A century of Gaelic football championships ended with another Meath All-Ireland win in Croke Park yesterday as Cork's dreams of a "double" fell asunder in the final minutes of a tense, absorbing final.
Some 63,276 fans chewed nails as the lead wavered throughout a gritty 70 minutes before Meath steeled themselves to win on a scoreline of 1-11 to 1-8.
The game was preceded by a political protest from Dr David Hickey, a member of the 1974 Dublin team being honoured, who displayed an "End Cuban Blockade" slogan on his white shirt.
It was a departure from an otherwise predictable afternoon. The image of contented Meath fans streaming out of the capital on September Sundays is quickly losing all elements of novelty.
Rarely did prettiness or elegance interfere with the contest. Ultimately, the game was defined by an unflinching sense of purpose from both sides. Meath - as is their habit on days of this significance - profited when it mattered most.
They took their fans on a rollercoaster ride first, however. Trevor Giles spurned a penalty at the start of the second half and five minutes later Cork's Joe Kavanagh ghosted through the defence to blast a goal that might have shaken lesser teams.
Cork had travelled to the capital burdened with talk of a football win to match the hurling triumph of a fortnight ago. The feat was last achieved a decade ago, by the same county, and for quite a while Larry Tompkins's young charges looked to have the guile and temerity to emulate that.
Ten years ago, Tompkins was man of the match as Dinny Allen lifted the Sam Maguire for Cork. Yesterday, he was forced to watch from the sideline while Allen spent the afternoon stewarding the fairways in Brookline as Europe lost the Ryder Cup.
Golf, though, was far from Meath minds as evening fell. Sean Boylan marched triumphantly into the dressing room alongside Mattie Gilsenan, who captained the Royals in the 1939 All-Ireland final. Past mingling with present, proud history vibrant and well.
