How Eamonn Murray transformed Meath football: ‘I had to beg players to play’

Meath won the Division 3 league title in 2019, finally got out of the intermediate ranks last winter by beating Westmeath, and then claimed the Division 2 league title earlier this year

Meath manager Eamonn Murray at yesterday’s AIG-LGFA media event with Croke Park in the background, ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland Ladies SFC final against Dublin, where 40,000 fans will be welcomed back into Croke Park. Picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

When Eamonn Murray was first approached to take over Meath in the spring of 2017, he ran a mile.

The memories of being slaughtered 7-22 to 0-3 two seasons earlier were still strong and, from what Murray could see, it looked like a chaotic setup.