Meath Suffer Massive Blow As All-Star Nominee Ruled Out For The Season

Meath's preparations for Saturday's winner-takes-all clash against Derry have been dealt a devastating blow with the news that Ruairí Kinsella has suffered an ACL injury.

The Dunshaughlin forward will play no further part in the Royals' championship campaign after picking up the injury in training over the weekend.

The timing could hardly be worse for Robbie Brennan's side, who travel to Celtic Park knowing defeat will end their season.

Kinsella has been one of Meath's standout performers over the last 12 months and was nominated for an All-Star award last season following an impressive campaign.

He carried that form into 2026, playing a major role in Meath's successful Division 2 league campaign.

The forward scored 2-21 during the league as Meath secured promotion and appeared to be building momentum heading into the championship.

He was also among Meath's brightest performers in their most recent outing, scoring five points against Cork despite the Royals suffering defeat in Round 1 of the All-Ireland series.

The injury adds another layer of difficulty to what has already been a frustrating championship campaign for Meath.

After securing promotion from Division 2 earlier in the year, hopes were high that Brennan's side could build on that momentum.

However, their championship challenge has failed to ignite.

They suffered a surprise defeat to eventual Leinster champions Westmeath before falling to Cork in Round 1 of the All-Ireland series despite the Rebels playing much of the second-half with 14 men.

That result left Meath facing a do-or-die trip to Derry this weekend.

Now they must tackle that challenge without one of their most influential attackers.

Kinsella's absence leaves a significant hole in Meath's forward line, particularly given his scoring output throughout the league and championship.

For Meath, though, the immediate concern will be the loss of a player who had become central to their hopes of making a deep championship run.

What had already looked a difficult task in Celtic Park has become significantly harder.