2018 Meath Senior Football Championship
# 2018 Meath Senior Football Championship

The 2018 Meath Senior Football Championship is the 126th edition of the Meath GAA's premier club Gaelic football tournament for senior clubs in County Meath, Ireland. Eighteen teams compete, with the winner representing Meath in the Leinster Senior Club Football Championship. The championship starts with a group stage and then progresses to a knock out stage.

Simonstown Gaels were the defending champions after they defeated Summerhill in the 2017 final to claim a "2-in-a-row" of titles.

This was Curraha's debut in the top flight after claiming the 2017 Meath Intermediate Football Championship. Their 35 point loss (5-27 to 0-7) to Summerhill was the largest losing margin of any team in a S.F.C. match since 1996, when St. Colmcille's lost by a 44 point margin to Kilmainhamwood.

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.

Blackhall Gaels were relegated to the Intermediate championship for 2019 after 17 years in the top-flight, including a S.F.C. title in 2003.

## Team Changes

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

## Participating teams

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

| Club | Location | Management | Pre C'ship Odds | 2017 Championship Position | 2018 Championship Position |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Blackhall Gaels | Batterstown & Kilcloon | Liam Keane | 80/1 | Relegation Playoff | Relegated to IFC |
| Curraha | Curraha | Stephen Morgan | 50/1 | Intermediate Champions | Relegation Playoff |
| Donaghmore/Ashbourne | Ashbourne | Gabriel Brannigan | 13/2 | Non Qualifier | Semi-finalist |
| Dunshaughlin | Dunshaughlin & Drumree | Anthony Moyles | 50/1 | Non Qualifier | Non Qualifier |
| Gaeil Colmcille | Kells | Lar Wall | 16/1 | Semi-finalist | Quarter-finalist |
| Moynalvey | Moynalvey & Kiltale | Darren Fay | 12/1 | Quarter-Finalist | Non Qualifier |
| Na Fianna | Enfield & Baconstown | Seán O'Dea | 33/1 | Preliminary Quarter-Finalist | Non Qualifier |
| Navan O'Mahonys | Navan | Kevin Reilly | 13/2 | Quarter-Finalist | Non Qualifier |
| Rathkenny | Rathkenny & Stackallan | Diarmuid McCarthy | 66/1 | Non Qualifier | Non Qualifier |
| Ratoath | Ratoath | Fergal Power | 5/1 | Quarter-Finalist | Quarter-finalist |
| Seneschalstown | Kentstown & Yellow Furze | Damien Sheridan | 28/1 | Non Qualifier | Non Qualifier |
| Simonstown Gaels | Navan | Ciaran Kenny | 9/2 | champions | Semi-finalist |
| Skryne | Skryne & Tara | James Reddy | 10/1 | Relegation Playoff | Quarter-finalist |
| St. Patrick's | Gormanston, Julianstown & Stamullen | Niall Russell | 66/1 | Non Qualifier | Relegation Playoff |
| St. Colmcille's | Bettystown, Donacarney, Laytown & Mornington | Des Lane | 50/1 | Non Qualifier | Quarter-finalist |
| St. Peter's Dunboyne | Dunboyne | Ciaran Byrne | 4/1 | Quarter-finalist | champions |
| Summerhill | Summerhill | John Lyons | 11/2 | Finalist | Finalist |
| Wolfe Tones | Kilberry, Gibbstown, Oristown & Wilkinstown | Tony Kearney | 11/1 | Semi-finalist | Preliminary Quarter-Finalist |

## Group stage

There are three groups of six teams 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 6 March 2017 with the games commencing on the weekend of 20 May 2017.

## 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 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Gaeil Colmcille | Gaeil Colmcille | 3-13 | | | | | | | | | |
| Wolfe Tones | Wolfe Tones | 1-13 | St. Peter's Dunboyne | St. Peter's Dunboyne | 2-14 (a.e.t.) | | | | | | |
| | | | Gaeil Colmcille | Gaeil Colmcille | 0-16 (a.e.t.) | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | St. Peter's Dunboyne | St. Peter's Dunboyne | 2-16 | | | |
| | | | | | | Simonstown Gaels | Simonstown Gaels | 0-8 | | | |
| | | | Simonstown Gaels | Simonstown Gaels | 2-20 | | | | | | |
| | | | Skryne | Skryne | 1-15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | St. Peter's Dunboyne | St. Peter's Dunboyne | 1-11 |
| | | | | | | | | | Summerhill | Summerhill | 0-09 |
| | | | Summerhill | Summerhill | 2-19 | | | | | | |
| | | | St. Colmcille's | St. Colmcille's | 3-10 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Summerhill | Summerhill | 3-12 | | | |
| | | | | | | Donaghmore/Ashbourne | Donaghmore/Ashbourne | 2-6 | | | |
| | | | Ratoath | Ratoath | 1-8 | | | | | | |
| | | | Donaghmore/Ashbourne | Donaghmore/Ashbourne | 1-9 | | | | | | |

### Preliminary Quarter-Final

| 3 September 2018 8:00pm | Gaeil Colmcille | 3-13 - 1-13 | Wolfe Tones | Castletown Referee: Cormac Reilly (St.Mary's) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 September 2018 8:00pm | Brian Hanlon 1-4, Fionn Reilly 2-0, Seamus Mattimoe 0-6, Oisin Reilly 0-2, Martin Barrett 0-1 | Report | Cian Ward 1-3, Thomas O'Reilly 0-5, Saran O'Fionnagain 0-2, Niall O'Reilly, Alan Callaghan, Daniel O'NEill 0-1 each. | Castletown Referee: Cormac Reilly (St.Mary's) |

### Quarter-finals

| 7 September 2018 8:00pm | Summerhill | 2-19 - 3-10 | St. Colmcille's | Skryne Referee: Cormac Reilly (St. Mary's Donore) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 7 September 2018 8:00pm | Barry Dardis 0-7, David Larkin 1-5, Willie Ryan 1-0, Sean Dalton, Padraig Geraghty 0-2 each, Kevin Ryan, Diarmuid McCabbe, Paul Larkin 0-1 each. | Report | Graham Reilly 2-2, James Conlon 0-6, Conor O'Byrne 1-0, Ben Brennan, David O'Byrne 0-1 each. | Skryne Referee: Cormac Reilly (St. Mary's Donore) |
| 8 September 2018 4:30pm | Donaghmore/Ashbourne | 1-9 - 1-8 | Ratoath | Páirc Tailteann Referee: David Coldrick (Blackhall Gaels) |
| 8 September 2018 4:30pm | Andrew Tormey 1-3, Paul Gilligan 0-3, Colm O'Mealoid, James Crumish, Darragh McGovern 0-1 each | Report | Bryan McMahon 0-7, Joey Wallace 1-0, Darragh Kelly 0-1. | Páirc Tailteann Referee: David Coldrick (Blackhall Gaels) |
| 9 September 2018 4:00pm | Simonstown Gaels | 2-20 - 1-15 | Skryne | Páirc Tailteann Referee: Colm McManus (Gaeil Colmcille) |
| 9 September 2018 4:00pm | Padgraig McKeever 0-6, Andrew Kearney 0-4, Ben Hoey 1-1, Niall Kane 1-0, Nicky O'Brien, Shane Barry 0-2 each, Mark Gardiner, James Kilcullen, Sean Tobin, Conor Sheridan, Joe Lyons 0-1 each | Report | Patrick O'Rourke 0-13, Ian Davis 1-0, Eoin Smyth, Darragh Campion 0-1 each. | Páirc Tailteann Referee: Colm McManus (Gaeil Colmcille) |
| 9 September 2018 6:30pm | St. Peter's Dunboyne | 2-14 - 0-16 (a.e.t.) | Gaeil Colmcille | Dunshaughlin Referee: David Gough (Slane) |
| 9 September 2018 6:30pm | Donal Lenhian 1-5, Robert McCarthy 0-4, Sean Ryan 1-0, Liam Bryne 0-2, Ronan Jones, Cathal Lacey, Shane Comiskey 0-1 each | Report | Brian Hanlon 0-13, Seamus Mattimoe 0-2, Fionn Ferguson 0-1. | Dunshaughlin Referee: David Gough (Slane) |

### Semi-finals

| 29 September 2018 3:00pm | St. Peter's Dunboyne | 2-16 - 0-8 | Simonstown Gaels | Pairc Tailteann Referee: Cormac Reilly (St. Mary's) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 29 September 2018 3:00pm | Donal Lenihan 0-7, Robert McCarthy 1-4, Stuart Lowndes 1-1, Shane McEntee, Niall Jones, David McEntee, Conor Doran 0-1 each. | Report | Padraig McKeever 0-5, James Kilcullen, Nathan O'Brien, Michael Brennan 0-1 each. | Pairc Tailteann Referee: Cormac Reilly (St. Mary's) |
| 30 September 2018 1:45pm | Summerhill | 3-12 - 2-7 | Donaghmore/Ashbourne | Pairc Tailteann Referee: David Coldrick (Blackhall Gaels) |
| 30 September 2018 1:45pm | Barry Dardis 2-6, David Dalton 1-1, Sean Dalton 0-3, Kevin Ryan 0-2 | Report | Paul Gilligan 0-3, Andrew Tormey 1-0, Gary Sweeney 1-0, Shane Melia, Bryan Menton, Dylan Reilly, Stephen Carton 0-1 each | Pairc Tailteann Referee: David Coldrick (Blackhall Gaels) |

### Final

| 14/10/2018 15:30 | St. Peter's Dunboyne | 1-11 - 0-09 | Summerhill | Pairc Tailteann Referee: Colm McManus |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 14/10/2018 15:30 | Robert McCarthy 0-7 (0-5f), Stuart Lowndes 1-0, Donal Lenihan 0-1 (1f), Liam Byrne, David McEntee, Cathal Lacey 0-1 each. | Report | Barry Dardis 0-4 (0-4f), David Larkin 0-2, Michael Byrne, Sean Dalton, Padraig Geraghty 0-1 each | Pairc Tailteann Referee: Colm McManus |

## 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 Intermediate Championship.

## Leinster Senior Club Football Championship

Round 1:

* Shelmaliers 1-2, 1-12 St Peters Dunboyne, Wexford Park, 28/10/2018,

Quarter-final:

* St. Peters Dunboyne 0-7, 2-17 Kilmacud Crokes, Pairc Tailteann, 11/11/2018,
