11-07-2025
Meath's Ciaran Caulfield: 'This year was just kind of time....we fear no-one'
Ciaran Caulfield insists that Meath fear no team as they seek to extend their breakthrough championship summer into a glorious final weekend.
The Royals have taken down Dublin, Kerry, Cork and, in their most recent game, Galway in the All-Ireland quarter-final to reach the last four for the first time since 2009.
Donegal are standing in their way of a first All-Ireland in 24 years and, naturally, Jim McGuinness' back to back Ulster champions are favourites to progress against the Division 2 side that lost to Louth in the Leinster decider.
But Meath have taken down plenty of favourites in this campaign and Caulfield maintains that they can do it again at Croke Park tomorrow. "Obviously they're the big teams if you want to call them that, but yeah you probably do need those big wins over some of those teams just for yourself to know you can compete at this level," said the midfielder.
"Once we got one or two of them, I think even just the way we were training and stuff, it really brings it on as well. Once you're competing at that level, you're not going to fear anyone.
"It was the same against Galway and it'll be the same this week. Obviously it's another big team coming down and we'll just do our same preparation as usual and go into the game looking to compete again."
Caulfield is one of Meath's young guns who have been so impressive -he's only 21 but was appointed as a co-captain by Brennan this year. For all of these players, the key is to avoid the many distractions that will have built as the summer has progressed.
He's asked about how it is in Trim, his home town. "You just go about your day as normal," said the Sigerson-winning captain with DCU in February who begins his PE and Biology teaching career in September.
"You might get a few unfamiliar faces saying well done or whatever, but it's just another win. It's only a win to get you into a semi-final - you still have to look forward to next week and get another performance.
"Probably selfishly, you're not going to get carried away with one win. Obviously, for the supporters and fans, it's great for them, the excitement that the week will bring. We'll just keep our heads low, train away and be ready."
Colm O'Rourke said after Meath's 16-point loss to the Dubs in last year's Leinster semi-final that 'there is on quick fix' for the Royals given that they had not enjoyed underage success in so long.
O'Rourke was working off a five-year plan but then departed the hot-seat after the county board refused to give him more time to put a new backroom team together.
The feeling is that this Meath resurgence under Robbie Brennan has come much quicker than was expected. "Yes, that's probably the outside narrative, but inside, we knew if we could get going, it probably wouldn't be as long," reflected Caulfield.
"This year the lads had that extra year under their belt. We probably just thought it was time to kick on and particularly with the new rules, it was maybe a bit more of an even playing field.
"Everyone's trying to get up to speed with them, so we thought if we could then you'd be there or thereabouts. Yeah, four or five years, it's probably been a bit quicker but that's as it is now. We believe this year was just kind of time."
Teams have got a run on their rivals under the dynamic new rules and that was the case for Galway in the quarter-final. Meath looked to be in firm control only for the Tribesmen to respond with 2-3 in four minutes, but the Royals didn't panic and hit back themselves with their second goal to regain the lead. They went on to prevail by a point.
"The way the games are now, the momentum can shift quite quickly, as it was with Galway getting the 2-3," acknowledged Caulfield. "You kind of take a quick glance at the scoreline just to see the time and what's in it. But the way we are, our mantra the whole year, it's been next play, next ball, and just sticking to how we play. We did that quite well and obviously clawed it back at the end, which was nice."
And Donegal? The Tir Chonaill men will look for Michael Murphy to provide inspiration again but Caulfield is confident that 'Raff' - Sean Rafferty - can take care of the veteran, or any of Donegal's main forwards.
"He's fit to mark any of the big players, as he's done this year. I think he relishes that challenge as well. In fairness, he's been brilliant for us," said the wing-back. Donegal have been building a nice squad, they've been a top team in the last few years and they've been knocking on the door.
"We know what challenge we're going to be facing. But you want to be playing the big teams. It just happened to be Donegal - whoever it was, we were looking forward to it."
