Robbie Brennan keen to slow down the Meath hype train

Brennan enjoyed an unlikely run to the Championship's last four in his first year as an inter-county manager. Now expectation follows.

HYPE TRAIN: Meath manager Robbie Brennan celebrates after the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-final. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.

Robbie Brennan has played down increased expectations on 2025 All-Ireland semi-finalists Meath, pointing out that just 12 months ago they were tipped for Division 2 relegation.

Brennan enjoyed an unlikely run to the Championship's last four in his first year as an inter-county manager, beating Dublin, Cork, Kerry and Galway along the way.

Considering his predecessor Colm O'Rourke stated after a poor 2024 season that it was 'going to take five years' to achieve success with a team in transition, it was some turnaround under Brennan.

The Dunboyne resident acknowledged that an increased focus on Meath this year is 'definitely there' but he isn't paying much attention to it ahead of Saturday's National League Division 2 opener against Derry at Croke Park.

"It's a funny thing because as I've said to a few people, this time last year we were favourites to be relegated and, you know, half a decent season and everyone's saying we should be in Division 1 now," said Brennan.

"It's a bit of a tricky one and I think probably the balance is somewhere in between. People get sick of me saying it but we'll just be looking to training, night after night, trying to improve there and wherever that leads us to, it'll lead us to in the end."

The man who guided Kilmacud Crokes to three Leinster club titles, and an All-Ireland win in 2023, accepted that the target is to improve on last year. In Championship terms, that means winning a Leinster title and advancing beyond an All-Ireland semi-final, while promotion is the clear ambition in Division 2. Claiming some sort of silverware is the ultimate aim.

"It probably is, there's no point in denying that, everybody probably will want that, it is what progress will look like," said Brennan.

"For us as a group, we've to accept there is expectation. Lads have to accept that too. Then it is about having a narrow focus, what is immediately in front of us? If we don't get off to a good start, we're going to be looking the other way as opposed to ahead.

"We'll keep it very much short-term and a narrow focus in front of us, see where that will take us. But obviously improvement would probably mean winning something or at least getting up from Division 2."

Meath looked at 30 players in their two O'Byrne Cup games though also experimented in three challenge games, including one against Mayo.

Ruairi Kinsella is an injury doubt for the Derry game while James Conlon, Jack Kinlough and Ronan Jones are all still recuperating following season ending injuries in 2025.

Midfielders Bryan Menton and Jack Flynn also finished last season on the treatment table but are fit again.

Strong Sigerson Cup form by the likes of Conor Duke (Maynooth), Jordan Morris (TU Dublin) and former AFL player Cian McBride (TU Dublin) augurs well.

The great unknown is what sort of impact playing at Croke Park while Pairc Tailteann's EUR21m redevelopment work is taking place will have on the Royals. They are scheduled to play Derry, Louth and Tyrone at Croke Park, three counties that have all won silverware at the venue in recent seasons.

"I think we'd all rather be in Pairc Tailteann, that's the truth of it, but I suppose a close second is getting into Croke Park again," said Brennan. "It's something you can't experience enough of."

Brennan described Division 2 this season as 'stacked' with Tyrone and Derry favourites for promotion. Cork, Tailteann Cup holders Kildare and Leinster champions Louth are also in the division.

"The irony is we obviously wanted to get to Division 1 but Division 2 looks equally stacked this year, obviously with Tyrone and Derry coming down. I think with some younger guys coming into the squad, it's a brilliant level for them to be coming in at. It's going to be fairly cutthroat throughout the season in this league. I doubt there'll be too many teams on full points at the end of it so we'll be put to the pin of our collars to get out of this division."