Colm O’Rourke told Meath delegates that he sees no reason why the county can’t become “the Kerry of the East,” as he was unveiled before the clubs following his recent appointment.
In a rousing address at Navan O’Mahonys, O’Rourke stated that Meath is “a wonderful county.”
He went on to say that Meath people were proud that others viewed their All-Ireland winning teams of the 1980s and 1990s as “ignorant and physical,” and that he intended to restore those qualities to the current crop.
Read more: Colm O'Rourke admits Meath job was now or never
O’Rourke, who was appointed for a three term with a review after two seasons, insisted Meath should not accept standards any less than Kerry, Dublin, Tyrone and Galway.
“Meath people stood for something in the past,” he said in closing his speech to delegates.
“Some people would have said they stood for ignorance and dirty hoeurs and physical and anything else and Meath people were proud of that and we intend to put that back again.”
The former RTE pundit continued: “I am around long enough to have seen successful Meath teams.
“I was fortunate enough, along with Gerry McEntee, who is here tonight, to have been part of a great team in the 80s and we also had a great group in the 90s.
“We have a great tradition and history of football in Meath. It’s a wonderful county. We have fantastic clubs. We have wonderful people involved.
“I have always said that I could not understand why Meath could not be the Kerry of the East. I don’t see why we can’t.
“We have huge numbers. We have great enthusiasm. We have a passion for the game, which is the equivalent of anywhere else, including Dublin, or Kerry, or Galway or Tyrone.
“And we shouldn’t accept our standards to be any less than those.
“So that’s the bar we set and I’m sure it’s the same thing every manager who came to a County Board (meeting) since Sean Boylan said.
“This is what we are going to do and this is what we aspire to but we have to aspire to that.
“But those sort of words that I speak tonight, they are not of any value if we don’t carry it out.
“So I want to see a Meath team going to Croke Park with aspirations to win, with people wanting to support the team.
“That we get back the passion that was there among supporters through all my time playing football. That we see big crowds out for the league matches starting next February.
“That we see kids on the streets wearing Meath jerseys, and that we can go to play anybody.”
O’Rourke believes the younger generation of Meath players have been “burdened by maybe the weight of expectation and our own traditions in the past.”
He continued: “But every team must make their own tradition. Every team must build their own history and we want to start that straight away.
“It’s going to be a great and enjoyable voyage. I am quite sure everybody will give us great support in doing that.
“It will be a rocky road. There will be plenty of bumps on the way and we are going to have a review in two years time.
“I hope in two years time we will be significantly improved from what we are now.”
O’Rourke praised all the managers who had followed in Sean Boylan’s footsteps but struggled for success.
“I’d like to say too that we have had a lot of very, very committed people who have managed the team over the last 20 years an through no fault of their own they haven’t had success,” he continued.
“It wasn’t that they didn’t put in the effort. They did.
“Sometimes it took a lot out of them because they were so concerned and so worried and so honest about it.”
The double All-Ireland winning player indicated that he was still finalising his management team, which currently features former Meath forwards Stephen Bray and Barry Callaghan, as well as Boylan in an advisory capacity.
READ NEXT:
-
Antrim ace Grainne McLaughlin says match-winning display was down to harsh team talk at half-time
-
Kieran McGeeney to remain as Armagh manager after agreeing one-year extension
-
West Belfast GAA club pay tribute to popular clubman Jimmy Diamond
-
All-Ireland final loss inspired Antrim to go one better this year says Emma Kelly
-
New Down boss Conor Laverty shouldn't have to ease tension with Kilcoo players
Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox.
