All things told, Robbie Brennan couldn't have asked for a better first season in charge of Meath in 2025.
Promotion to Division 1 was only foiled with a loss in the last game against Louth, while the defeat of Dublin in the Leinster championship was one of the stories of the summer, ending the men from the capital’s 15-year domination of the province.
That momentum wasn’t enough to see them over the line against Louth, but fears that the season could peter out were misplaced.
Cork, Kerry and Galway were all turned over before Brennan’s charges ultimately ran out of steam against Donegal with a place in the All-Ireland final at stake.
Was the memorable campaign something of a one-off, or a building block to bigger things in 2026?
This year’s league campaign would suggest that the county is most certainly on an upward curve.
Six wins out of seven secured a return to the top tier, and the only side that got the better of the Royals – Cork – were accounted for in the Division 2 final.
Trailing by three points with 20 minutes to go, Meath reeled off eight points without response from a shellshocked Cork to set the seal on their first piece of league silverware since capturing the same title in 2007.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Inside Sport, Peter Canavan says that the Royals will be formidable opposition for any team on their day.
"I’ve seen enough of them this year to suggest that they are improving and more than capable of taking out one of the bigger teams this summer," he said.
"One of the things they needed to add from last year’s campaign was strength, and depth, and they have unearthed Jack O’Connor and the football he is playing this year is remarkable.
"The goal he scored was one of the highlights of the weekend.
"When I say strength in depth, when things were tight going into the last 15 minutes of the game, they brought on James Conlon and he lit the place up, scoring four points and winning frees. That’s exactly the sort of impact Robbie Brennan would want from his bench.
"There was a spell midway through the second half where Meath won nine of Cork’s 10 kickouts. That was their platform to win the game.
"They have a lot of big, physical men around the middle who can play ball as well."
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