Geraghty recalls a little of those glory days

Of a once proud magnificent seven only four are still with us and next Sunday Graham Geraghty, as captain of the last Meath team to win an All-Ireland SFC title, will lead his 1999 side onto the turf at Croke for one last time to be honoured on the Jubilee of their victory over Cork.

Sadly 1949 captain Brian Smyth, 1954 captain Peter McDermott and 1967 captain Peter Darby are no longer with us and that fact reminds Geraghty of just how great an honour it is to be synonymous with those names and with those of '87 winning captain Mick Lyons, '88 captain Joe Cassells and '96 captain Tommy Dowd.

Geraghty reflects on his pride at leading Meath to that All-Ireland SFC win over Cork and is looking forward to returning to Croke Park, the stadium he graced so often as one of Meath's greatest players.

"The longer it goes without another Meath captain lifting the Sam Maguire more pride I feel being the last one because it proves they are so hard to win and difficult to come by," Geraghty told the Meath Chronicle.

"It's only when I look at my own daughter now that I am reminded just how long ago it really is. She is 26 in September and back in '99 she was only a baby sitting in the Cup after we won it.

"It is great looking back and an honour to be the last Meath captain, but it is disappointing that we haven't been competing since.

"There is a huge sense of pride and I'm looking forward to being up in Croke Park with all my team mates.

"I missed the 1996 Jubilee celebrations because I was away. That one took place after Covid and was pushed through really quick. There was very little notice given that it would go ahead, I had holidays booked and couldn't make it back, but my son represented me.

"Obviously there is only one winner every year and one captain every year, so when I look back at the great memories we had it's brilliant, but it's a pity it's a distance memory at this stage for the Meath supporters."

Construction of the new stands that now embrace the hallowed turf of Croke Park was ongoing in 1999 and for that reason the presentation of the Sam Maguire Cup took place on a podium on the pitch.

While there is a hint of disappointment that he didn't get to climb the famous steps of the Hogan Stand to lift his reward Geraghty was also delighted to be able to share the occasion with so many others.

"I probably do regret it now, but looking back at the time I didn't mind too much," he said.

"Everyone wants to climb the steps of the Hogan Stand and collect the Sam Maguire, looking back it's just a pity we didn't get to do that.

"The one good thing about that is that we got to parade around the perimeter with the Cup and meet a lot of friends, family, players from Seneschalstown and mentors from Seneschalstown who brought me up through the years.

"I was delighted for them too because they were able to share in that moment with me too.

"It had its pros and cons, the main thing was that we won the Cup, that was all that mattered, it didn't matter where it was presented."

After winning the All-Ireland SFC title in 1996 with such a young team there was a sense that Meath would dominate for years to come, but circumstances dictated otherwise.

Wrong branded as the instigators of the infamous row in the All-Ireland final replay against Mayo in '96 Geraghty feels that Meath never got the credit they deserved for that success.

There was also a sense of injustice after injuries and suspensions dented provincial final hopes in '97 and in '98 Kildare had their time - so 1999 was the time to prove a point.

"In 1997 we had so many injuries and suspensions that we were missing five or six for the Leinster final and we might have used that as an excuse," recalled Geraghty.

"In 1998 Kildare had their run and we probably thought the opportunity was slipping away for us. Some of the lads had left. Colm Coyle and Marty (O'Connell) were gone, they were the old stalwarts and the bit of experience that was there. Colm Brady was gone as well, lads that had played in All-Ireland finals and had that experience.

"All throughout '99, particularly in the championship we never felt we were going to lose any game. We didn't really struggle in any game and felt our performances were justification for what happened in 1996.

"We didn't get the plaudits we deserved in 1996 because of everything that happened in the final and we were branded as thugs, that was wrong. It was a case of us proving that that '96 win wasn't going to be a flash in the pan and we were a side to be reckoned with.

"We proved that in 1999 and then we proved it again in 2001 when we got to the final, but unfortunately it didn't work out for us that day.

"Anyone from the outside looking in has to admit that we were the best team in 1999 and we proved it all year."

Reflecting on that 1999 campaign Meath really were the dominant side. They swept through Leinster brushing aside Wicklow by 10 points and Offaly by seven before seeing off Dublin by 1-14 to 0-12 to claim the Leinster title.

The All-Ireland semi-final was a dour affair and not one that will live long in the memory, but Meath were the better side against a much respected Armagh side that included current GAA President Jarlath Burns.

"I was only talking with Sean Boylan last week about Armagh and how well they are going and how they were such a strong team back in 1999," said Geraghty.

"We always played them in our last challenge game before the start of championship and they were hell for leather games, there was hardly any whistle blown.

"The championship was different then, there was more steeliness in it. Armagh were always a tough and fair side. When the semi-final was over they shook our hands, they threw everything at us and we survived.

"I always loved playing against northern teams because they had that physicality and the crowd always got involved and it made for a special occasion."

Then it was onto the old foes - Cork.

Meath had beaten Cork to win All-Irelands in 1967, '87 and '88. Cork gained a measure of revenge in '90, but Geraghty always had confident that Meath could do it again.

Even after Trevor Giles had missed a penalty and Joe Kavanagh buried a superb goal for Cork, Meath never panicked and Geraghty puts that down to the years of instilling that never-say-die spirit by Sean Boylan and his management teams.

"Joe Kavanagh scored a wonder goal that day, but even when that went in there was never any sense of panic. I always felt that we had enough to beat Cork, but you couldn't be over-confident either.

"We also missed a penalty at the start of the second-half and the heads could have dropped, but the lads stood up and we got the scores where we needed them. I wouldn't say we were comfortable, but I felt we were always in control of the game. Even though there was only three points in it at the end I felt at any time that we could have stayed ahead and thankfully we did.

"A lot that is down to the coaching from Sean. The very moment I started playing with Meath it was instilled into you that the game was never over until the final whistle was gone and even beyond that.

"From '87 onwards if Meath were in the game, even a point or two down with a couple of minutes to go, you never felt they were going to lose. Even the opposition were afraid of that to because it lingered in their minds that these lads are still here.

"There was never a sense of panic in any of our games because we were always confident in our ability of getting scores, that day was no different.

"I scored two points with my left foot that I never kicked again, but that was something that I worked on all year with Eamonn O'Brien.

"I was often caught on my left and he used to say to me would you not kick with your left. He used to be at me at every training session to kick with my left and then in the final I kicked two points off my left without even thinking.

"After the game Eamonn came to me and said 'you got two with your left', but I hadn't even realised that. It was that type of belief that the management instilled in us and the confidence we had in ourselves that we were always capable of getting scores.

"There was no sense of panic after the missed penalty or Kavanagh's wonder goal. Cork never got that far ahead that they were beyond us clawing them back."

Although there are no reunions or golf outings that are a feature of the All-Ireland winners from 1987 and '88, Geraghty recalls the '99 team with great fondness.

"There was a great mix in our group. In training there was always a bit of craic and lads acting the eejit, that is what it was all about," he laughed.

"Nowadays I don't think players get the same freedom or the same amount of enjoyment out of it because of social media. Nowadays they can't look crooked at someone without someone taking a picture of them and then all hell breaks loose.

"We used to have some craic in training and when we went away anywhere. It was always a good laugh.

"I wouldn't say it was a tight bunch where we were ringing each other every second day to see what we were at, but on the pitch we were one.

"We don't meet up now as much as we should. I only meet the lads at football matches or out at something else, but I'm looking forward to seeing everyone next Sunday," concluded Geraghty.