LEINSTER SFC QUARTER-FINAL:THE EARLY bolter for the GAA tale of 2011 is undoubtedly Meath.

And they are yet to play a championship match; that comes with their opening defence of their Leinster title this Sunday at Croke Park against Kieran McGeeney’s Kildare.

Yet recent events have many wondering about the state of football in the Royal County under Monaghan’s Séamus McEnaney.

Graham Geraghty’s return at 38 coupled with the departure of selectors Liam Harnan and Barry Callaghan in protest is the latest ripple of unrest since Seán Boylan’s 23-year reign concluded in August 2005.

The Boylan years continue to loom large over the county football team but the great man remains as genial and approachable as ever – especially when the topic is the sporting endeavours of his beloved Meath.

“Of the league the only thing you could say was the old battling spirit came back in the last two games,” Boylan told The Irish Times.

“I was disappointed for Séamus McEnaney that so many lads didn’t seem to be sparking. Maybe all the trauma of last year – the Louth match and then what happened against Kildare, it might have taken a lot out of lads.

“Hang on though,” he adds before slipping into a conversational mode that seems like he is addressing the current panel.

“You are young men, you earned your title, you earned your go at an All-Ireland quarter-final, you know?

“What generally happens is fellas try to impress their new manager in the league. Fellas haven’t appeared to do that.

“I wouldn’t be privy to what the training routine has been like. Maybe they have been training for championship all along. And if that is the case, they could be superb.”

McEnaney proved himself an expert motivator for much of the six years in charge of his native Monaghan.

The return of Geraghty seems to be his first major attempt to galvanise his new group of men on the eve of championship; an attempt to dip into the once feared Meath psyche by having a member of the old guard around training and, presumably, as an option to reinvigorate on-field performance should matters threaten to unravel late in a game.

Really though, McEnaney is attempting to gain control of a position that has been hopped from Eamon Barry (2007 - one season) to Colm Coyle (two seasons) and then Eamonn O’Brien (two seasons) before the Meath delegates went for an outsider, albeit one from just over the county border.

“I think Leinster is going to be very difficult to win,” Boylan continues. “Based on what has happened last year and against Cork in the league final I think Dublin will want to win Leinster again. I think they are going to be desperately difficult to beat.”

But he feels Kildare are best placed to achieve this. Anyone who is prepared to “swarm” around the Dubs can beat them, he says.

Envelope them with an intensity like his best Meath teams used to do it. Yet, despite lauding Kildare, he always sees positives in a Meath panel.

“I’m delighted to see the likes of Mark O’Sullivan and Ciarán Lennon and a few more of those lads in. Real good lads, real good lads.

“The one thing Meath would have been lacking a little bit would have been pace. They have a great ability to win the ball and kick the ball but when we are put on the back foot we seem to be in trouble. Now, Mickey Burke getting a terrible break last year and the feeling he hasn’t come back to where he was is a big loss to them.”

For Boylan an intriguing provincial championship ignites this coming weekend, especially considering the main contenders are all lumped together on one half of the draw.

“Laois have impressed me this year. The brand of football they have been playing, and the way they have been playing it, I think they are going to make it very difficult for anybody. They could spring a surprise in Leinster.

“Don’t discount Louth! Something can come from them yet.

“Kildare, though, are really a championship team now. I know Dermot (Earley) will be a colossal loss to them but they are an incredibly difficult team to beat.”