The whole country has been warned

Gold does not rust. A timeless scene fell across Croke Park yesterday as Meath, the eternal winners, solemnly set about dousing Kildare's white fire. They succeeded, of course. Yes, Meath won, 1-16 to 1-11.

All week, we were gripped by the rumours that their great falling, their eclipse, was imminent. The Boylan elixir, went the word, ran dry with the turn of the century. Meath, so long granite boys of summer, were running on empty. We were promised as much. Kildare - the commuter county, athletic and eager and the reigning Leinster champions - had unfinished dreams to tend to. This new time was theirs. Meath were not meant to win here. When will we learn?

They left us with the old sense of envy and wonderment yesterday. The simpler they spin it, the more profound it all appears. What is Meath? Why is Meath?

The answers were, as ever, wrapped up in the 70 minutes. To see them on the old ground, ravenous as ever, still finding a way. This time out, the Royals found daylight through a penalty. As usual, it came from nothing. Up 0-12 to 0-11 after 57 minutes, Meath were presented with a free around the 50 metre line.

Trevor Giles ambled up and held the ball in one hand, staring off into the middle distance like a man appreciating a fine view. Last year when Meath - then the All-Ireland champions - were ousted by Offaly on a dusty day in the half-constructed Croke Park, Giles famously quipped that no one would want to win an All-Ireland on a building site anyway.

The aesthetics of the stands must have been more pleasing yesterday. Giles's great radar was not as prominent as usual but one flash did it. Spying Richie Kealy on a run, he threaded a quick ball through and Kildare's nouveau defence collapsed around the wiry attacker. Penalty. Giles ambled up to the Canal End, the scene of his previous penalty woes.

"Ah yeah, the All-Ireland final in '99, I suppose, against Cork I missed one all right," he mused quietly afterwards.

But not now. Giles hunched over the placed ball as Kildare goalkeeper Christy Byrne danced on his line as if his life depended on it. Christy was still hot-stepping when Giles drove the ball lowly, perfectly, into the corner.

"It's nice to get the odd one. If I missed today, they'd be lookin' for someone else. I suppose it was at the back of my mind. Ah, you're a great fella when you get them and when you miss you're a villain. So, it gave us a nice cushion, I suppose."

In truth, it had looked ominous for Mick O'Dwyer's injury-ridden Kildare side before that. Padraig Brennan and Brian Lacey flickered nobly for the champions but things went against them.

Ken Doyle, the veteran in a novice Lilywhite defence, was sent off along with Paddy Reynolds on 47 minutes after the pair unwisely got into a tangle. Meath rejoiced in the newly opened land. Graham Geraghty reminded the world that he still possesses the feet of an angel, floating two beautiful points with the scores poised at 0-11 each.

Beside him, Ollie Murphy tortured Kildare's back three all afternoon, crafting four points from play. Back the field, it was equally impressive. Nigel Crawford touched the heavens from midfield. Cormac Murphy embodied all the classic Meath defensive qualities. He was hardly bettered for a ball. There was some magic with them. Ray McGee trotted in for Nigel Nestor only to be shuffled off by a fussy linesman. Nestor, gladly settling into his seat, hared back on to the field and fired his only point. Seconds later, he was off again, delighted.

Meath's old essence was back and now the world knows it. "Yeah, the old buzz," said Giles. "Certainly we finished strong and everyone was fighting very hard for the ball at the end and that's when we are at our best.

"We needed to be. If we had to blow our cover, well, that's it. At this stage, everyone knows everything about us anyway so there is no cover, really. Just good to see the old buzz is back."

Just like that. Contented, they ambled out of the Pale and down the main road to the heartland. Another great rumble beckons now, against Dublin.

"It'll be another ding-dong battle. Always was, always will be" predicted Amrk O'Reilly.

Kildare may live awhile yet. Next Saturday, they host Donegal in their back yard, the loser's consolation.

But across the country, the old fear is rising. Sean Boylan is smiling again. Meath are back. To think we believed they ever went away.