Royal County fixture schedule for 2012 mapped out

Lights, camera action. Meath will have to play at least 140 minutes of football and defeat both Wicklow and Carlow before they will be featured as part of RTE's programme of live matches in the Leinster SFC next summer. The Royal County kick off their campaign when they take on Wicklow on Sunday 27th May in Carlow. The reward for the winners is a match against Carlow on Sunday 10th June at either Tullamore or Wexford. Meath manager Seamus McEnaney and his selectors will have an opportunity to see his players in competitive action for the first time in 2012 when they take on Wexford in the O'Byrne Cup on Sunday 8th January at Pairc Tailteann. If Meath win that game they will face either Louth or Kilkenny also in Navan and if they lose they will be out the following Sunday in the O'Byrne Shield against the losers of the Kilkenny, Louth clash. The O'Byrne Cup and Shield finals are scheduled for Sunday 29th January. Meath will play Offaly away in the opening round of the Leinster u-21 FC on Wednesday 22nd February. Liam Harnan's side will take on the Faithful County in Gracefield with the winners facing Kildare in either Gracefield or Navan on Wednesday 7th March. The final is scheduled to be played on Wednesday 4th April. The Leinster JFC gets underway for Meath on Wednesday 30th May against Wicklow at Navan with the winners playing Kildare, Louth or Kilkenny in the semi-final on Wednesday 13th June. A trip to London beckons for Meath in the opening round of the Christy Ring Cup. However, Cillian Farrell's team first competitive assignment in 2012 will be the Kehoe Cup game against either Fingal or DCU on Sunday 29th January with the winners facing either Louth, St Patrick's, Drumcondra or Wicklow in the semi-final on Sunday 5th February. On the club scene reports that Eamonn Barry was set to take over as Ratoath manager have proven to be untrue.