2015 Meath Intermediate Football Championship
# 2015 Meath Intermediate Football Championship

The 2015 Meath Intermediate Football Championship is the 89th 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 9 February 2015 with the games commencing on the weekend of 10 April 2015.

Cortown were promoted to the middle grade after a three-year exodus when securing the J.F.C. crown last year.

This was Oldcastle's return to the Intermediate grade after five years as a senior club since being relegated last year.

Clann na nGael were relegated tho the J.F.C. after eight years in the middle grade.

On 4 October 2015, Ratoath claimed their first ever I.F.C. title (since beginning to field football teams in 1956) when overcoming Nobber 1-15 to 0-5 in Pairc Tailteann and hence earning promotion to the S.F.C. for the first time in their history. After winning the Meath I.F.C. Ratoath also made history by winning their first Leinster Intermediate Club Football Championship and became only the second Meath club to win this honour after Wolfe Tones in 2004. They beat Athlone of Westmeath in the final. Their journey came to an end at the All-Ireland semi-final stage when losing to Kerry I.F.C. champions St. Mary's Cahirciveen who featured former All-Star and Kerry Bryan Sheehan.

## Team changes

The following teams have changed division since the 2014 championship season.

## Participating teams

The teams taking part in the 2015 Meath Intermediate Football Championship are:

| Club | Location | 2014 Championship Position | 2015 Championship Position |
| - | - | - | - |
| Ballinabrackey | Ballinabrackey | Finalists | Quarter-Finalist |
| Ballivor | Ballivor | Quarter-Finalist | Non Qualifier |
| Castletown | Castletown | Semi-finalist | Quarter-Finalist |
| Clann na nGael | Athboy | Preliminary Quarter-Finalist | Relegated |
| Cortown | Bohermeen | Junior Champions | Non Qualifier |
| Donaghmore/Ashbourne 'B' | Ashbourne | Non Qualifier | Non Qualifier |
| Drumbaragh Emmets | Drumbaragh, Kells | Non Qualifier | Relegation Playoff |
| Dunderry | Dunderry | Quarter-finalist | Non Qualifier |
| Kilmainham | Kilmainham, Kells | Relegation Playoff | Quarter-finalist |
| Longwood | Longwood | Non Qualifier | Non Qualifier |
| Nobber | Nobber | Relegation Playoff | Finalists |
| Oldcastle | Oldcastle | SFC Relegated | Non Qualifier |
| Ratoath | Ratoath | Semi-finalist | Champions |
| St. Colmcille's | Laytown | Quarter-finalist | Semi-finalist |
| St. Michael's | Carlanstown | Non Qualifier | Quarter-finalist |
| St. Ultan's | Bohermeen | Non Qualifier | Relegation Playoff |
| Syddan | Lobinstown | Quarter-Finalist | Preliminary Quarter-finalist |
| Trim | St Lomans Park, Trim | Non Qualifier | Semi-finalist |

## Group stage

There are three 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 9 February 2015 with the games commencing on the weekend of 10 April 2015.

## Knock-out Stages

### Relegation Play Off

The three bottom finishers from each group qualify for the relegation play off and play each other in a round robin basis. The team with the worst record after two matches will be relegated to the 2016 Junior Championship.

### Finals

The winners and runners up of each group qualify for the quarter-finals along with the third placed finisher of Group A.

| Preliminary Quarter-Finals | Preliminary Quarter-Finals | Preliminary Quarter-Finals | Quarter-Finals | Quarter-Finals | Quarter-Finals | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Castletown | Castletown | 0-15 | | | | | | | | | |
| Syddan | Syddan | 0-9 | Nobber | Nobber | 2-18 | | | | | | |
| | | | Castletown | Castletown | 2-9 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Nobber | Nobber | 0-16 AET | | | |
| | | | | | | Trim | Trim | 1-11 AET | | | |
| | | | Trim | Trim | 1-12 | | | | | | |
| | | | Kilmainham | Kilmainham | 1-8 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Nobber | Nobber | 0-5 |
| | | | | | | | | | Ratoath | Ratoath | 1-15 |
| | | | Ratoath | Ratoath | 4-10 | | | | | | |
| | | | Ballinabrackey | Ballinabrackey | 0-8 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Ratoath | Ratoath | 1-13 | | | |
| | | | | | | St. Colmcille's | St. Colmcille's | 0-10 | | | |
| | | | St. Colmcille's | St. Colmcille's | 0-19 | | | | | | |
| | | | St. Michael's | St. Michael's | 0-9 | | | | | | |

Preliminary Quarter-Final:

* Castletown 0-15, 0-9 Syddan, Meath Hill, 30/8/2015,

Quarter-finals:

* St. Colmcille's 0-19, 0-9 St. Michael's, Duleek, 4/9/2015,
* Nobber 2-18, 2-9 Castletown, Drumconrath, 5/9/2015,
* Ratoath 4-10, 0-8 Ballinabrackey, Trim, 5/9/2015,
* Trim 1-12, 1-8 Kilmainham, Athboy, 6/9/2015,

Semi-finals:

* Ratoath 1-13, 0-10 St. Colmcille's, Duleek, 21/9/2015,
* Nobber 0-16, 1-11 Trim, Simonstown, 22/9/2015, (A.E.T.)

Final:

* Ratoath 1-15, 0-5 Nobber, Pairc Tailteann, 4/10/2015,

## Leinster Intermediate Club Football Championship

Preliminary round:

* St. Patrick's Donabate 0-11, 2-12 Ratoath, Donabate, 17/10/2015,

Quarter-final:

* Ratoath 2-19, 0-6 Railyard, Ratoath, 1/11/2015,

Semi-final:

* Ratoath 3-13, 1-6 Castledermot, Ratoath, 15/11/2015,

Final:

* Athlone 2-9, 2-13 Ratoath, Cusack Park, 29/11/2015,

## All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship

Semi-final:

* St. Mary's Cahirciveen 2-20, 1-5 Ratoath, Gaelic Grounds, 24/1/2016
