{{Short description|Meath Gaelic footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=March 2024}} '''Mathew Costello''' (born 2001/2002)<ref name=expects/> is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for Dunshaughlin and the Meath county team. A forward, his performances for Meath led to his selection as the 2023 Tailteann Cup Footballer of the Year.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/meaths-mathew-costello-tailteann-cup-footballer-of-the-year-as-carlows-martin-kavanagh-gets-joe-mcdonagh-version/a2121247802.html|title=Meath's Mathew Costello Tailteann Cup Footballer of the Year|work=Irish Independent|first=Colm|last=Keys|date=27 October 2023}}</ref>
Costello formerly captained the Meath under-20 county team.<ref name=expects>{{cite news|url=https://www.meathchronicle.ie/2024/10/18/costello-expects-tough-final-to-go-down-to-the-wire/|title=Costello expects tough final to go down to the wire|work=Meath Chronicle|first=Fergal|last=Lynch|date=18 October 2024|quote=When you talk to Mathew Costello it defies the logic in your brain that he is only 22 years-old.}}</ref> As of 2024, he was vice-captain of the Meath senior team.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2024/10/20/meath-sfc-final-mathew-costello-digs-deep-to-drive-dunshaughlin-to-first-title-in-22-years/|title=Meath SFC Final: Mathew Costello digs deep to drive Dunshaughlin to first title in 22 years|work=The Irish Times|first=Paul|last=Keane|date=20 October 2024}}</ref> With Dunshaughlin he won Division 1B in 2024, then helped the club to the 2024 Meath Senior Football Championship (a team first in 22 years) – scoring an important goal against Wolfe Tones in the final.<ref name=excellence/> Shortly before that he had given the ball away to Cian Ward, allowing Ward to score what appeared to be the decisive goal of the game.<ref name=excellence/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/mathew-costello-the-hero-as-dunshaughlin-end-long-wait-for-meath-glory/a1809091057.html|title=Mathew Costello the hero as Dunshaughlin end long wait for Meath glory|work=Irish Independent|first=Dermot|last=Crowe|date=20 October 2024}}</ref> Throughout the 2024 championship Costello scored 3–14 (including 0–8 in frees), and – at the season's conclusion – he was selected as Footballer of the Year.<ref name=excellence>{{cite news|url=https://www.meathchronicle.ie/2024/11/28/meath-gaa-awards-recognise-excellence-on-various-fronts/|title=Meath GAA awards recognise excellence on various fronts|work=Meath Chronicle|date=28 November 2024}}</ref>
He scored Meath's goal in the 2025 Leinster Senior Football Championship final.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2025/0513/1512652-costello-the-hooter-changes-your-thought-process/|title=Mathew Costello: The hooter changes your thought process at the end of games|publisher=RTÉ|first=Conor|last=Neville|date=14 May 2025}}</ref> Meath lost.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2025/0511/1512235-louth-land-leinster-crown-to-end-68-year-famine/|title=Louth land Leinster crown to end 68-year famine|publisher=RTÉ|date=11 May 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Costello, Mathew}} Category:2000s births Category:Living people Category:Dunshaughlin Gaelic footballers Category:Meath inter-county Gaelic footballers
{{Meath-Gaelic-football-bio-stub}}