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Paul Keane reports from Portlaoise
MEATH ARE THROUGH to a first Leinster SFC final since 2020 after remarkably smashing Dublin’s 15-year stranglehold on the provincial title.
A barnstorming, wind assisted first-half performance that left Robbie Brennan’s side a dozen points ahead at the break laid the platform for the landmark win.
Eoghan Frayne thrilled in green with 11 points overall though it was a wonderful team performance on a memorable afternoon in Portlaoise as Meath suckered their old rivals to secure a May 11 final clash with Louth.
Dublin hadn’t been beaten in Leinster since, ironically, being ambushed by five-goal Meath in 2010.
But it was clear from the opening exchanges of this semi-final encounter that history was potentially on the cards as Meath were fired up and fully tuned in.
There were huge performances too from James Conlon, who struck 0-5, along with the likes of Brian O’Halloran and Ciaran Caulfield in defence while Bryan Menton at midfield will be delighted he came out of retirement this season.
As for Dublin, who got it back to a two-point game late on, all is not lost as they will still go forward to the All-Ireland series though the sense of a team struggling to find traction this year is strong.
Meath fans were desperate to see their team tear into the auld enemy in a neutral ground – and got their wish.
With five minutes played, Meath had already launched five different attacks, scored three points, blasted two wides and made it clear they’d be hunting Stephen Cluxton’s kick-outs.
Jack Flynn was a late withdrawal from the Meath midfield so the impressive Mathew Costello, wearing number 13, lined up alongside Menton.
Costello kicked the opening point after an interception on the Dublin kick-out and was hugely influential throughout.
Cluxton was recalled to the Dublin team after missing their win over Wicklow but might have wished he’d stayed absent, particularly kicking into the stiff first-half wind. Meath won the toss and opted to play with the breeze.
Cluxton struggled badly to get any of his kicks away and Meath capitalised each time, turning over possession time after time and returning the ball back over Cluxton’s head with interest.
Frayne tried for a two-pointer in the fifth minute that Cluxton cleverly got a hand to, reducing it to a single point.
But Meath kept the pressure on and struck four two-pointers by half-time, two from Frayne, one from Menton and another from Keith Curtis.
Rathkenny man Keith Curtis came into the game in strong form and kept the hammer down with a big first-half, pinching 0-3 in that period.
Conlon seized his chance too after being drafted into the team along with Adam O’Neill.
Conlon struck 1-2 as a sub in the quarter-final win over Offaly and kicked four first-half points as the gap widened.
Dublin didn’t get a score attempt away until the ninth minute and Con O’Callaghan was off target anyhow.
It wasn’t until the 12th minute that they actually scored, a point from an O’Callaghan free.
In all, Dublin struck just two first-half points from play as they coughed up turnovers in all areas.
They did create a goal chance in the 34th minute but Lorcan O’Dell’s shot was cleared away by Seamus Lavin.
O’Dell was one of four changes to the Dubs team from the Wicklow game. Paddy Small and John Small also started their first games of 2025 while Kevin Lahiff made the team up front too.
Lahiff was hooked at half-time for Cormac Costello, lending more punch to Dublin’s attack.
The big question was how much the wind advantage would be worth to Dublin after the break as Meath were 0-17 to 0-5 clear.
Now it was their turn to display an appetite for destruction and when Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne won the second-half throw-in, it started a move that led to an O’Callaghan two-pointer.
Dublin wasted three more two-point attempts in the third quarter though three singles from Paddy Small reduced the deficit.
The gap was down to just six when Cormac Costello netted in the 54th minute and suddenly it really was game on at 0-21 to 1-12.
Small and O’Callaghan added two more to leave four in it and a sense of inevitability draped over proceedings.
It was down to two with six minutes remaining when Colm Basquel lofted over Dublin’s second two-pointer, 0-21 to 1-16.
Somehow, Meath held on to create a little piece of history with late insurance points from Aaron Lynch and Frayne.
Meath scorers: Eoghan Frayne 0-11 (1tp, 1 tpf, 5f), James Conlon 0-5, Keith Curtis 0-3 (1 tp), Bryan Menton 0-2 (tp), Mathew Costello 0-1, Aaron Lynch 0-1.
Dublin scorers: Con O’Callaghan 0-6 (3f, 1 tp), Paddy Small 0-5, Cormac Costello 1-1 (0-1f), Colm Basquel 0-3 (1 tp), Lorcan O’Dell 0-1
MEATH
1. Billy Hogan (Longwood)
4. Brian O’Halloran (Ballivor), 3. Sean Rafferty (Na Fianna), 2. Seamus Lavin (St Peter’s, Dunboyne)
5. Donal Keogan (Rathkenny), 6. Sean Coffey (Ballinabrackey), 7. Ciaran Caulfield (Trim)
13. Mathew Costello (Dunshaughlin), 9. Bryan Menton (Donaghmore Ashbourne)
10. Conor Duke (Dunshaughlin), 11. Ruairi Kinsella (Dunshaughlin), 19. Adam O’Neill (Wolfe Tones)
23. James Conlon (St Colmcilles), 12. Keith Curtis (Rathkenny), 15. Eoghan Frayne (Summerhill – Captain)
SUBS
DUBLIN
1. Stephen Cluxton (Parnells)
3. Theo Clancy (Kilmacud Crokes), 2. David Byrne (Naomh Olaf), 4. Conor Tyrrell (St Oliver Plunketts Eoghan Ruadh)
5. Brian Howard (Raheny), 25. John Small (Ballymun Kickhams), 7. Tom Lahiff (St Judes)
8. Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne (Cuala), 9. Ciaran Kilkenny (Castleknock)
10. Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge Street), 14. Con O’Callaghan (Cuala – Captain), 12. Kevin Lahiff (St Judes)
26. Paddy Small (Ballymun Kickhams), 23. Lorcan O’Dell (Templeogue Synge Street), 15. Colm Basquel (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
SUBS
Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone).
Written by Paul Keane and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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