2022 Meath Senior Football Championship Explained

130th Meath Senior Football Championship
County:Meath
Province:Leinster
Year:2022
Trophy:Keegan Cup
Sponsor:Fairyhouse Steel
Date:5 August - 16 October
Num Teams:16
Defending Champions:Wolfe Tones
Winners:Ratoath
Ordinal:3rd
Manager:David Brady
Captain:Conor McGill
Runnersup:Summerhill
Runnerupmanager:Conor Gillespie
Runnerupcaptain:Padhraig Geraghty
Relegated:Navan O'Mahony's
Matches:38
Website:Meath GAA
Previous:2021
Next:2023

The 2022 Meath Senior Football Championship was the 130th edition of the Meath GAA's premier club Gaelic football tournament for senior clubs in County Meath, Ireland with 16 teams competing. The winner will represent Meath in the Leinster Senior Club Football Championship. The championship starts with a group stage and then progresses to a knock out stage.

Wolfe Tones were the defending champions after they defeated St. Peter's, Dunboyne in the 2021 final to claim their second S.F.C. crown and their first since 2006.[1]

In 2021, Trim won the I.F.C. to return to the Senior Football Championship for the first time since 2011.[2]

The draw for the group stages of the championship was made on 9 May 2022 with the games due to commence on 5 August 2022.

On 16 October 2022, Ratoath won the Keegan Cup by beating Summerhill 0-12 to 0-11 in the final. This was Ratoath's 3rd third Meath Senior Football Championship in their history and their third title in four years. Jack Flynn was awarded man of the match.Navan O'Mahony's were relegated to the Meath Intermediate Football Championship after losing to Seneschalstown in the relegation playoff final. They will compete at intermediate level for the first time since winning the Intermediate Football Championship in 2003 and only 8 years after their latest Keegan Cup win in 2015.

Championship Structure

The 2022 Meath S.F.C. consists of 16 teams drawn into four groups each containing four teams. The top two teams progress to the quarter-finals, while the bottom two in each group contest the Relegation Quarter-Finals. The losers of each Relegation Quarter-Final then contest the Relegation Semi-Finals, the losers of which will play-off for the right to retain their senior status into 2023.[3]

Team Changes

The following teams have changed division since the 2021 championship season.

To S.F.C.

Promoted from 2021 I.F.C.

From S.F.C.

Relegated to 2022 I.F.C.

Participating teams

The teams taking part in the 2022 Meath Senior Football Championship are:

ClubLocationManagementPre C'ship Odds2021 Championship Position2022 Championship Position
Ballinabrackey BallinabrackeyAidan Coffey33/1Relegation Semi-FinalistRelegation Semi-Finalist
CurrahaCurrahaRuairí Murphy50/1Relegation Semi-FinalistRelegation Quarter-Finalist
Donaghmore/AshbourneAshbourneMick Deegan8/1Semi-FinalistRelegation Quarter-Finalist
Gaeil ColmcilleKellsLuke Dempsey7/1Quarter-FinalistQuarter-Finalist
MoynalveyMoynalvey & KiltaleJohn Donoghue20/1Relegation Quarter-FinalistQuarter-Finalist
Na FiannaEnfield & BaconstownCormac Davey12/1Quarter-FinlaistSemi-Finalist
Navan O'MahonysNavanDarren Fay33/1Relegation FinalistRelegated
RatoathRatoathDavid Brady3/1Semi-FinalistChampions
SeneschalstownKentstown & Yellow FurzeCiarán Marks50/1Relegation Quarter-FinalistRelegation Finalist
Simonstown GaelsNavanColm O'Rourke10/1Relegation Quarter-FinalistRelegation Quarter-Finalist
SkryneSkryne & TaraDavy Byrne20/1Relegation Quarter-FinalistQuarter-Finalist
St. Colmcille'sBettystown, Donacarney, Laytown & MorningtonSeán Barry & Seán Kelly25/1Quarter-FinalistRelegation Semi-Finalist
St. Peter's DunboyneDunboyneTrevor O'Sullivan3/1Runners-upRelegation Quarter-Finalist
SummerhillSummerhillConor Gillespie10/1Quarter-FinalistRunners-up
TrimTrimKevin Reilly20/1I.F.C. ChampionsQuarter-Finalist
Wolfe TonesKilberry, Gibbstown, Oristown & WilkinstownMichael McDermott8/1ChampionsSemi-Finalist

Group stage

[5]

There are four groups of four teams called Group A, B, C and D. The 1st and 2nd placed teams in each group qualify for the quarter-finals.The 3rd and 4th placed team in each group will proceed to the Relegation Play-Off to determine which team will suffer relegation.

The draw for the group stages of the championship was made on 9 May 2022.

Tiebreakers:If two or more teams were equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following tie-breaking criteria would be applied:

All Football Championships and Leagues shall be run on a combination of a league and knockout basis under Rule 6.21 T.O. Where teams finish equal with points for qualification or relegation process for concluding stages, the positioning shall be decided as follows;

Group A

Team
Wolfe Tones33005430+246
Skryne3120444402
St. Colmcille's 31204354-112
Seneschalstown31204053-132

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Group B

Team
Trim33008130+516
Moynalvey32104349-64
Navan O'Mahonys31204967-182
Curraha30302855-270

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Group C

Team
Ratoath33007251+216
Gaeil Colmcille32104938+114
Donaghmore/Ashbourne31204950-12
30304172-310

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Group D

Team
Summerhill33004628+186
Na Fianna32104841+74
Ballinabrackey31203943-42
St. Peter's Dunboyne30303051-210

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Knock-Out Stage

The 1st and 2nd placed teams in each group qualify for the quarter-finals. Quarter Final pairings were drawn with one group winner and one 2nd placed team in each pair with no repeat pairings from group stages. Semi Final pairings were determined by an open draw. The draw for the quarter-finals and Semi-Finals took place on 5 September 2022.[29]

Final

Relegation play-off

The Relegation Play-Off consisted of the 3rd and 4th-placed finishers in each group. The winners of each playoff retained their senior status while the outright loser was relegated to the Intermediate championship for 2023. The draw for the relegation playoffs took place on 5 September 2022.[29]

Relegation Final

Notes and References

  1. Web site: SFC final: 'Tones triumph . hoganstand.com . 7 November 2021.
  2. Web site: IFC final: IFC final: Trim triumph with style and substance . hoganstand.com . 6 November 2021.
  3. https://meath.gaa.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-Championship-Formats-v3.pdf Championship formats
  4. Web site: SFC relegation final: Superior O'Mahonys survive. 6 November 2021. hoganstand.com. 6 November 2021.
  5. Web site: 2022 Meath GAA Championship draws made. 10 May 2022. Hoganstand.com. 26 May 2022.
  6. Web site: Wolfe Tones -vs- Skryne. 6 August 2022. Hoganstand.com. 8 August 2022.
  7. Web site: Seneschalstown -vs- St. Colmcille's. 9 August 2022. Independent.ie. 11 August 2022.
  8. Web site: Skryne -vs- Seneschalstown. 22 August 2022. Hoganstand.com. 22 August 2022.
  9. Web site: St. Colmcille's -vs- Wolfe Tones. 22 August 2022. Hoganstand.com. 22 August 2022.
  10. Web site: St. Colmcille's -vs- Skryne. 5 September 2022. Hoganstand.com. 5 September 2022.
  11. Web site: Wolfe Tones -vs- Seneschalstown. 5 September 2022. Hoganstand.com. 5 September 2022.
  12. Web site: Moynalvey -vs- Curraha. 7 August 2022. Hoganstand.com. 8 August 2022.
  13. Web site: Trim -vs- Navan O'Mahonys. 7 August 2022. Hoganstand.com. 8 August 2022.
  14. Web site: Curraha -vs- Trim. 22 August 2022. Hoganstand.com. 22 August 2022.
  15. Web site: Navan O'Mahonys -vs- Moynalvey. 21 August 2022. Hoganstand.com. 22 August 2022.
  16. Web site: Navan O'Mahonys -vs- Moynalvey. 22 August 2022. Hoganstand.com. 22 August 2022.
  17. Web site: Navan O'Mahonys -vs- Moynalvey. 22 August 2022. Hoganstand.com. 22 August 2022.
  18. Web site: Navan O'Mahonys -vs- Curraha. 5 September 2022. Hoganstand.com. 5 September 2022.
  19. Web site: Moynalvey -vs- Trim. 5 September 2022. Hoganstand.com. 5 September 2022.
  20. Web site: Gaeil Colmcille -vs- Donaghmore/Ashbourne. 7 August 2022. Hoganstand.com. 8 August 2022.
  21. Web site: Ratoath -vs- Simonstown Gaels. 7 August 2022. Meath Chronicle. 8 August 2022.
  22. Web site: Simonstown Gaels -vs- Gaeil Colmcille. 20 August 2022. Hoganstand.com. 22 August 2022.
  23. Web site: Donaghmore/Ashbourne -vs- Simonstown Gaels. 3 September 2022. Hoganstand.com. 3 September 2022.
  24. Web site: Ratoath -vs- Gaeil Colmcille. 3 September 2022. Hoganstand.com. 3 September 2022.
  25. Web site: Summerhill -vs- St. Peter's Dunboyne. 6 August 2022. Hoganstand.com. 8 August 2022.
  26. Web site: Na Fianna -vs- St. Peter's Dunboyne. 22 August 2022. Hoganstand.com. 22 August 2022.
  27. Web site: Na Fianna -vs- Summerhill. 5 September 2022. Hoganstand.com. 5 September 2022.
  28. Web site: St. Peter's Dunboyne -vs- Ballinabrackey. 5 September 2022. Hoganstand.com. 5 September 2022.
  29. Web site: Draw – Fairyhouse Steel SFC & Meade Farm IFC Qtr-Finals. 5 September 2022. meath.gaa.ie. 5 September 2022.