From old cars to bright sausages – county pride comes out in unique ways as fans gear up for Leinster final
It is set to be another fire and brimstone affair, 15 years after the two sides last contested the final in 2010, which saw Meath crowned victors following a controversial goal.
The goal was deemed illegal by TV replays but declared valid by referee Martin Sludden who then blew the final whistle, before being whisked away in a garda escort as furious Louth fans stormed the field.
Tensions reached such a fever pitch that day that Meath player Mark Ward 'got a box in the mouth' from a Louth supporter after the final whistle.
The atmosphere is already heating up in both counties before tomorrow's clash, with Meath supporters taking things up a gear by spray-painting a car in the royal county colours.
Friends Callum White, Cathal Melia and Oran Boylan – son of Meath GAA legend Seán Boylan – collaborated to paint the green-and-gold Volkswagen Polo ahead of the big game.
Other friends pitched in, with over 20 donations from helping hands making it possible to buy the car and all the materials required.
The Dunboyne men started planning the project just days after Meath inflicted on Dublin their first Leinster Championship loss in 15 years – and they documented their journey on TikTok, amassing tens of thousands of views.
'It started as a bit of craic but it's pretty much gone viral now,' said Mr White (21), who works with former Meath manager Seán Boylan.
The friends picked up the 'banger' on DoneDeal for €300 and then bought the paint, while it took two days to get the car 'match ready'.
'It has no tax or insurance so it won't be driven anywhere, but we will probably use a trailer to bring it to a central point in Dunboyne. However, we are now thinking because of the reaction we are getting online to the car, we might try and get it to Croke Park some way,' Mr White said.
He added that if Meath win, they will keep it going towards the All-Ireland and if not, 'we will sell it off as a Kerry car'.
Meanwhile, a free-range pig farmer has calmed tensions between fans in a pub and restaurant on the border of Meath and Louth by serving sausages in the colours of both counties ahead of the final.
Dublin native Peter Whelan has become the peace-maker between Meath and Louth fans with his colourful bangers, which will be at Dolly Mitchell's Pub before fans head to Croker.
Mr Whelan owns The Whole Hoggs farm in Slane, Co Meath, and supplies meat to the pub.
Dolly's, which has regulars from both counties, lies just on the border of Meath and Louth, between Slane and Drogheda, and the counties are divided by the nearby Mattock river. Mr Whelan has made 10kgs of both red and green sausages for the occasion and may try to entice fans to 'try and down each other's colours without gagging'.
'I've lived in Meath for 35 years but I'll always be a Dub, coming from Castleknock, and over the years I've got the slagging from both sets of fans when I wear the Dublin jersey to the pub,' he said.
'The Meath and Louth customers would say that Dublin were only winning because of the money being thrown at them and I always said that Meath and Louth had to get their game on to reach the high standards that Dublin had set, but it was always just banter.'
He said he was 'genuinely delighted' when Meath beat Dublin in the semi-final, bringing an end to nine consecutive defeats for the royals at the hands of the Dubs.
Support for the green and yellow has stretched as far and wide as Western Australia, where Greenwood GFC in Perth, which has several Meath members, has lined out in the royal colours.
'A home from home for the royal county Down Under. The fast-growing Perth club must have the largest Meath representation of any club overseas. This strong contingent of royals will be cheering on the county's men's and ladies' teams from afar on Sunday,' the club said.
Meanwhile, Navan DJ Andy Leech, a member of group Le Boom, has written a poem regaling tales of both the old and a new-look Meath GAA: 'We've heard of the days of old, the green and gold, the good old days, or so we are told… Old fellas will tell us, but I'm jealous my dad was a young fella in '87, it must have been heaven. But maybe there is something changing… maybe our day is coming.'
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