By Bill McMahon
While next Sunday’s National Football League Division 2 game between
Meath and Louth should attract a good crowd to Pairc Tailteann, the
attendance will fall well short of the bumper gathering which flocked
to the Brews Hill venue for an NFL tussle between the north Leinster
rivals 74 years ago this spring.
On March 5th,1950 a then record crowd of 21,581 turned upo see two of
the top football counties of the time in opposition. Meath were
basking in the glory of being crowned All-Ireland champions
for the first time the previous autumn and Louth were involved in a
three-match Leinster saga with their Royal rivals.in the summer of
1949.
Meath were 1-10 to 1-3 winners over Louth in the 1949-50 NFL that day and went
on to top the group which also included Dublin, Kildare, Westmeath and
Wicklow.
There were five groups and Meath defeated Derry by 1-10 to 0-8 in a
quarter-final; clash at Lurgan, Co Armagh. At the semi-final stage
Meath took two hours to dispose of the Wexford challenge. After a 1-7
each draw at Croke Park, The Royals won the replay by 1-11 to 1-6 at
the same venue.
In the home final at headquarters Cavan reversed the result of the
1949 All-Ireland title decider with a 2-8 to 1-6 victory before an
attendance of 38,258.
New York, who received a bye into League finals for a few years,
conquered Cavan by 2-8 to 0-12 in the final at Croke Park.
Meath went all the way in the 1950-51 NFL.
After mastering Mayo in the home final, a famous victory was achieved
over the hosts at the Polo Grounds in the Big Apple.
With Dublin long odds-on favourites to bag a 14th consecutive Leinster
SFC title this year, it is very interesting to note that in the
eight-year period between 1947 and 1954 only Meath and Louth were
provincial winners. Meath won out five times and Louth were
title-winners three times.
Above picture; St Mary’s stalwart Tony Craven at the homecoming celebrations at Pairc Tailteann,
after Meath’s success in the Tailteann Cup over Down last summer.
