Caulfield looking forward to getting back to work with Meath

During the course of a chat with the Meath Chronicle the talented young Trim footballer Ciaran Caulfield mentioned the words "enjoy" or "enjoyment" nine times in the context of life as an inter-county footballer.

It's not a term that's often heard in the media when it comes to Gaelic footballers and their careers these days. What ARE heard, or seen, are phrases such as "onerous demands", "exhaustion", "pressure", "online abuse" and other negative terms that suggest that representing an inter-county team these days should carry with it a serious health warning.

The young Trim man, who is a trainee teacher, instead talks in flowing, glowing terms about life as an inter-county footballer. His words reflect how he feels it's a privilege, a real honour to wear the county colours. How he loves pulling on that green and gold jersey and defending the honour of the Royal county - his county.

Take, for example, his views on the much talked about, widely criticised training schedule county players are required to do these days. To hear some talk it is akin to a spell in a labour camp operated in the old Soviet Union. A joyless world where suffering is a way of life.

Not as far as Caulfield is concerned. You get the impression from him that life as a Meath player is not only a privilege, a real honour, it's the same as a spell a holiday camp where can be found a band of brothers, who at the same time, are prepared to battle long and hard in the trenches for the cause. A world where hard labour is a joy.

"That's the one thing I would say about this squad of Meath players, everyone enjoys coming in to training, everyone gets along. It's a really good environment, even when some of the results didn't go our way at times this year everyone turned up for training the next night.

"We knew we had work to do but you still have to enjoy yourself and everyone does in the Meath environment. Obviously it's better when you are winning but even when results went against us I think everyone was eager to return to help out the team, to play for Meath. I think everyone involved enjoys playing for Meath and that's what it should be about.

"I don't think inter-county commitment is too onerous. If anything you enjoy going to training, you enjoy the gym, you enjoy doing recovery. You are meeting up with 35 lads two or three times a week, there's a nice social aspect to it all as well. You get to meet lads, build relationships with them, friendships you'll have for many years."

Views like that will come across as sweet music indeed to those followers of Meath who have heard disturbing stories in recent times of players who didn't have the desire, or the hunger, to make the effort to represent the county; to answer their county's call.

Back in the day a player would literally do anything, within reason of course, to get a chance to represent the county - in hurling or football. That has clearly changed.

In that way at least Caulfield is a throw-back to the old days. In every other respect he's very much the ultra-modern footballer with a ultra-modern outlook on the game. Someone who is prepared to live the life of a county footballer so that he can improve and get better.

Even one of the real downsides of performing at a high level these days - online criticism or abuse - is unlikely to bother Caulfield if his views on the issue are anything to go by.

"You do see stuff but it can only bother you if you let it. The people who are commenting are outside the bubble or squad. It's what you are doing inside the bubble that's important. You can't let stuff like that creep in and allow it to affect what's going on in the inside. People are entitled to express their views but we have to just focus on ourselves and not let it bother you. I don't let it bother me too much anyway."

THIRD SEASON

When the 2025 GAA season does get underway Caulfield will be starting his third campaign in the senior county set-up. He made his debut in the Tailteann Cup in the summer of 2023 and emerged as a key player as Colm O'Rourke's charges marched to victory over Down in the final at Croke Park.

A medal in his first season was as good a start as the young Trim man could have expected. It's also a memento from his debut season he clearly treasures.

"Meath were out of the championship and in the Tailteann Cup by the time I got involved and to experience success so early was a great way for me to start it all off," he recalled. "At this level trophies don't come along too often," he added quickly as if to underline the view that he doesn't expect the silverware to keep rolling in, at least not without a great deal of effort.

Caulfield was one of the players who showed up at the Bective Tea Rooms & Apartments the other week to talk to the media as part of a new sponsorship deal that was announced. For the next three years Meath football will be sponsored by Noel and Valerie Moran proprietors of the Bective Tea Rooms. It's a continuation of a sponsorship arrangement that started in 2022.

Still only 21, and a still newcomer to it all, it might have been expected that Caulfield's place at the media event would have been taken by a more senior player. Someone more familiar with such events. The Trim man, however, tackled the questions thrown at him with a calmness and assurance of a seasoned campaigner, well accustomed to fielding awkward enquiries from a member of the pesky media.

And there were some awkward questions left hanging in the air after a very mixed 2024 when Meath stumbled badly, particularly in the All-Ireland Series with a series of dispiriting defeats shipped against Louth (0-9 to 3-10), Kerry (0-9 to 2-18) and Monaghan (1-14 to 1-17).

Caulfield emerged from it all as a real prospect for the future; one of those players any manager could build a team around. He was particularly on song in that game against Kerry at Pairc Tailteann; his surging runs a real problem for the Kingdom. He looked like he really belonged.

The exit from the championship was followed by manager Colm O'Rourke stepping down to be replaced by Robbie Brennan. There were rumours, however unfounded, that players (at least some of the players) were unhappy with how things were run in 2024.

"Just like any other year we had a review, points were made and as far as we know those points were take well by the management, things were put in place, that's as far as we know. We voice our feedback and that's it," he added. "Whatever way it worked out the lads (Colm O'Rourke's management team) stepped away but we are very grateful for the work they put in over the two years. You could see the amount of young lads that were brought in, the training the lads did the last two years has been brilliant.

"Now we look forward, the next step. There's always a good buzz when a new management team steps in and the likes of Martin (Corey), Joe (McMahon) and Conor (Gillespie) have loads of experience and obviously Robbie (Brennan). We're all looking forward to next year but I'm very thankful for the last few years the lads put in with us."

Promotion from Div 2 of the NFL is, Caulfield accepts, a high priority in the coming season; a major step forward if Meath want to compete against the best.

County teams can officially resume group training on Saturday 7th December. Caulfield gives the impression he just can't way for it all it kick off again.