The 1997 Meath Senior Football Championship was the 105th edition of the Meath GAA's premier club

Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

tournament for senior graded teams in County Meath, Ireland. The tournament consists of 18 teams, with the winner going on to represent Meath in the

Leinster Senior Club Football Championship The Leinster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament played on a knockout basis between the senior club championship winners of the competing counties in Leinster. The current holders of the Leinster title are Ba ...

. The championship starts with a group stage and then progresses to a knock out stage. Kilmainhamwood were the defending champions after they defeated Seneschalstown in the previous years final. This was Cortown's first ever year as a senior club after claiming the 1996 IFC title. The first ever 'Navan El Classico' in the SFC took place this year between Navan O'Mahonys and Simonstown Gaels on 27 September in

Páirc Tailteann Páirc Tailteann () is a Gaelic Athletic Association, GAA stadium in Navan, County Meath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is the home of the Meath GAA, Meath Gaelic football and Hurling teams. The ground has had a capacity of between 30,000 an ...

. O'Mahonys won a dour affair and hence qualified for the final. On 12 October 1997, Navan O'Mahonys claimed their 16th Senior Championship title with a win over Trim in the final. Alan Reilly raised the Keegan Cup for O'Mahonys while Donal Smyth collected the 'Man of the Match' award.

Team changes

The following teams have changed division since the 1996 championship season.

To S.F.C.

Promoted from I.F.C. * Cortown - (Intermediate Champions)

From S.F.C.

Regraded to I.F.C. * St. Colmcille's

Group stage

Group A

Round 1: * Navan O'Mahonys 1-9, 1-8 Cortown, Dunderry, 5/4/1997, * Kilmainhamwood 0-10, 1-6 St. Michael's, Castletown, 5/4/1997, * Oldcastle 1-7, 0-8 Ballinlough, Kells, 5/4/1997, Round 2: * Oldcastle 2-14, 0-9 St. Michael's, Kells, 19/4/1997, * Navan O'Mahonys 1-11, 0-10 Kilmainhamwood, Carlanstown, 20/4/1997, * Cortown 0–11, 0-11 Ballinlough, Kells, 20/4/2997, Round 3: * Cortown 1-15, 0-10 St. Michael's, Carnaross, 3/5/1997, * Navan O'Mahonys 0-7, 0-6 Ballinlough, Kells, 4/5/1997, * Kilmainhamwood 0-10, 0-9 Oldcastle, Kells, 18/5/1997, Round 4: * Cortown 0-11, 0-9 Kilmainhamwood, Kells, 14/6/1997, * Ballinlough 1-14, 2-9 St. Michael's, Carnaross, 18/6/1997, * Navan O'Mahonys 0-9, 0-7 Oldcastle, Athboy, 20/6/1997, Round 5: * Cortown 1-10, 0-8 Oldcastle, Kilskyre, 23/8/1997, * Kilmainhamwood 1-15, 1-7 Ballinlough, Kells, 23/8/1997, * Navan O'Mahonys w/o, scr St. Michael's,

Group B

Round 1: * Summerhill 1-15, 1-9 Seneschalstown, Skryne, 5/4/1997, * Dunderry 3-11, 1-11 Carnaross, Kells, 6/4/1997, * Walterstown 0-11, 0-10 Trim, Kilmessan, 6/4/1997, Round 2: * Trim 0-13, 0-5 Dunderry, Pairc Tailteann, 20/4/1997, * Summerhill 0-13, 1-8 Carnaross, Athboy, 20/4/1997, * Seneschalstown 0-10, 1-3 Walterstown, Pairc Tailteann, 20/4/1997, Round 3: * Seneschalstown 4-9, 0-10 Carnaross, Pairc Tailteann, 4/5/1997, * Dunderry 0-10, 1-6 Walterstown, Pairc Tailteann, 18/5/1997, * Trim 0-13, 1-7 Summerhill, Longwood, 21/5/1997, Round 4: * Walterstown w, l Carnaross, Martry, 23/8/1997, * Summerhill 0–10, 0-10 Dunderry, Pairc Tailteann, 24/8/1997, * Trim 0-18, 3-8 Seneschalstown, Pairc Tailteann, 31/8/1997, Round 5: * Walterstown 1-10, 0-9 Summerhill, Dunshaughlin, 31/8/1997, * Seneschalstown 0-17, 2-8 Dunderry, Pairc Tailteann, 7/9/1997, * Trim 1-12, 1-10 Carnaross, Athboy, 7/9/1997, Quarter-Final Playoff: * Seneschalstown1-14, 0-8 Walterstown, Pairc Tailteann, 14/9/1997,

Group C

Round 1: * St. Peter's Dunboyne 0-11, 1-6 Slane, Walterstown, 5/4/1997, * Simonstown Gaels 1-10, 1-9 Skryne, Seneschalstown, 6/4/1997, * Gaeil Colmcille 0-11, 0-3 Moynalvey, Trim, 6/4/1997, Round 2: * Simonstown Gaels 3-9, 0-8 St. Peter's Dunboyne, Dunshaughlin, 19/4/1997, * Skryne 2-9, 1-11 Gaeil Colmcille, Pairc Tailteann, 20/4/1997, * Slane 0-10, 1-6 Moynalvey, Walterstown, 6/4/1997, Round 3: * Gaeil Colmcille 1-7, 0-9 St. Peter's Dunboyne, Pairc Tailteann, 4/5/1997, * Simonstown Gaels 1-7, 0-8 Slane, Rathkenny, 17/5/1997, * Skryne w, l Moynalvey, Dunboyne, 17/5/1997, Round 4: * Simonstown Gaels 0-17, 0-7 Moynalvey, Skryne, 20/6/1997, * Gaeil Colmcille 2-10, 0-10 Slane, Castletown, 28/6/1997, * Skryne 1–10, 2-7 St. Peter's Dunboyne, Dunshaughlin, 23/8/1997, Round 5: * Gaeil Colmcille 1-15, 0-10 Simonstown Gaels, Athboy, 24/8/1997, * St. Peter's Dunboyne w/o, scr Moynalvey, * Skryne w/o, scr Slane,

Knock-out Stage

Finals

Quarter-Final: * Cortown 0-8, 1-4 Gaeil Colmcille, Pairc Tailteann, 31/8/1997, * Simonstown Gaels 0-15, 0-6 Seneschalstown, Pairc Tailteann, 21/9/1997, Semi-Final: * Trim 0-17, 0-13 Cortown, Pairc Tailteann, 21/9/1997, * Navan O'Mahonys 1-8, 0-9 Simonstown Gaels, Pairc Tailteann, 27/9/1997, Final: * Navan O'Mahonys 1-10, 0-7 Trim, Pairc Tailteann, 12/10/1997,

Leinster Senior Club Football Championship

Quarter Final: *

Rathnew Rathnew () is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. Located south of the capital Dublin along the M11 between Dublin and Wexford, it is close to the county town of Wicklow, which is situated to the east. Education Rathnew is home to Gaelscoil ...

1–6, 0-9 Navan O'Mahonys, Aughrim, 8/11/1997, * Navan O'Mahonys 0–9, 1-8

, Pairc Tailteann, 15/11/2997,

References

External links

{{Meath clubs competitions Meath Senior Football Championship Meath Senior Football Championship