Family affair at the Meade household in Ballyshannon with Donegal facing Galway

Former Galway footballer and hurler Sean Meade at his home in Ballyshannon today with his daughter Grace, who captained the Donegal senior ladies team in the 1990's. Photo: Thomas Gallagher

placeholder image — Former Galway footballer and hurler Sean Meade at his home in Ballyshannon today with his daughter Grace, who captained the Donegal senior ladies team in the 1990's. Photo: Thomas Gallagher

On Sunday, Donegal play Galway for a place in the showpiece for Sam Maguire, with Sean Meade from his Ballyshannon base, including daughter Grace, due to keep a keen eye on developments on Sunday at Croke Park

Sean Meade knows a thing or two about All-Ireland finals.

On Sunday, Donegal play Galway for a place in the showpiece for Sam Maguire, with Meade from his Ballyshannon base, including daughter Grace, due to keep a keen eye on developments on Sunday at Croke Park.

Ballinasole native Meade was centre-back on Galway's famous All-Ireland winning three-in-a-row side of 1964-66. A dual player, he won Connacht SFC titles in 1959, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1966, as well as the National League Division 1 in 1965.

In 1968, he moved to Ballyshannon, employed by the ESB as a Mechanical Supervisor, still living on the Belleek Road. Lining out for the Ballyshannon-Bundoran amalgamation, Meade played for Donegal in the 1969 Ulster championship.

Grace captained Donegal and at this year's Ulster LGFA final was one of the team honoured having won the Inter-provincial tournament, the Mick Talbot Cup 25 years ago, in 1999, when Ulster beat Coannacht in the final on a scoreline of 2-15 to 2-10. She is the manager of the Central Hotel Donegal Town's Leisure Centre, and coaches the Donegal Dragons Rowing Club at at Ballyshannon Marlins Swim Club.