# 2017 Meath Senior Football Championship

The 2017 Meath Senior Football Championship is the 125th edition of the Meath GAA's premier club Gaelic football tournament for senior clubs in County Meath, Ireland. Eighteen teams compete, with the winner representing Meath in the Leinster Senior Club Football Championship. The championship starts with a group stage and then progresses to a knock out stage.
Simonstown Gaels were the defending champions after they defeated Donaghmore/Ashbourne in the 2016 final, and they successfully defended their title to claim their 2nd ever crown when defeating Summerhill in the final in Pairc Tailteann by 2–9 to 0–7 on 29 October 2017. Padraig McKeever raised the Keegan Cup for the North Navan side and also claimed the "Man-of-the-Match" award for the second year in succession.
This was St. Colmcille's return to the top flight after a 20-year exodus since relegation in 1996, due to claiming the 2016 Meath Intermediate Football Championship title as well as a Leinster IFC title and an All-Ireland IFC runners-up spot.
This year saw the 10th "Navan El Classico" take place in the SFC as Simonstown Gaels defeated Navan O'Mahonys in the group stage by 0–12 to 0–7. Their current overall head-to-head score is 5–4 in favour of O'Mahonys and 1 draw.
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.
Duleek/Bellewstown were relegated to the I.F.C. for the first time in since being established in 2008 after failing to win a match all season, and thus ended their 10-season tenure in the top flight.
The semi-final between Simonstown Gaels and Wolfe Tones was the first Meath championship match to be broadcast live by Eir Sport, which the second semi-final between Summerhill and Gaeil Colmcille was the first senior match to be broadcast live on the newly developed Meath GAA App.

## Team Changes

The following teams have changed division since the 2016 championship season.

## Participating teams

The teams taking part in the 2017 Meath Senior Football Championship are:
| Club | Location | Pre C'ship Odds | 2016 Championship Position | 2017 Championship Position |
| Blackhall Gaels | Batterstown & Kilcloon | 40/1 | Non Qualifier | Relegation Playoff |
| Donaghmore/Ashbourne | Ashbourne | 6/1 | Finalist | Non Qualifier |
| Duleek/Bellewstown | Bellewstown & Duleek | 66/1 | Relegation Playoff | Relegated |
| Dunshaughlin | Dunshaughlin & Drumree | 25/1 | Preliminary Quarter-Finalist | Non Qualifier |
| Gaeil Colmcille | Kells | 16/1 | Semi-finalist | Semi-finalist |
| Moynalvey | Moynalvey & Kiltale | 10/1 | Non Qualifier | Quarter-Finalist |
| Na Fianna | Enfield & Baconstown | 16/1 | Quarter-Finalist | Preliminary Quarter-Finalist |
| Navan O'Mahonys | Navan | 7/2 | Non Qualifier | Quarter-Finalist |
| Rathkenny | Rathkenny & Stackallan | 50/1 | Non Qualifier | Non Qualifier |
| Ratoath | Ratoath | 6/1 | Non Qualifier | Quarter-Finalist |
| Seneschalstown | Kentstown & Yellow Furze | 28/1 | Quarter-Finalist | Non Qualifier |
| Simonstown Gaels | Navan | 10/1 | champions | champions |
| Skryne | Skryne & Tara | 16/1 | Semi-Finalist | Relegation Playoff |
| St. Patrick's | Gormanston, Julianstown & Stamullen | 50/1 | Non Qualifier | Non Qualifier |
| St. Colmcille's | Bettystown, Donacarney, Laytown & Mornington | 25/1 | Intermediate Champions | Non Qualifier |
| St. Peter's Dunboyne | Dunboyne | 7/2 | Quarter-Finalist | Quarter-Finalist |
| Summerhill | Summerhill | 10/1 | Quarter-Finalist | Finalist |
| Wolfe Tones | Kilberry, Gibbstown, Oristown & Wilkinstown | 12/1 | Relegation Playoff | Semi-finalist |

## Group stage

There are 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 will qualify for the quarter-finals. The third placed teams in Group B and C will qualify for a Preliminary Quarter-final, with the winner earning a place in last eight. The bottom finishers of each group will qualify 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 C
## Knock-Out Stage

The winners and runners up of the three groups and the third placed team of Group A automatically qualify for the quarter-finals. The third placed teams in Groups B and C play off to determine the team that completes the quarter-final lineup.
| Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Quarter-Finals | Quarter-Finals | Quarter-Finals | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Final | Final | Final |
| Navan O'Mahonys | Navan O'Mahonys | 1-20 (A.E.T.) | | | | | | | | | |
| Na Fianna | Na Fianna | 1-13 (A.E.T.) | Summerhill | Summerhill | 2-12 | | | | | | |
| | | | Navan O'Mahonys | Navan O'Mahonys | 1-10 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Summerhill | Summerhill | 1-15 | | | |
| | | | | | | Gaeil Colmcille | Gaeil Colmcille | 0-9 | | | |
| | | | Moynalvey | Moynalvey | 0-13 | | | | | | |
| | | | Gaeil Colmcille | Gaeil Colmcille | 1-11 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Summerhill | Summerhill | 0-7 |
| | | | | | | | | | Simonstown Gaels | Simonstown Gaels | 2-9 |
| | | | Simonstown Gaels | Simonstown Gaels | 4-12 | | | | | | |
| | | | St. Peter's Dunboyne | St. Peter's Dunboyne | 2-16 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Simonstown Gaels | Simonstown Gaels | 4-9 | | | |
| | | | | | | Wolfe Tones | Wolfe Tones | 1-13 | | | |
| | | | Ratoath | Ratoath | 0-14 (A.E.T.) | | | | | | |
| | | | Wolfe Tones | Wolfe Tones | 0-15 (A.E.T.) | | | | | | |

## Preliminary Quarter-Final

| 23 September 2017 | Navan O'Mahonys | 1-20 - 1-13 | Na Fianna | Trim Referee: Patrick Nelis (Kilmainham) |
| 23 September 2017 | Dylan Regan 1-4, Stephen Bray 0-6 (0-2f), Ruairi Ó Coileain and Paul Whelehan 0-4 each, Shane Gillespie and James O'Reilly 0-1 each | Report | Daniel Queeney 0-5 (0-4f), Sean Martin 1-0, Conor Downey (0-1f) and Barry Clancy (0-1f) 0-3 each, John Baldwin and Owen McDonnell 0-1 each | Trim Referee: Patrick Nelis (Kilmainham) |

## Quarter-finals

| 22 September 2017 | Wolfe Tones | 0-15 - 0-14 | Ratoath | Ashbourne Referee: David Gough (Slane) |
| 22 September 2017 | Cian Ward 0-7f, Thomas O'Reilly 0-4 (0-2f), Niall O'Reilly 0-3, Dan O'Neill 0-1 | Report | Eamon Wallace 0-7f, Joey Wallace 0-5, Gavin McGowan and Jack McGowan 0-1 each | Ashbourne Referee: David Gough (Slane) |
| 24 September 2017 | Gaeil Colmcille | 1-11 - 0-13 | Moynalvey | Trim Referee: David Coldrick (Blackhall Gaels) |
| 24 September 2017 | Ryan Farnham 1-2, Seamus Mattimoe, Oisin Reilly, Brian Hanlon 0-2 each, Barry Smith, Martin Barrett, Fionn Ferguson 0-1 each | Report | David McLoughlin 0-5, Stephen Donoghue and Cillian O'Sullivan (0-1f) 0-2 each, Anthony Forde, John Donoghue, Adam Murphy, Mark O'Sullivan 0-1 each | Trim Referee: David Coldrick (Blackhall Gaels) |
| 24 September 2017 | Simonstown Gaels | 4-12 - 2-16 | St. Peter's Dunboyne | Pairc Tailteann Referee: Cormac Reilly (St Mary's) |
| 24 September 2017 | Pauric McKeever 2-5 (0-1f), Mark McCabe 2-1 (1-0 pen), Sean Tobin 0-2f, Brian McGrath, Shane O'Rourke, Nathan O'Brien, Seamus Kenny 0-1 each | Report | Donal Lenihan 2-3, Robbie McCarthy 0-6 (0-1f), David McEntee 0-4, Seamus Lavin 0-2, Stuart Lowndes 0-1 | Pairc Tailteann Referee: Cormac Reilly (St Mary's) |
| 10 October 2017 8:00 pm | Summerhill | 2-12 - 1-10 | Navan O'Mahonys | Ashbourne Referee: Paul Mooney (Syddan) |
| 10 October 2017 8:00 pm | Barry Dardis 1-3 (0-2f, 1 '45), Sean Dalton 1-2, Brian Ennis (0-3f) and Conor Lyons (0-3f) 0-3 each, David Larkin 0-1 | Report | Ruairi O'Coileain 0-4 (0-2f), Shane Gillespie 1-1, Paul Whelehan 0-2, James O'Reilly, Conor Finnegan, Cormac McGuinness 0-1 each | Ashbourne Referee: Paul Mooney (Syddan) |

## Semi-finals

| 14 October 2017 3:00 pm | Simonstown Gaels | 4-9 - 1-13 | Wolfe Tones | Pairc Tailteann Referee: Patrick Nelis (Kilmainham) Man of the Match: Mark McCabe |
| 14 October 2017 3:00 pm | Mark McCabe 2-1, Nathan O'Brien 1-2, Sean Tobin 0-3 (0-1f), Pauric McKeever 1-0, Conor Sheridan 0-2, Mickey Brennan 0-1f | Report | Cian Ward 0-7 (0-6f, 1 '45), Niall McLoughlin 1-1, Thomas O'Reilly 0-3f, Niall O'Reilly and Padraic Diamond 0-1 each | Pairc Tailteann Referee: Patrick Nelis (Kilmainham) Man of the Match: Mark McCabe |
| 15 October 2017 3:00 pm | Summerhill | 1-15 - 0-9 | Gaeil Colmcille | Pairc Tailteann Referee: Cormac Reilly (St. Mary's) Man of the Match: Barry Dardis |
| 15 October 2017 3:00 pm | Barry Dardis 1-2, Michael Byrne (0-3f), Sean Dalton, David Larkin 0-3 each, David Dalton 0-2, Padraig Geraghty and Brian Ennis (0-1f) 0-1 each | Report | Séamus Mattimoe 0-4 (3f), Oisin Reilly, Brian Hanlon (2f) 0-2 each, Barry Tormay 0-1. | Pairc Tailteann Referee: Cormac Reilly (St. Mary's) Man of the Match: Barry Dardis |

## Final

| 29 October 2017 3:00 pm Final | Simonstown Gaels | 2-9 - 0-7 | Summerhill | Pairc Tailteann Attendance: 5,040 Referee: Liam O'Brien (Duleek-Bellewstown) Man of the Match: Padraig McKeever |
| 29 October 2017 3:00 pm Final | Padraig McKeever 1-4 (0-2f), Conor Sheridan 1-2, Shane O'Rourke, Sean Tobin, Seamus Kenny 0-1 each | Report | Brian Ennis 0-3 (0-2f), Barry Dardis (1 '45), Sean Dalton, Caolan Young, David Dalton 0-1 each | Pairc Tailteann Attendance: 5,040 Referee: Liam O'Brien (Duleek-Bellewstown) Man of the Match: Padraig McKeever |

## Relegation Play-Off Group

The three bottom teams from each group enter the relegation play-off group and play each other in a round robin basis.
The team with the worst record after two matches will be relegated to the 2018 Intermediate Championship.
Duleek/Bellewstown lost both round robin matches and were relegated meaning the final match between Skryne and Blackhall Gaels was not required.

## Leinster Senior Club Football Championship

Quarter-final:
* Starlights 0–8, 1-12 Simonstown, Wexford Park, 12/11/2017,
Semi-final:
* St. Loman's Mullingar 0-13, 1-8 Simonstown Gaels, Cusack Park, 26/11/2017,