Meath steeped in camogie history
Next Sunday Meath will bid to win the All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship on their first appearance in the final against Cork at Croke Park, 2pm.
Despite a prolonged lack of success, until recent times, there is a rich tradition of camogie in Meath with the first official game played in Navan on Sunday 17th July 1904.
Some 100 years later the centenary of that game was marked by the unveiling of a plaque at Páirc Tailteann where the game was played at the then Meath Agriculrural Showgrounds.
Two Dublin club teams contested the inaugural game to mark the launch of the Camogie Association.
By 1914 Meath was one of 25 counties affiliated to the Camogie Association (Aeridheacht Camógaíocht) with clubs also in England and Scotland.
The centenary of that first game, between Craobh an Cheitinnigh and Cuchulainn, was marked with a series of events at Pairc Tailteann that included the All-Ireland senior semi-final between Galway and Antrim and the All-Ireland Minor B semi-final between Meath and Antrim.
Lining out for Meath that day were four players who will feature in Sunday's panel for the All-Ireland Intermediate decider against Cork - Jane Dolan, Louise Donoghue, Katie Hackett and goalkeeper Emily Mangan who was full-forward for Meath in 2004.
Managing the Meath minor team that day was current Camogie Board chairman Christy Mangan who is also a selector with manager John Davis.
Meath won the Leinster Minor B Camogie title for the first time in 2004 with a thrilling victory against Carlow at Batterstown. The trophy was presented by Killyon woman Brigid Carney who was on duty that day in her capacity as a Leinster Camogie Council official.
The Camogie Association is now 113 years in existence and is the oldest female Gaelic sports organisation.
The oldest camogie competition is the Ashbourne Cup which was first contested in 1915 while camogie teams played in the 1924 Tailteann Games.
The Corn Tailteann was presented for the inaugural All-Ireland Minor Camogie Championship in 1974.
A 50th anniversary game was played in Navan in 1954 between Leinster and Ulster and that prompted the inauguration of the Gaeil Linn Interprovincial Championship in 1956.
Meath spent most of the first 100 years in the backwaters of the camogie world, but on Sunday they will bid to gain a place at the top table in the senior camogie championship for 2018.
SEE VIDEO CLIP - MEATH PLAYERS MEET THE MEDIA