back down it was a fresh focus again.
"The lads went for an ice-cream in Supermacs. We stopped the bus. We all had 99s. They loved that and they went home and started their recovery.
"So from a player point of view, I don't see us getting caught up in any of that hype or whatever. Around the county, it seems to be buzzing, which is brilliant, and that's what we want. But the lads know they have a job to do and they're fairly focused on it."
