By John Harrington

They’re not the sort to make it about themselves, but another significant chapter was inked in the story of the McEntee family’s contribution to Meath GAA on Sunday.

The win over Fermanagh that sealed promotion to Division One of the Allianz Football League after an absence of 13 years had McEntee fingerprints all over it.

Team manager Andy McEntee took over the Meath manager’s job with his brother Gerry as a team selector when the county’s fortunes were at a low ebb. This promotion is a tangible reward for three years of hard and sometimes thankless graft.

The latest generation of McEntees have played their part too. Andy’s son Shane and nephew James were two of Meath’s leading players on Sunday as they have been throughout the campaign.

And as Shane himself admits, the achievement of securing promotion was made all the more satisfying by the fact it was a real family affair for the McEntees.

“Yeah, I think so,” said McEntee. “I think everyone who knows my dad knows the amount of work and effort he puts into it.

“But I naturally see a bit more of it, just from being around him that bit more often. Look, it’s really nice to get home and chat to him afterwards.

“Like anything in the GAA. We won a championship last year with Dunboyne, those few moments after the game with my brother are particularly special.

“Likewise, yesterday, the quick handshake and embrace after the match is definitely a nice old touch.”

Sunday was satisfying, but McEntee doesn’t mind admitting either it can also “bring its own challenges” when you’re managed at senior inter-county level by your father.

As anyone who has coached a son or daughter at any level of the game can attest to, in an effort not to show them any favouritism you often end up being harder on them than anyone else.

“Maybe I'm feeling sorry for myself but I think he might the odd time,” says McEntee with a smile.

“I think we work quite hard to not make it noticeable in the team dynamic but there's been the odd time when it looks like a father and son rowing rather than a manager and a player. The very odd time.

“I think the lads get a good laugh out of that as much as anything else and I get a bit of slagging off them over it. But, no, for the most part it's not too bad.”

“I would have had various levels of experience with it in the club underage and one of my minor years he was the manager as well.

“So, that probably helps, but you're under a different level of scrutiny once you get to senior inter-county. So, probably, it did take a little bit of getting used to but I think it's alright. We manage it relatively well.”

It’s not surprising considering the family lineage, but Shane McEntee was steeped in the game from an early age.

He was raised on tales of Meath’s raw rivalry with Cork in the late eighties, and the four-in-a-row Leinster Championship classic with Dublin in 1991.

One of his most vivid childhood memories was when he was five years old for Meath’s homecoming after winning the 1999 All-Ireland as team manager Sean Boylan, and players Nigel Crawford, Enda McManus, and David Gallagher, brought the Sam Maguire Cup to their native Dunboyne.

Considering the family tree, was there always an expectation that he’d don the Meath jersey himself some day?

“I don't think an expectation,” said McEntee. “Naturally given some of the stuff that my family would have done previously if someone looks at a team-sheet and goes, 'Oh, Jesus, that's a McEntee there', they might give you a bit more attention to see are you up to much.

“But I don't think there's an expectation.”

How about a pressure to succeed then and live up to the name, then?

“No, I don't think there's pressure,” said McEntee. “The only pressure is the pressure you put on yourself.

“I would have put pressure on myself because I would have looked up to the likes of my Dad and Uncle and said I'd love to be there.

“It's not pressure from them saying, you know, they're not trying to relive their football through us or anything.

“I've put pressure on myself because you admire what they've achieved and you want to get there yourself. I think it's just your own internal pressure.”

Andy McEntee has said since taking over this Meath team that the county’s supporters are crying out for a successful side to follow and will do so in their droves given the right encouragement.

The atmosphere and attendance at Meath’s wins over Kildare and Fermanagh in Navan proved him right and on Saturday a huge crowd of Meath supporters will descend on Croke Park for the Division Two Final against Donegal.

After a good few years in the doldrums, there’s a real buzz about Meath football again.

“Yeah, there is,” said McEntee. “Probably long overdue. It shows people want to get behind something, so once there’s a bit of momentum building, everyone is mad for action. It’s great. Really enjoyable.

“You have to balance it. You can’t let it overwhelm you but it’s nice to use it as that bit extra motivation and extra drive.

“It can’t but help you when you hear the reactions on matchday. Some of the games this year, the Kildare game and even the game yesterday, the real roar and support coming from the crowd at various stages.

“It can only be helpful. So yeah, you balance it. You don’t let it get too much but it is nice to get that touch of it as well.”

This is starting to feel like a time of opportunity and growth for Meath football.

Their tradition and population gives them a head-start most counties don’t enjoy, and now they’re maximising those natural advantages by getting their house in order at underage level.

If the current senior side can continue to improve and win some silverware along the way in the short to medium term, then Meath’s renaissance will flourish all the more quickly.

“Yeah, I think a lot of what you said is really accurate,” said McEntee. “We probably fell behind as a county in some of our structures for a number of years.

“Now there's massive work going in and there's some really, really good people in place among the clubs and the development squads. I think we very much have our house in order in there.

“Naturally enough if you're a young lad looking at playing for Meath and you see the response we've gotten against Fermanagh yesterday and Kildare, then that's obviously going to drive things on.

“We've bore the fruits of a few good lads coming in off the U-20s this year who are competitive and driving on. If we're to continue to build on what we've done you’re going to have loads of these lads mad for action pushing to get involved.

“You're getting the best players through, the best athletes, who might have choices to make and might start saying, 'Right, this is the one I want to do'.

“Yeah, it can only help things if we can continue as a senior team with our progress.”