The 2018 Meath Senior Football Championship was the 126th edition of the Meath GAA's premier club Gaelic football tournament for senior clubs in County Meath, Ireland. Eighteen teams competed, with the winner representing Meath in the Leinster Senior Club Football Championship. The championship started with a group stage and then progressed to a knock out stage.
Simonstown Gaels were the defending champions after they defeated Summerhill in the 2017 final to claim a "2-in-a-row" of titles.
This was Curraha's debut in the top flight after claiming the 2017 Meath Intermediate Football Championship. Their 35 point loss (5-27 to 0-7) to Summerhill was the largest losing margin of any team in a S.F.C. match since 1996, when St. Colmcille's lost by a 44 point margin to Kilmainhamwood.
The draw for the group stages of the championship were made on 5 March 2018 with the games commencing on the weekend of 15 April 2018.
Blackhall Gaels were relegated to the Intermediate championship for 2019 after 17 years in the top-flight, including a S.F.C. title in 2003.
Team changes The following teams changed division since the 2017 championship season.
To S.F.C. Promoted from I.F.C. Curraha - (Intermediate Champions)
From S.F.C. Relegated to I.F.C. Duleek/Bellewstown
Participating teams The teams taking part in the 2018 Meath Senior Football Championship are:
Club Location Management Pre C'ship Odds 2017 Championship Position 2018 Championship Position Blackhall GaelsBatterstown & KilcloonLiam Keane80/1Relegation PlayoffRelegated to IFC CurrahaCurrahaStephen Morgan50/1Intermediate ChampionsRelegation Playoff Donaghmore/AshbourneAshbourneGabriel Brannigan13/2Non QualifierSemi-finalist DunshaughlinDunshaughlin & DrumreeAnthony Moyles50/1Non QualifierNon Qualifier Gaeil ColmcilleKellsLar Wall16/1Semi-finalistQuarter-finalist MoynalveyMoynalvey & KiltaleDarren Fay12/1Quarter-FinalistNon Qualifier Na FiannaEnfield & BaconstownSeán O'Dea33/1Preliminary Quarter-FinalistNon Qualifier Navan O'MahonysNavanKevin Reilly13/2Quarter-FinalistNon Qualifier RathkennyRathkenny & StackallanDiarmuid McCarthy66/1Non QualifierNon Qualifier RatoathRatoathFergal Power5/1Quarter-FinalistQuarter-finalist SeneschalstownKentstown & Yellow FurzeDamien Sheridan28/1Non QualifierNon Qualifier Simonstown GaelsNavanCiaran Kenny9/2championsSemi-finalist SkryneSkryne & TaraJames Reddy10/1Relegation PlayoffQuarter-finalist St. Patrick'sGormanston, Julianstown & StamullenNiall Russell66/1Non QualifierRelegation Playoff St. Colmcille'sBettystown, Donacarney, Laytown & MorningtonDes Lane50/1Non QualifierQuarter-finalist St. Peter's DunboyneDunboyneCiaran Byrne4/1Quarter-finalistchampions SummerhillSummerhillJohn Lyons11/2FinalistFinalist Wolfe TonesKilberry, Gibbstown, Oristown & WilkinstownTony Kearney11/1Semi-finalistPreliminary Quarter-Finalist
Group stage There were three groups of six teams called Group A, B and C. The 2 top finishers in each group and the third-place finisher in Group A qualified for the quarter-finals. The third placed teams in Group B and C will qualified for a Preliminary Quarter-final, with the winner earning a place in last eight. The bottom finishers of each group qualified for the Relegation Play-off. The draw for the group stages of the championship were made on 6 March 2017 with the games commencing on the weekend of 20 May 2017.
Group A
TeamSt. Peter's Dunboyne 54018058+229Simonstown Gaels53118963+267Donaghmore/Ashbourne53117965+147Seneschalstown52307878+04Dunshaughlin51317179-83Blackhall Gaels505050104-540
Round 1 Donaghmore/Ashbourne 1-12, 1-11 Seneschalstown, Stamullen, 7/4/2018, St. Peter's Dunboyne 2-11, 0-11 Blackhall Gaels, Ashbourne, 8/4/2018, Simonstown Gaels 4-10, 0-12 Dunshaughlin, Pairc Tailteann, 8/4/2018,
Round 2 Donaghmore/Ashbourne 1-16, 0-11 Blackhall Gaels, Simonstown, 20/4/2018, St. Peter's Dunboyne 1-12, 0-6 Simonstown Gaels, Trim, 21/4/2018, Seneschalstown 2-7, 1-8 Dunshaughlin, Ashbourne, 22/4/2018,
Round 3 Simonstown Gaels 3-15, 2-6 Seneschalstown, Pairc Tailteann, 27/7/2018, St. Peter's Dunboyne 0-13, 1-9 Donaghmore/Ashbourne, Dunsany, 28/7/2018, Dunshaughlin 4-10, 1-9 Blackhall Gaels, Pairc Tailteann, 29/7/2018,
Round 4 Donaghmore/Ashbourne 1-15, 1-9 Dunshaughlin, Ratoath, 11/8/2018, Simonstown Gaels 2-16, 0-9 Blackhall Gaels, Trim, 12/8/2018, St. Peter's Dunboyne 0-21, 1-12 Seneschalstown, Ashbourne, 12/8/2018,
Round 5 St. Peter's Dunboyne 0-14, 1-11 Dunshaughlin, Ardcath, 24/8/2018, Seneschalstown 4-12, 0-7 Blackhall Gaels, Dunshaughlin, 24/8/2018, Simonstown Gaels 1-12, 1-12 Donaghmore/Ashbourne, Skryne, 24/8/2018,
Group B
TeamSummerhill541012064+568Skryne54109673+238Gaeil Colmcille 532010461+436Na Fianna523068102-344Navan O'Mahonys51317289-173Curraha504151122-711
Round 1 Skryne 1-14, 0-10 Curraha, Pairc Tailteann, 7/4/2018, Navan O'Mahonys 4-14, 1-7 Na Fianna, Trim, 8/4/2018, Gaeil Colmcille 2-14, 0-12 Summerhill, Trim, 8/4/2018,
Round 2 Na Fianna 0-17, 0-15 Gaeil Colmcille, Pairc Tailteann, 21/4/2018, Summerhill 3-11, 1-12 Skryne, Bohermeen, 22/4/2018, Navan O'Mahonys 0-14, 1-11 Curraha, Dunsany, 22/4/2018,
Round 3 Summerhill 5-27, 0-7 Curraha, Pairc Tailteann, 28/7/2018, Skryne 1-21, 1-11 Na Fianna, Bohermeen, 29/7/2018, Gaeil Colmcille 4-8, 0-8 Navan O'Mahonys, Kilmainhamwood, 29/7/2018,
Round 4 Na Fianna 0-15, 1-9 Curraha, Simonstown, 10/8/2018, Skryne 1-13, 0-15 Gaeil Colmcille, Pairc Tailteann, 12/8/2018, Summerhill 4-9, 0-10 Navan O'Mahonys, Pairc Tailteann, 14/8/2018,
Round 5 Skryne 1-21, 1-11 Navan O'Mahonys, Pairc Tailteann, 25/8/2018, Summerhill 3-16, 1-9 Na Fianna, Clonard, 25/8/2018, Gaeil Colmcille 4-22, 0-8 Curraha, Walterstown, 25/8/2018,
Group C
TeamRatoath 54019664+329St. Colmcille's53206973-46Wolfe Tones 53207558+176Moynalvey 52217079-95Rathkenny 51315064-143St Patrick's 50415578-231
Round 1 Ratoath 3-12, 4-9 St. Patrick's, Ashbourne, 6/4/2018, St. Colmcille's 1-17, 0-12 Rathkenny, Stamullen, 7/4/2018, Wolfe Tones 3-16, 0-10 Moynalvey, Skryne, 8/4/2018,
Round 2 Rathkenny 0-10, 0-8 St. Patrick's, Duleek, 20/4/2018, Ratoath 1-18, 1-5 Moynalvey, Skryne, 20/4/2018, St. Colmcille's 0-11, 0-10 Wolfe Tones, Pairc Tailteann, 22/4/2018,
Round 3 Ratoath 1-12, 0-10 Rathkenny, Bohermeen, 27/7/2018, Wolfe Tones 1-10, 0-5 St. Patrick's, Skryne, 28/7/2018, Moynalvey 3-14, 0-14 St. Colmcille's, Dunshaughlin, 29/7/2018,
Round 4 Ratoath 4-13, 2-11 Wolfe Tones, Pairc Tailteann, 10/8/2018, St. Colmcille's 1-14, 0-13 St. Patrick's, Duleek, 11/8/2018, Moynalvey 1-8, 0-11 Rathkenny, Pairc Tailteann, 11/8/2018,
Round 5 Wolfe Tones 0-10, 0-7 Rathkenny, Castletown, 24/8/2018, Ratoath 1-11, 1-5 St. Colmcille's, Duleek, 24/8/2018, Moynalvey 2-11, 0-8 St. Patrick's, Ashbourne, 24/8/2018,
Knock-out stage The winners and runners up of the three groups and the third placed team of Group A automatically qualified for the quarter-finals. The third placed teams in Groups B and C met in a play off to determine the team that completed the quarter-final lineup.
Preliminary Quarter-Final
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Relegation play-off group The three bottom teams from each group entered the relegation play-off group and play each other in a round robin basis.
The team with the worst record after two matches was relegated to the 2019 Intermediate Championship.
TeamSt. Patrick's11001510+52Curraha11001512+32Blackhall Gaels20202230-80
Game 1: Curraha 0-15, 1-9 Blackhall Gaels, Dunshaughlin, 6/9/2018, Game 2: St. Patrick's 1-12, 0-10 Blackhall Gaels, Ashbourne, 13/9/2018,
Leinster Senior Club Football Championship
Round 1: Shelmaliers 1-2, 1-12 St Peters Dunboyne, Wexford Park, 28/10/2018,
Quarter-final: St. Peters Dunboyne 0-7, 2-17 Kilmacud Crokes, Pairc Tailteann, 11/11/2018,
References
External links