New dad Adam Flanagan celebrates with cup - after missing Meath semi for birth

But Flanagan returned to the team for Sunday's final against Ratoath and showed no sign of any baby blues as Summerhill clinched a ninth title.

Flanagan and his wife, Jennifer, made more memories afterwards when they got a prized snap of Isla in the Keegan Cup.

A fortnight earlier, the drama was just beginning at the National Maternity Hospital on Holles Street.

"It was about an hour before the semi-final that she arrived," said Flanagan, reflecting on his daughter's arrival. "Jen, my wife, woke me up earlier saying, 'I have news here, there's definitely something happening', so up we went to the hospital.

"I rang the manager and told him, 'Look, I'm probably not going to make this game if things progress as they are'. Fair play to the lads, they dug in against Dunshaughlin. They dug me out of a hole because I felt awful not being there. I remember kind of testing the water with the nurses in there, 'Should I be playing this game? I have a game at four'. But they were like, 'No...'. Ah, I was never going to go anywhere. I wasn't going to miss that."

Flanagan, an All-Ireland minor finalist in 2012, had his hands full before Sunday's game too.

"About 10 to 12, we were just leaving, and she does one into the nappy!" he smiled. "So you're changing the nappy before you go out. You only get to think of the game itself when you're there, which is good, because it allowed me to come in completely relaxed. Ah it's great, I can't get over it, how it all worked out."

Flanagan and Man of the Match Adam McDonnell lorded it for Summerhill at midfield against Paul Galvin's Ratoath. Between them, they pounced on anything that resembled a breaking ball while Flanagan chimed in with some outstanding fetches too.

Fatigue wasn't an issue and Flanagan said: "In fairness to Jen, she gave me the spare room for the two nights beforehand, so I slept very well. I got eight hours on the Friday night and 10 hours the night before the game, while she was up slaving away. She took one for the team there.

"The first week was rough but Dave Clare (Summerhill manager) was very good on the football side. I didn't train until the Friday. It took my mind off the final and coming into it I was completely relaxed. Win or lose, you know what you have waiting at home for you and it's great."

Meath manager Robbie Brennan sat in the main stand watching Sunday's final, along with new coach Aaron Kernan.

Flanagan must have impressed them and has plenty of inter-county experience having started Championship games in 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019.

But a Royal County comeback for 2026 doesn't look likely.

"I did my time," said Flanagan, an All-Ireland junior finalist against Kerry in 2017. "I didn't overly enjoy my time if I'm being honest. A lot of that was down to you'd be starting one week, or you'd come on, and then you wouldn't see the pitch maybe the next week.

"I wasn't playing regularly. Being honest, it's not worth your while if you're not playing, with the amount of commitment.

"Now, that was under a different setup. This new setup looks really good with Robbie Brennan and the lads. But no, it's two different stages of my life. I'm very busy with work, a daughter now as well, and I'm just very content with the level of football here with Summerhill.

"It's a great mix of really good football and then if you need to miss a session here or there, that's okay. In fact, if you need to miss a semi-final you can do that too! But no, content now."

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