‘It’s an honour to be lining out in the Meath jersey’

In recent years Grace Coleman has often lined out alongside Aoife Minogue in the Meath midfield. Their combined talents ensured the Meath engine room was a formidable unit; a source of inspiration.

That was then. At Trim on Saturday a new era got underway. Instead of Brendan Skehan there was Neil Cole on the sideline directing operations - and instead of Coleman and Minogue in midfield there was Amy Gaffney and Katie Connolly both of whom did extremely well helping to push the side forward with their surging runs and perceptive passing.

Also different was the fact that the prodigiously-talented Minogue was absent. She had a cruciate knee operation in December and is embarking this week on a trip to Australia as many young people do these days.

What was the same was the presence of the brilliantly-talented Coleman in the team, although not strictly as a midfielder. She wore the number 10 jersey but she still operated in and around the midfield sector. There she was doing things she does very well, such as using her strength to pick up breaking ball, off-loading incisive passes once in possession or picking off a score when the chance presented itself.

She helped herself to one point on Saturday hitting the ball cleanly and with precision over the bar. The point embellished a typically productive, hard-grafting hour's work from Coleman, who also turns out for Killyon, a long-established nursery of both hurling and camogie players.

Just 27 this is Coleman's 11th year turning out for Meath seniors and she says she still loves her involvement. She had some wonderful experiences playing camogie (she was part of the Meath panel that won the All-Ireland Intermediate title in 2017) but she has tasted her share of bitter disappointments too, including last year when the Royals lost to Kerry in the National Camogie League Div 2A final and Derry in the All-Ireland Intermediate decider. She'd love to put all that right.

She's at an age now when youth and experience can combine most profitably but there is the sense that it's not the allure of winning big medals on a big stage that drives her on but rather the fact that she is turning out for her county. Once in the green and gold she wants to deliver her very best - always - whether that's as a midfielder, half-forward or any other role for that matter. Representing her county means a great deal.

"I'm just happy to be on the pitch, anywhere, if you told me I had to play in goals I would play in goals. It's an honour to be lining out in the Meath jersey on that pitch," she said after Saturday victory over the Breffni County. "It's an honour to have the jersey and you take pride in wearing it every time you go out to play."

When she reflects on her career so far she's had her memorable moments but one of the most treasured - and this might be surprising to many - was just after losing to Derry in the All-Ireland Intermediate final last summer. There's an image that's obviously etched in her mind that she still treasures. An emotional image, and one not often realised when it comes to Meath camogie.

"I know we lost the final but afterwards kids came up to the Meath players looking for autographs, selfies, they wanted us to sign whatever they had, a piece of paper, the match programme, their hurling sticks, it didn't matter. There were boys and girls of all ages coming up to the players. It showed the impact our run had on young kids."

A dental nurse by profession the Killyon player is hoping that this year Meath can go one better and get a chance to walk up the steps of the Hogan Stand and pick up a trophy - "in league or championship"- but she adds there's a long, long way to go before such dreams can be realised. Saturday's victory was a start. No more.

This year, she adds, a sizeable contingent of players have joined the panel and this has brought it's own freshness and competitive edge. She welcomes it all, seeing it as a healthy sign for Meath camogie. "Getting those young girls in is great, having that youth coming along behind you. It really makes it competitive, you have to work for your spot on the team too.

"We have a panel of 36. We didn't even know that there would be 36 girls interested in playing. There may even have been a couple of girls disappointed not to make the panel which is a positive sign for Meath camogie. We are getting 28 or 29 at training most evenings which is brilliant. It's great to be able to play a full game against each other, running the drills, proper stuff."

She points out that while Meath may have been strong favourites going into Saturday's game, they still had to win the game. "It was tough out there, as we knew it would be, after all we only beat Cavan by a point last year. There's a target on our backs to perform well and get there but hopefully we can continue to perform, keep on winning and get some silverware."

Yet the Killyon player is experienced enough to know that all any player or team can really do is take it one game at a time, one week at a time.

Sure, she adds, there's stuff for the team as a unit to work on such as translating a greater percentage of chances into scores but a certain rustiness is only to be expected at this stage of the season.

She may not be any longer part of the Coleman, Minogue midfield combo but, the Killyon player knows too that time moves on. Teams change. It's simply part of life. The sporting life.

She's happy to play her part, honoured as ever to wear the county colours; the green and gold.