2018 Meath Intermediate Football Championship
# 2018 Meath Intermediate Football Championship

The 2018 Meath Intermediate Football Championship is the 92nd edition of the Meath GAA's premier club Gaelic football tournament for Intermediate graded teams in County Meath, Ireland. The tournament consists of 18 teams, with the winner going on to represent Meath in the Leinster Intermediate Club Football Championship. The championship starts with a group stage and then progresses to a knock out stage.

The draw for the group stages of the championship were made on 5 March 2018 with the games commencing on the weekend of 15 April 2018.

Meath Hill were promoted to the middle grade after a 24-year exodus when securing the J.F.C. crown in 2017.

This was Duleek/Bellewstown's first ever period as an Intermediate club after spending 10 years as a senior club since being established from the Duleek and Bellewstown clubs in 2008.

Longwood beat Ballinlough by 0-11 to 0-7 in the 2018 final to win their first Meath Intermediate Football title since 1942. St. Ultan's were relegated to the 2019 Meath Junior Football Championship. They will play at the junior grade for the first time since 2006.

## Team changes

The following teams have changed division since the 2017 championship season.

## Participating teams

The teams taking part in the 2018 Meath Intermediate Football Championship are:

| Club | Location | Management | 2017 Championship Position | 2018 Championship Position |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Ballinabrackey | Ballinabrackey | Darren Bannon | Preliminary Quarter-Finalist | Semi Finalist |
| Ballinlough | Ballinlough & Kilskyre | Brian Donohoe | Quarter-Finalist | runners-up |
| Bective | Navan | Davy Hosie | Non Qualifier | Non Qualifier |
| Castletown | Castletown | Paul Smith | Non Qualifier | Relegation Playoff |
| Donaghmore/Ashbourne 'B' | Ashbourne | Vincent Carton | Quarter-Finalist | Non Qualifier |
| Drumbaragh Emmets | Drumbaragh, Kells | Conor Brennan | Non Qualifier | Non Qualifier |
| Duleek/Bellewstown | Duleek & Bellewstown | Anthony Malone | Relegated from SFC | Preliminary Quarter Finalist |
| Dunderry | Dunderry | Kevin Dowd | Non Qualifier | Quarter Finalist |
| Kilmainham | Kilmainham, Kells | Gary Farrelly | Quarter-Finalist | Relegation Playoff |
| Longwood | Longwood | David Flynn | Relegation Play-off | champions |
| Meath Hill | Meath Hill | Davy Cahill | Junior Champions | Non Qualifier |
| Nobber | Nobber | John Tiernan | Semi Finalist | Non Qualifier |
| Oldcastle | Oldcastle | Leo McEnroe | Semi Finalist | Semi Finalist |
| St. Michael's | Carlanstown & Kilbeg | Ciaran Conlon | Finalists | Quarter Finalist |
| St. Ultan's | Bohermeen | Padraig Coyle | Relegation Play-off | Relegated |
| Syddan | Lobinstown | Myles Byrne | Non Qualifier | Quarter Finalist |
| Trim | St Lomans Park, Trim | Brendan Murphy | Quarter-Finalist | Quarter Finalist |
| Walterstown | Johnstown, Navan | Eoin Carroll | Non Qualifier | Non Qualifier |

## Group stage

There are 3 groups called Group A,B and C. The 2 top finishers in each group and the third-place finisher in Group A will qualify for the quarter finals. The third placed teams in Group B and C will qualify for a Preliminary Quarter Final, with the winner earning a place in last eight. The bottom finishers of each group will qualify for the Relegation Play-off.

The draw for the group stages of the championship were made on 5 March 2018 with the games commencing on the weekend of 15 April 2018.

## Knock-Out Stage

The winners and runners up of the three groups and the third placed team of Group A automatically qualify for the quarter finals. The third placed teams in Groups B and C play off to determine the team that completes the quarter final lineup.

| Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Quarter-Finals | Quarter-Finals | Quarter-Finals | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Dunderry | Dunderry | 1-14 | | | | | | | | | |
| Duleek/Bellewstown | Duleek/Bellewstown | 0-14 | Ballinabrackey | Ballinabrackey | 0-7 | | | | | | |
| | | | Dunderry | Dunderry | 0-4 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Ballinabrackey | Ballinabrackey | 0-12 | | | |
| | | | | | | Longwood | Longwood | 1-10 | | | |
| | | | Trim | Trim | 2-15 (a.e.t.) | | | | | | |
| | | | Longwood | Longwood | 4-17 (a.e.t.) | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Longwood | Longwood | 0-11 |
| | | | | | | | | | Ballinlough | Ballinlough | 0-7 |
| | | | Syddan | Syddan | 0-11 | | | | | | |
| | | | Oldcastle | Oldcastle | 3-11 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Oldcastle | Oldcastle | 1-9 | | | |
| | | | | | | Ballinlough | Ballinlough | 1-10 | | | |
| | | | Ballinlough | Ballinlough | 1-13 | | | | | | |
| | | | St. Michael's | St. Michael's | 0-13 | | | | | | |

### Preliminary Quarter-Final

| 1 September 2018 7:00pm | Dunderry | 1-14 - 0-14 | Duleek/Bellewstown | Dunshaughlin Referee: ??? |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 September 2018 7:00pm | | Report | | Dunshaughlin Referee: ??? |

### Quarter-finals

| 8 September 2018 4:30pm | Longwood | 4-17 - 2-15 (a.e.t.) | Trim | Summerhill Referee: Richard Morris (Blackhall Gaels) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 8 September 2018 4:30pm | | Report | | Summerhill Referee: Richard Morris (Blackhall Gaels) |
| 8 September 2018 7:00pm | Ballinlough | 1-13 - 0-13 | St. Michael's | Carnaross Referee: Bernard Heaney (Clann na nGael) |
| 8 September 2018 7:00pm | | Report | | Carnaross Referee: Bernard Heaney (Clann na nGael) |
| 9 September 2018 2:30pm | Oldcastle | 3-11 - 0-11 | Syddan | Páirc Tailteann Referee: Gerry McGivney (Simonstown Gaels) |
| 9 September 2018 2:30pm | | Report | | Páirc Tailteann Referee: Gerry McGivney (Simonstown Gaels) |
| 9 September 2018 6:30pm | Ballinabrackey | 0-7 - 0-4 | Dunderry | Simonstown Referee: Martin Griffin (Simonstown Gaels) |

### Semi-finals

| 15 September 2018 5:00pm | Ballinlough | 1-10 - 1-9 | Oldcastle | Pairc Tailteann Referee: Martin Griffin (Simonstown Gaels) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 15 September 2018 5:00pm | | Report | | Pairc Tailteann Referee: Martin Griffin (Simonstown Gaels) |
| 16 September 2018 5:30pm | Longwood | 1-10 - 0-12 | Ballinabrackey | Pairc Tailteann Referee: Padraic Coyle (Curraha) |
| 16 September 2018 5:30pm | | Report | | Pairc Tailteann Referee: Padraic Coyle (Curraha) |

### Final

| 30 September 2018 3.30pm | Longwood | 0-11 - 0-7 | Ballinlough | Pairc Tailteann Referee: Paul Mooney (Syddan) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 30 September 2018 3.30pm | | Report | | Pairc Tailteann Referee: Paul Mooney (Syddan) |

## Relegation Play-Off Group

The three bottom teams from each group enter the relegation play-off group and play each other in a round robin basis.

The team with the worst record after two matches will be relegated to the 2019 Junior 'A' Championship.

## Leinster Intermediate Club Football Championship

Round 1:

* St. Mochta's 1-10, 0-11 Longwood, Ardee, 29/10/2018,
