Perhaps it would be wrong to put too much emphasis on Monaghan winning an All-Ireland junior hurling title but it gives some heart to the theory that the game is in a thriving state.
It was not that the fare served up at Parnell Park on Saturday was in any way a challenge to the established counties. The joy on the face of Joe Hayes, the former Tipperary star, as he embraced Joe McDonagh, the president of the GAA and former Galway captain, was encouraging.
Although Hayes seemed far from the swashbuckling midfielder of the Tipperary revival some years ago he, nonetheless, put his mark on the match with three points.
Monaghan captain, Ciaran Connolly scored two goals in the seventh and 24th minutes to give Monaghan a cushion. The interval score was 2-7 to 0-6. A goal by Paul Cunningham after 15 minutes of the second half broke Meath's resistance.
Monaghan: E Connell; D Connolly, Jim Hayes, T Gillanders; P Ward, D O'Hanrahan, J Harding; P Walshe (0-3), B McShane; R Healy (0-1), Connolly (2-1), D Lennon (0-1); M O'Dowd (0-2), Joe Hayes (0-3), H Cullen. Subs: P Cullen (1-0) for Cullen (half-time), P Reilly for Ward (46 mins), J O'Rourke for Harding (59 mins).
Meath: N Reilly; A Heaven, C Ferguson, D Maguire; T Shine (0-1), O'Connell, P Tansey; P Coon (0-1), D Reilly; R Ferguson, M Healy (0- 1), F Smith (0-1); D Fitzsimons (0-4), M Dineen (0-1), E Dixon(0-1). Subs: E McManus for D Maguire (35 mins), V Maguire for S Smith (41 mins).
Referee: G Devlin (Armagh).
