O’Donoghue insists better days are ahead
MEATH Junior boss Conor O’Donoghue promised that better days were on the horizon for Meath football after the county picked up their first piece of silverware since 2010 at Croke Park last Sunday.
O’Donoghue said that the Leinster junior success was just a small part of the bigger picture and that there was a huge amount of work going on behind the scenes in an effort to get Meath back competing at the top level.
‘We are all very passionate about football in Meath and the county doing well, this is a very small part of a bigger picture that’s going on, O’Donoghue said after Sunday’s success. ‘I can’t emphasise enough the work that has been done behind the scenes by S ean Kelly, Seamus Kenny, Jamie Queeney and the senior management, there’s a huge amount going on.
‘We probably haven’t got the rub of the green over the last 12 months but I promise you it’s coming, I promise you with the amount of work that has been done around the place is absolutely the work that should be done.
‘The big thing for people who are passionate about Meath GAA and Gaelic football in the county is to appreciate and understand that there is a huge amount of work being done.
‘I know it’s a little bit frustrating at times, we haven’t quite gotten the trophy cabinet to prove that but there’s lots of really good things going on, lots of joined up thinking going on and lots of really good people working so hard there behind the scenes.
‘I’m absolutely convinced that as sure as night follows day that success will come for the county.
O’Donoghue said the aim of the joined up thinking was to prepare and provide a conveyer belt of players to represent the county at senior level.
‘It’s great to win this junior title but the primary purpose is to provide players who can play in Croke Park down the line. Now what better thing could you put in a fella’s experience locker than what’s has just happened.
‘There’s a couple of guys there I’m absolutely convinced, in the years to come will play lots of senior football championship for Meath, this experience today will prove valuable to them.
‘The under-17s, the underthe minors, everything has been really well resourced, everyone has put their shoulder behind the wheel.
‘There’s loads of work going on all around the place, and it is joined up and there is a focus on helping players develop and come through and ultimately play at the top stage.
Regarding the recent heavy defeat suffered by the seniors as they exited the Leinster campaign O’Donoghue said: ‘Days like that can happen for counties and it’s not going to be a case of coming in on day one of the championship and a mega performance coming, that’s very difficult.
‘The reality is Kildare have put in that shift that we’re speaking about now over maybe five to 10 years, we’ve begun this journey over the last 18 months to two years so really and truly it will take a bit of time until we’re at their level. We can only do what we believe is the right thing.’