Louth2014 by Lynn Group Media

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A look back at 2013

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

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Best Wishes To Louth GAA In 2014

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Club

ANNAGHMINNON ROVERS ......... 304 CLAN NA GAEL ............................150

COOLEY KICKHAMS ................... 288 CUCHULLAIN GAELS .................. 282

DOWDALLSHILL ......................... 202 DREADNOTS ................................ 348 DUNDALK GAELS ....................... 214

GERALDINES ............................... 102 GLEN EMMETS ............................ 249

GLYDE RANGERS......................... 332 HUNTERSTOWN ROVERS ............ 144 JOHN MITCHELS ........................ 164 KILKERLEY EMMETS ...................244

KNOCKBRIDGE ........................... 136

LANNLEIRE ................................. 309 MATTOCK RANGERS .................. 323 NA PIARSAIGH ............................ 140

NAOMH FIONNBARRA ................ 295 NAOMH MAIRTIN ..........................316

NAOMH MALACHI ........................ 187 NAOMH MONINNE ....................... 175 NEWTOWN BLUES ...................... 168

O’CONNELLS ............................... 238 OLIVER PLUNKETTS ...................133

O’RAGHALLAIGHS ...................... 264 PEARSE OG ................................. 160 ROCHE EMMETS ......................... 370 SEAN McDERMOTTS ...................364

SEAN O’MAHONYS ..................... 222 STABANNON PARNELLS ............ 156

ST BRIDES .................................. 180 ST FECHINS ................................ 192 ST JOSEPHS ............................... 197

ST KEVINS ...................................128

ST MARYS, ARDEE ...................... 338

ST MOCHTAS .............................. 254 ST NICHOLAS ..............................300 ST PATRICKS .............................. 356 WESTERNS ................................. 218 WOLFE TONES ............................ 114

YOUNG IRELANDS ...................... 230

County

editor’s welcome .............................. 2 senior Football ................................. 4 senior Hurling ................................ 14 Adrian reid ..................................... 20 Diarmuid Murphy ............................ 24 Ciara O’Connor ............................... 28 Cic saor ........................................... 33 Junior Football ............................... 34 Club Football Team of the Year ..... 37 Diarmuid McCarthy ........................ 40 Cul Camps ...................................... 42 Nicky Mackin .................................. 55 Aidan O’rourke .............................. 56 Under 21 Football ........................... 60 supporters Club Awards ............... 64 Minor Football ................................ 66 referee’s Awards ........................... 72 Friends We Lost ............................. 74 William englishby .......................... 85 Ardee Cs ......................................... 89 Terry McQuillan .............................. 92 Ladies Football ............................... 96 Ango Courtney ............................. 113 Joe rice ......................................... 117 sean Gogarty ................................ 120 John Doyle .................................... 122 Pat Landy ...................................... 206 Lisa Judge ..................................... 211 Peter Conlon ................................. 226 Matthews Coach Hire ................... 234 eoghan Judge .............................. 258 kate Flood ..................................... 261 Paul Levins ................................... 268 Colortrend ..................................... 274 Michael Coyle ............................... 280 Trevor Giff ..................................... 286 Tony kieran ................................... 353 robbie Matthews .......................... 376 Crowne Plaza ................................ 380 Oliver Ginty ................................... 385 Gary Myles .................................... 388 Jim Thornton ................................ 392 Tom Thornton ............................... 395 Anthony Monaghan ...................... 398

LOUTH GAA YeArbOOk Wee COUNTY

Published by Lynn Group Media Kells Business Park, Kells, Co Meath

Telephone: (046) 9241923 Fax (046) 9241926 email: contact@lynngroupmedia.com Website: www.hoganstand.com

CONTribUTOrs Gerald Robinson Shane Corrigan Stephen Reilly Eunan Whyte Randal Scally

The opinions expressed in Wee County do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, publishers or their agents. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this publication is correct, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors that may appear.

Editors designed_Layout 1 18/12/2013 17:42 Page 1

EDITOR’S FOREWORD Hard to believe another year has flown by so quickly. Yet, here we are again in December, reflecting on another hectic season for Louth GAA.

It is my great pleasure to introduce the latest edition. In the pages that follow, we reflect on the events that shaped the year for Louth GAA, with input from those who contributed most to a fantastic season. On the intercounty front, it was Aidan O’Rourke’s first year in charge and Louth made great strides under the Armagh man, whose meticulous preparations are proving extremely popular with the players. The Leinster SFC victory over Laois in Portlaoise was the highlight of the year for the county seniors … and one can’t escape the hunch that there could be a lot more where that came from!

Newtown Blues returned to the top of the pile within the county, storming to a record-breaking 20th Joe Ward Cup success by beating Cooley Kickhams on county final day. Hunterstown Rovers and Geraldines claimed the JFC and IFC titles respectively, with both clubs going on to contest Leinster finals thereafter. While Rovers were edged out by Two Mile House of Kildare, the Gers recorded a stunning replay victory over Naomh Olaf (Dublin) to take home the silverware. This represents a stunning achievement for the progressive HaggardstownBlackrock club, who also captured the Division Two league title and MFC crown in 2013. In the county SHC, Pearse Og retained the Paddy Kenny Cup with another great victory over Knockbridge in the decider. There were to be no Croke Park

appearances for either the Louth hurlers or the ladies footballers in 2013 but confidence is high that both groups can rebound in style next year as their quests for AllIreland honours continue unabated. I’d like to acknowledge everyone who made this publication possible – writers, photographers, researchers, interviewees and club contributors. Not forgetting the players themselves, who put their bodies on the line for love of club and parish. Sponsors and advertisers also contribute enormously to ‘Wee County’ each year and these in turn are deserving of your support. Finally and regrettably, many great Louth gaels passed away during the course of the year. We dedicate this publication to them.

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SENIOR FOOTBALLERS

HALFWAY HOUSE

outh won almost half of their competitive matches during the 2013 calendar year, including a first win in the Qualifiers since 2007. Not exactly an earthshattering record but - bearing in mind that it was the first year under new manager Aidan O’Rourke and that the current Wee County side is therefore a work in progress - it wasn’t a bad return either. All in all, the signs were encouraging as progress was made and the players started to buy into the new regime’s philosophy. Ideally, however, we’d like to have witnessed a few more victories – especially in the championship! Louth’s record for the year from 15 competitive outings was seven wins, two draws and six defeats. Not quite enough to strike fear into the hearts of prospective opponents in 2014 but nonetheless far from a disaster. Crucially, Division Two status was retained and the Reds showed what they were capable of when scoring a particularly impressive ten-point victory

over Laois in the first round of the Leinster SFC at Portlaoise. But, such heady days proved few and far between (the league win over Armagh was arguably the only other positive result of real note) and Louth came up well short of reaching the provincial final, despite being pitted on the so-called easier side of the draw. Their Qualifier campaign never really got off the ground, either, and their early-season run to the semi-final stage of the O’Byrne Cup was marred by a heavy victory therein. All things considered, it was the first year of a new regime and even the greatest journeys must begin with one step. The team was in transition and some exciting new talent was unearthed. That’s the positive side of the argument. The negative side is that the season offered nothing at all to write home about! Louth’s 2013 victories were achieved at the expense of UCD and Longford in the O’Byrne Cup; Galway, Armagh and Longford in the league; and Laois and Antrim in the championship.

Defeats were suffered at the hands of Dublin the O’Byrne Cup semi-final; Westmeath, Wexford and Derry in the Spring competition; and Wexford and Kildare in the championship. The two draws were against Meath in the O’Byrne Cup and Laois in the league.

O’Byrne Cup New manager Aidan O'Rourke took charge of Louth for the first time in a competitive game on Sunday, January 7th and the former Armagh star would have been reasonably content as his charges scored a 2-15 to 1-13 victory over UCD in the O'Byrne Cup at Drogheda. Darren Clarke bagged 1-7 for an experimental Wee County and a 0-11 to 1-8 draw with Meath followed at Navan on Thursday, January 10th. The group stage concluded with a 117 to 0-9 victory over Longford at Drogheda three days later, a result which secured a semi-final date with Dublin by virtue of score difference Louth had home advantage for their 2013 O’Byrne Cup semi-final and there was plenty of excitement generated by the visit of Dublin to Drogheda, even if

Brian White gets away from the challenge of UCD’s Niall Kilroy in the O’Byrne Cup

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it was still winter! Alas, a 4-15 to 0-10 drubbing left Wee County fans feeling frustrated – not really the sort of result any team wants to be on the wrong end of … against any opposition … or at any time of year! Bernard Brogan ran riot, helping himself to 2-7, including a brace of goals inside the opening ten minutes, which propelled the visitors into an unassailable 2-2 to 0-1 lead. Eoin O Conghaile and Paul Hudson added further first-half goals for Jim Gavin’s side and they led by a whopping 4-8 to 0-7 at half time. Louth failed to raise a flag during the closing 22 minutes as their subsidiary competition campaign ended with barely a whimper. It was hardly the end of the world, though, as the real business would start when the national football league got underway. Louth (2013 O’Byrne Cup semi-final V Dublin): S Connor; J Carr, B Mulligan, J Bingham; A Reid, L Shevlin, D Byrne; C Rafferty (0-1), R Carroll; R Moore, J McEneaney (0-5), S McCann (0-1); D Reid (0-2), E O'Connor, D O'Connor (0-1). Subs: J O’Brien for Moore, G Hoey for Mulligan, D Crilly for Byrne, P Sheelan for McCann, C McGuinness for Rafferty.

National football league The most positive aspect of Louth’s year was that they held onto their Division Two status, garnering exactly half of the points available to them courtesy of three wins, a draw and three defeats from seven outings. They kicked off with a disappointing 0-16 to 2-9 defeat to 14man Westmeath at Mullingar on Sunday, February 3rdbut followed this up with a fantastic six-point defeat of Galway – 0-17 to 0-11 - at the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday, February 23rd. Somehow, they managed to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory in Portlaoise, where the final scoreline read Laois 1-17 Louth 2-14 on Saturday, March 2nd. With three points on the board out of a possible six, promotion to the top flight still remained an attainable objective. The fourth outing of the campaign at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday March 10th - resulted in a worrying 2-

13 to 2-9 defeat to Wexford but – with relegation now looming menacingly on the horizon, the Reds bounced back in style with a superb 1-12 to 1-10 victory over neighbours Armagh at the Athletic Grounds on Saturday, March 16th. They weren’t out of the woods, yet, however, and a 2-14 to 1-11 reversal at the hands of Derry at the O’Raghallaighs on Sunday, March 24thconfirmed that Louth were no longer in the promotion picture and also plunged them deeper into relegation danger. The bottom line was that a victory over pointless Longford in the last round at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday April 7th would be enough

Louth manager Aidan O'Rourke

to guarantee survival and Aidan O’Rourke’s charges duly obliged with a deserved six-point success, 1-14 to 1-8. While they never really threatened to move up to Division One, relegation was also staved off quite comfortably in the end, even if it did go down to the last game for a second successive season. Ultimately, Aidan O’Rourke’s charges got what they deserved from the league – survival. Louth kicked off their league campaign by losing a game they should have won – against 14-man Westmeath at Cusack Park, Mullingar. The Lake County were a man down

from the 20th minute after Doran Harte received his marching orders in an uncompromising game that also saw 18 yellow cards dished out by referee Gary McCormack. Adrian Reid and Colm Judge found the net in the first half as the Wee County led by 2-4 to 0-7 at the break, having played with the wind at their backs. It took Jim McEneaney only 20 seconds to raise the first flag of the day and Reid had the ball in the net as early as the seventh minute, firing past Gary Connaughton from a tight angle after a spirited raid forward. Judge grabbed his major when reacting quickest after Shane Lennon’s free struck an upright and Harte was dismissed for a hefty challenge on McEneaney. Westmeath landed the last three points of the opening period but the visitors edged five ahead shortly after the restart. Buoyed by the introduction of Dessie Dolan, the Lake County gradually took control and three unanswered John Heslin scores in the final five minutes consigned Louth to a disappointing defeat. Louth (NFL V Westmeath): N Gallagher; P Rath, D Finnegan, J O’Brien; G Hoey, D Crilly, A Reid (1-1); R Carroll, B Donnelly; A McDonnell (0-1), J McEneaney (0-2), C Rafferty; C Judge (1-0), S Lennon (0-4), K Rogers. Subs used: D Reid (0-1) for Judge, P Keenan for Carroll, R Finnegan for Rafferty, G O’Hare for Rath, P Smith for Rogers. Aidan O’Rourke’s charges bounced back in style with a moraleboosting 0-17 to 0-11 win over Galway in a re-fixed match at Drogheda. The teams shared 16 points during an exciting opening 35 minutes but the Wee County upped their performance thereafter to record a vital win as the snow fell to ground and the Tribesmen were sent packing, managing to score just three times after the restart. Mark Brennan, Padraig Smith, Paddy Keenan, Andy McDonnell, Adrian Reid and Shane Lennon were all on target as the winners led by 0-6 to 0-5 after 19 minutes, while Lennon and Brian White added to the home side’s tally before the short whistle.

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The starting XV that defeated Laois in the Leinster SFC, front l/r: Padraig Rath, Derek Crilly, Adrian Reid, Brian White, Derek Maguire, Ciaran Byrne, Andy McDonnell, John O'Brien. Back: Neil Gallagher, Brian Donnelly, John Bingham, Conor Rafferty, Shane Lennon, Paddy Keenan, Dessie Finnegan

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After the restart, Brian White and substitute Ciaran Byrne edged the Wee County into a lead that they would preserve until the final whistle, with Keenan, White and substitute Derek Maguire (2) pointing to put the gloss on a superb success. Louth (NFL V Galway): N Gallagher; J O’Brien, D Finnegan, G Hoey; C McGuinness, D Crilly, A Reid (0-1); P Keenan (0-3), M Fanning; A McDonnell (0-1), M Brennan (0-1), B White (0-4); P Smith (0-1), S Lennon (0-3), K Rogers. Subs: B Donnelly for Fanning, C Byrne (0-1) for Rogers, D Maguire (0-2) for Smith, R Carroll for Lennon, L Shevlin for Finnegan. At Portlaoise in Round Three, Louth

Others would argue that they had thrown away the other three points! They had certainly been in winning positions at both Mullingar and Portlaoise. Louth (NFL V Laois): N Gallagher; R Carroll (0-1), D Finnegan, G Hoey; J O’Brien, D Crilly (0-1), A Reid (0-1); P Keenan, M Fanning; A McDonnell (11), B Donnelly, B White (0-4); P Smith, S Lennon (0-3), K Rogers (1-3). Subs: D Maguire for Smith; C McGuinness for Fanning; C Rafferty for Lennon; D Clarke for Carroll; D Reid for Rogers. Wexford were next up and Louth fell to their second home defeat of the year when the Model County scored a four-point success at Drogheda, 2-13

yth during 's Colm P. Sm with Longfordgame in Drogheda an eg nn Fi Dessie Division 2 the Allianz FL

looked on course to record back-toback wins when leading Laois by five points well into the second half but they let the O’Moore County off the hook in a match that finished allsquare, 2-14 to 1-17. Andy McDonnell and Kevin Rogers registered the Louth goals in the second half to propel them into a seemingly-unassailable 2-13 to 1-11 lead at the end of the third quarter but, with Shane Lennon gone off injured, Justin McNulty’s men recovered well and almost nicked both points at the death. Louth had therefore recorded three points from their first three games. A respectable return, some might say.

John O'Brien

gets the bette

to 2-9. Yet again, the Wee County looked to have put themselves in pole position but they relinquished a commanding lead and led their opponents right back into the game Victory would have left the home team still very much in the promotion race but defeat meant that it was realistically a relegation battle they had to focus on for the remainder of the league. Conor Rafferty’s 50th-minute major had propelled Louth into 2-8 to 2-4 lead but – playing into a strong wind they managed just one more point in the closing 20 minutes while the Slaneysiders clipped over an additional eight to win with plenty to

spare. Losing Shane Lennon to a second yellow card certainly didn’t help. The Kilkerley Emmets clubman had opened the scoring with a point but the concession of two goals inside the first ten minutes left Louth chasing the game from the off. Lennon fisted a goal before points from Brian Donnelly, Adrian Reid, Brian White and Kevin Rogers left the hosts ahead by 1-7 to 2-2 at the short whistle. Rafferty’s goal raised brief hope that Louth could go on to claim a vital win but it wasn’t to be. Louth (NFL V Wexford) N Gallagher; G O'Hare, D Finnegan, G Hoey; J O’Brien, D Crilly, A Reid (0-1); P

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Keenan (0-1), B Donnelly (0-1); A McDonnell, S Lennon (1-1), B White (0-3); D Maguire, P Smith, K Rogers (0-2). Subs: Conor McGuinness for Finnegan, C Byrne for Smith, M Brennan for Rogers, C Rafferty (1-0) for Maguire, D Reid for O’Hare. Six days later, on Saturday March 16th, the Wee County finished in style at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh, clipping over the last three points at the end of a niggly affair to beat the Orchard County by 1-12 to 1-10. Having failed to finish three of their previous four league outings strongly, this was a morale-boosting success. It had looked like a familiar story was about to unfold as Brian White missed

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Louth take to the field before the fantastic Leinster SFC win against Laois in Portlaoise

a late penalty and the 14 men of Armagh held on stubbornly to a onepoint late as we entered the closing minutes. But White redeemed himself to knock over the leveller from a free close to the sideline – despite a bit of ribbing from the opposition, which would later make the national headlines! – before Ciaran Byrne and Shane Lennon popped over late, late clinching points. Considering that both Paddy Keenan and John O’Brien had been forced to withdraw from the team at the eleventh hour and that GerryHoey was sent off five minutes from the end, this was a fantastic win. Adrian Reid, Shane Lennon and Brian Donnelly were the Louth scorers as the sides shared six points during the opening quarter. After Armagh hit the crossbar, Derek Crilly added a fourth Louth point and Adrian Reid stole forward and slotted a goal to make it 1-4 to 0-3. But the northerners kept battling and it was 1-5 each at the interval, with White registering the Wee County’s fifth point. Armagh were reduced to 14 men not long after the restart but still led by 1-9 to 1-7 going into the final quarter,

despite Louth points from substitute Derek Maguire and Kevin Rogers. Louth drew level but White then sent his penalty wide before Armagh edged their noses back in front with time almost up. But the away team finished impressively to grant manager Aidan O’Rourke a victory over his native county. Louth (NFL V Armagh): N Gallagher; C McGuinness, D Finnegan, G Hoey; P Rath, D Crilly (0-1), A Reid (1-1); R Carroll, B Donnelly (0-1); A McDonnell, M Brennan, B White (0-2); D Clarke, S Lennon (0-3), K Rogers (0-2). Subs: D Maguire (0-1) for Clarke, J McEneaney for McGuinness, C Byrne (0-1) for Rogers. Whatever slim chances Louth had of forcing their way back into the promotion frame were eradicated when they lost to Derry by five points at Drogheda in their next outing, 2-14 to 1-12. The sending-off of Mark Brennan left the hosts – who were again without Paddy Keenan - playing most of the second half with 14 men and the Oak Leaf County took full advantage as Benny Heron’s late goal eventually saw them over the winning line.

Shane Lennon had given the losers an ideal start when he fired a firstminute penalty to the roof of the net after a foul on Ciaran Byrne, but Derry replied with a pointed free and a converted penalty of their own from James Kielt. The northerners pulled four clear before Kevin Rogers and Lennon pointed but Derry then stepped on the gas to lead by five at the short whistle. Louth had wind advantage in the second period but fell seven adrift and had Brennan sent to the line before mustering a sensational run of seven successive scores to tie things up. But two Eoin Bradley frees and Heron’s goal ensured that the 14 men trudged off the pitch empty-handed. Brennan wouldn’t feature again for Louth in 2013, opting to drop himself off the panel. Louth (NFL V Derry): N Gallagher; P Rath, D Finnegan, G Hoey; J O’Brien, D Crilly (0-1), A Reid; R Carroll, B Donnelly; A McDonnell, M Brennan, B White (0-2); C Byrne (0-1), S Lennon (1-5), K Rogers (0-1). Subs: D Maguire for Hoey, C Rafferty (0-1) for Carroll, D Clarke (0-1) for Rogers, J McEneaney for Byrne.

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After losing to Derry, there was still a possibility that Louth could have been relegated to Division Three but they assured themselves of another season in the second tier when defeating already-relegated Longford by 1-14 to 1-8 in their last league outing of 2013. The midlanders – who had lost all six of their previous outings – put up a determined effort and actually led by 16 to 1-4 at half time, but the Wee County outscored them by eight points to two upon the restart to claim two valuable points. Shane Lennon and Brian White were Louth’s scorers-in-chief, notching 1-10 between them, including a first-half penalty conversion from the Kilkerley attacker. The Wee County had the aid of the breeze in the second half and the returned Paddy Keenan floated over the leveller before a run of points from Lennon, Ciaran Byrne and Derek Crilly made it 1-9 to 1-6. Longford were held scoreless for the first 20 minutes of the second half and it was left to Lennon and White to fire over the last two points of Louth’s hit-and-miss 2013 national football league campaign. Louth (NFL V Longford): N Gallagher; P Rath, D Finnegan, J O’Brien; C

McGuinness, D Crilly (0-1), A Reid (01); R Carroll, B Donnelly; A McDonnell, C Rafferty, B White (0-6); D Maguire, C Byrne (0-1), S Lennon (1-4). Subs: G Hoey for McGuinness, P Keenan (01) for Carroll, J Califf for Rafferty, D Clarke for Maguire.

Championship Louth went into the championship on a bit of a high, having retained their Division Two status, but their summer campaign was also a bit of a mixed bag – two wins and two defeats from four outings in total; two in Leinster and two in the Qualifiers. The definite highlight of the year was the rather amazing 1-16 to 1-6 victory over Laois in the first round of the Leinster SFC at Portlaoise on Sunday, May 26th. This was an unbelievable win – an outstanding performance – but it also represented the only time all year that Louth managed to put wins back-to-back. The bubble was well and truly burst when they exited the provincial race at the quarter-final stage, losing to Wexford by a single point at Drogheda on Sunday June 9th, 2-13 to 1-15. The first-round Qualifier draw was reasonably kind to the Wee County

and, despite never being at their best at Drogheda on Saturday, June 29th, they nonetheless emerged with a 1-17 to 1-11 victory over Antrim. But the second-round draw was not so generous as it sent the Reds on the road to face Kildare in Newbridge on Saturday, July 13th. Louth actually led by 0-13 to 0-9 early in the second half and still held a one-point lead at the hour mark – but Kildare fired 1-5 without reply in the last ten minutes to win by 1-19 to 0-15. While it had never really been a seven-point game, Louth’s year was over all the same. The ten-point victory in O’Moore Park was nothing short of sensational. Brian White scored eight times and Shane Lennon registered 1-3 as Aidan O’Rourke got the better of his former Armagh team-mate Justin McNulty, who was in charge of Laois. The winners notched the first four points and then had overs from full back John Bingham and Lennon to lead by 0-6 to 0-1 after 14 minutes. In the 25th minute, Lennon palmed the ball past Eoin Culliton to the back of the net following brilliant approach work from Derek Maguire; Brian Donnelly lofted over the last point of the opening period as the Wee County

Andy McDonnell wins this ball ahead of Wexford's David Murphy during the Leinster SFC quarter final

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led by seven, 1-7 to 03, at the short whistle. Playing against the wind upon the restart, Louth refused to wilt and a couple of White ‘45’s followed by a great Paddy Keenan minor propelled the visitors into a ten-point lead with quarter of an hour remaining, 1-13 to 0-6. From there, the midlanders never looked like getting back into contention and Louth progressed most impressively for a quarter-final meeting with Wexford. Louth (Leinster SFC V Laois): N Gallagher; P Rath, J Bingham (01), A Reid (0-1); D Crilly, D Finnegan, J O’Brien; P Keenan (01), B Donnelly (0-1); A McDonnell, B White (0-8), C Rafferty; C Byrne, S Lennon (1-3), D Maguire. Subs: P Smith for Rafferty, K Rogers (0-1) for Byrne, C Judge for Maguire, R Carroll for McDonnell, C McGuinness for Finnegan. Considering the nature of that win over Laois, Louth now harboured genuine ambitions of reaching a second Leinster final in four years. They were on the perceived easier side of the draw and would get through to the provincial decider if they could account for Wexford and Meath.

Andy McDonnell has the beating of Meath's Darragh McNamara, Damien Carroll and Joe Sheridan in the O'Byrne Cup game at Pairc Tailteann

Surely not an impossibility? However, it all went pear-shaped when the Model County claimed their second win of the year at Drogheda, 2-13 to 115. A PJ Banville goal 20 minutes from time was the decisive score as it gave the visitors a seven-point cushion. To their credit, Louth battled back with great spirit but ultimately ran out of time. Shane Lennon’s sixth-minute goal had given Louth a 1-0 to 0-2 lead but Wexford got on top and deservedly led

Derek Crilly gains possession against Laois

by 1-10 to 1-5 at the break. Trailing by seven, the Wee Conty reeled off four successive points between the 50th and 57th minutes to reduce the arrears to four. After a Paddy Byrne point for the Model men, Shane Lennon, Andy McDonnell and White closed the gap to the minimum. Ben Brosnan doubled the difference again from a free and White knocked over another Louth point in stoppage time. John O’Brien was dismissed at the death as Louth’s Leinster run came to an abrupt end. Louth (Leinster SFC V Wexford): N Gallagher; P Rath, D Finnegan, J Bingham; D Crilly, J O’Brien, A Reid; P Keenan (0-2), B Donnelly; A McDonnell (0-1), B White (0-6), C Rafferty; C Byrne, S Lennon (1-5), D Maguire (0-1). Subs: C Judge for Byrne, P Smith for Donnelly, R Carroll for Rafferty, J McEneaney for Judge. Louth got their summer back in swing when they scored a 117 to 1-11 back-door victory over Antrim at Drogheda – their first Qualifier win in six years. This was a much closer match than the final scoreline suggests, with the northerners dominating at times, but the Wee County weathered the storm and finished strongly to seal their place in the second

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round of the Qualifiers. The hosts led by 1-7 to 0-6 at the break, thanks particularly to a 14thminute goal from impressive St Mochtas clubman Ciaran Byrne. Colm Judge got the winners up and running with the opening point into the hospital end and Byrne and Conor Murray then swapped points before Conor Rafferty put three between them. The Reds looked very comfortable when Byrne’s goal made it 1-4 to 0-1. But three Paddy Cunningham points had Antrim right back in contention.

Derek Maguire and Cunningham traded scores, as did Byrne and Michael Heron, and it was left to Shane Lennon to close the first-half scoring from a simple free. Lennon also provided the opening point of the second half and Brian White’s free made it double scores, 19 to 0-6. Louth looked to be coasting as substitutes Ronan Carroll and Ray Finnegan pointed to make it 1-11 to 07. But a 49th-minute Michael Pollock goal followed immediately by a Cunningham strike saw the gap come down to three again. Antrim could never get closer than three points,

though, and Louth finished with a flourish as late points from Carroll, Lennon, Rafferty and Paddy Keenan saw them safely through despite the sending-off of goalkeeper Neil Gallagher for a straight red card (for protesting with an umpire) near the end. Louth (Round One Qualifier V Antrim):N Gallagher; P Rath, D Finnegan (0-1), J Bingham; C McGuinness, D Crilly, A Reid; P Keenan (0-1), B Donnelly; C Rafferty (0-2), B White (0-2), C Judge (0-1); D

Shane Lennon gets away from Antrim's Paul Doherty

Maguire (0-1), S Lennon (0-5), C Byrne (1-2). Subs: R Finnegan for McGuinness, R Carroll (0-2) for Donnelly, D Clarke for Byrne, P Smith for Rafferty, J Flanagan for Clarke. At a scorching St Conleth’s Park on Saturday July 13th, it was unlucky for Louth as they fell to a 1-19 to 0-15 defeat to Kildare. The Lilywhites hit 15 without reply in the last ten minutes to end Louth’s interests in the 2013 championship. The hosts got off to a great start as Paul Cribbin, Padraig O’Neill and Johnny Doyle sent over early points. Colm Judge opened the Wee County's account from a free but

Kildare led by 0-4 to 0-1 after nine minutes. Points from Judge, Brian White and Ciaran Byrne (2) propelled Louth into the lead for the first time and a second run of four consecutive scores- again from Byrne (2), Judge and White - saw the visitors lead by 010 to 0-8 at the interval. Louth looked on course for the third round of the Qualifiers when White and Shane Lennon (2) accounted for three of the first scores of the second half. But the four-point lead was gone by the three-quarters stage and, even

though Byrne made it 0-15 to 0-14 in the 53rd minute, Louth failed to score again as seasoned Qualifier specialists Kildare finished strongly. Ray Finnegan had finally returned from a frustrating battle with injury to make his first start of the year, but Louth’s season was over. Louth (Round Two Qualifier V Kildare): S McCoy; P Rath, D Finnegan, J Bingham; D Crilly, J O’Brien, A Reid; P Keenan, C Rafferty; D Maguire, B White (0-4), R Finnegan (0-1); C Judge (0-3), S Lennon (0-2), C Byrne (0-5). Subs: C Bellew for Rath, R Carroll for Rafferty, G Hoey for R Finnegan, K Rogers for Maguire.

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SENIOR HURLERS

A YEAR FORGOT

wenty-thirteen was an extremely disappointing year for Louth hurling. Having contested the previous two Nicky Rackard Cup finals at Croke Park, the Wee County failed to make any impact in the ’13 competition, exiting tamely at the earliest possible stage after successive defeats to Tyrone and Roscommon. For a team accustomed to challenging for silverware at HQ in June, the mid-May exit was hard to take. In the previous eight years of the Nicky Rackard Cup’s existence, Louth had contested half of the finals. While silverware was not forthcoming in either 2005, ’08, ’11 or ’12, the Reds had at least got to savour the experience of playing in All-Ireland finals at Croke Park at the height of the summer.

As veritable competition specialists, they went into the 2013 campaign determined to finally get that monkey off their backs and bring home the third-tier championship. With both London and Armagh now playing at a higher level, the path seemed to be clear for a good run in the Nicky Rackard Cup. But few could have predicted the extent to which Louth’s hurlers would fail to deliver on the promise of previous campaigns. There may have been mitigating circumstances – including injuries and the extra 90 minutes of travelling to the quarter-final against the Rossies on May 18th – but Louth’s dismal championship performances still came as a bitter disappointment and a sobering surprise. Pat Clancy’s charges had finished third in Division 3A of the national hurling league despite losing just one of their five outings and amassing

seven points from a possible ten. Fingal and Donegal claimed the top two (promotion) places, with nine and eight points respectively. The Wee County – determined to put together a solid league campaign, from which they would then launch their championship assault - opened their Spring programme with a 1-12 to 0-15 draw with Fingal in Swords on Sunday, February 24th and followed this up with a 0-13 to 0-12 victory over Fermanagh at Dowdallshill a fortnight later, with Shane Fennell firing over a last-minute penalty to give the 13-man hosts an important win. On Saturday, March 16th, neighbours Monaghan were beaten at the St Brigid's Park venue, 2-13 to 0-11. Louth trailed by three points at the break but battled back for a deserved victory. However, the trip to Letterkenny on March 24th proved a bridge too far as

David Mahony gets the better of Monaghan and former Louth hurler Trevor Hilliard

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The senior hurling squad, front l/r: Gerard Smith, Mark Wallace, David Kettle, David Mahony, Padraig Egan, Shane Fennell, Diarmuid Murphy, Donal Rafferty, Nigel Stanley, Shane Callan, William Morrissey. Back: Andy McCrave, James Costello, Shane Maguire, Andrew Mackin, Gerry Rellis, Domhnall McArdle, Johnny Carter, Daire Kiernan, David Dunne, Darren O'Hanrahan, James Connolly, Gary O'Brien

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Gerard Smyth in action against Monaghan in the league game at St Brigid’s Park

Donegal romped to a twelve-point success in Round Four, 3-13 to 0-10. The winners of this match knew they would be ensured of a place in the 3A decider with a game to spare and the Reds fancied their chances, having beaten the north-westerners in both the league and championship in 2012. But it wasn’t to be and that result effectively ended the Wee County's promotion hopes as their fate was now out of their own hands (and they needed a Donegal win over Fingal in the last round, which was never likely to materialise…). However, they nonetheless closed out their league campaign in impressive fashion with a 5-11 to 0-15 victory over Tyrone in Strabane. It was the Red Hands who again provided the opposition for the Nicky Rackard Cup opener at Carrickmore on Saturday, May 4th. Having beaten the northerners by eleven points in the fifth round of the league, Louth fancied their chances despite having some injury problems – most notably the absence of full back Wesley Morrissey.

But they were shocked on the day, falling to a two-point loss to a side that had been competing in the Lory Meagher Cup only twelve months earlier. The 1-11 to 0-12 defeat was a real eye-opener for the Reds, who now went into the ‘back door’ route. Even though they managed to dodge a

David Dunne heads for the Monaghan goal

loser’s group game, they still had to play their quarter-final match against Roscommon away from home thereafter and duly exited the competition a fortnight later. Against Tyrone, favourites Louth roared into a four-point lead, with Brian Corcoran showing well in the scoring stakes, but conceded a goal just before the short whistle to trail by 1-5 to 0-5 at the interval. Diarmuid Murphy clipped over a series of impressive pointed frees in the second half but Louth could never quite get back on terms. At the final whistle, Louth were left ruing a wides tally that went into double figures but few could deny that Tom Magill’s resilient home side were full value for their surprise victory. Fielding something of a makeshift side due to injuries, the Wee County had finished strongly with a run of points from Domhnall McArdle and three superb Murphy frees to close the gap to the minimum with just a few minutes left. But Tyrone’s Sean Og Grogan delivered the last score of the

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match to send the visitors into the back-door route. Louth, 2013 Nicky Rackard Cup V Tyrone: James Connolly; Donal Rafferty, Johnny Carter, Mark Wallace; Domhnall McArdle (0-1), Shane Callan, Diarmuid Murphy (0-4); Darren O'Hanrahan, Nigel Stanley; Shane Fennell (0-2), Gerard Smyth, David Dunne; David Mahony, Andrew Mackin, Brian Corcoran (0-5). Subs: David Kettle, Andrew McCrave, Padraig Egan. As it transpired, Louth went straight through to the quarter-final stage anyway, despite losing their opening game. But they faced a tough test against Roscommon – away from home – on Saturday, May 18th. The Rossies had defeated the Wee County

in the 2011 decider and they prevailed again in terrible conditions at Ballyhaunis – 2-14 to 0-13. The match had been fixed originally for Athleague but – controversially – Roscommon declared that the pitch there was unplayable, which meant the game was moved to the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence. This was not a small matter as it added an extra 90 minutes to Louth’s journey on the morning of the game – now a four-anda-half-hour cross-country trek. Robbie Fallon’s first-minute goal gave the victors a perfect start and they led by 1-6 to 0-7 at the break. The visitors finished the opening period strongly with a run of points from David Dunne, David Mahony, top scorer Diarmuid Murphy and Brian Corcoran.

As Louth threatened to battle back into contention, Gerry Fallon killed them off with a goal from a penalty at the three-quarters stage. Defeat came as a major setback to Louth and this was compounded by word that they might have to contest a play-off to preserve their third-tier status, an eventuality which thankfully never materialised. Louth (2013 Nicky Rackard Cup V Roscommon): Johnny Carter; Donal Rafferty, Wesley Morrissey, Mark Wallace; Domhnall McArdle, Ronan Byrne, Derek Horan; David Dunne (01), Shane Callan (0-1); Shane Fennell, Nigel Stanley, David Kettle; David Mahony (0-2), Diarmuid Murphy 90-8), Brian Corcoran (0-2). Subs: Padraig Egan, Daire McKiernan.

Shane Fennell strikes as Fermanagh's Ryan Bogue looks on during the Allianz HL game

Ciaran Byren designed_Layout 1 11/12/2013 17:24 Page 1

Louthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loss is Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gain with Ciaran Byrne determined to make a career for himself in the AFL

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ADRIAN REID

BACK TO THE FUTURE

e caught up with the Wee County wing back, Adrian Reid, who started and finished every league and championship game Louth played during the year. Reid practically made the No.7 shirt his own in 2013 and is almost certain to feature prominently in his new role again in 2014. More renowned for his attacking prowess previously, Adrian Reid was deployed at wing half back by new Louth manager Aidan O’Rourke in 2013 and the Mattock Rangers ace had an excellent season in the Wee County colours, revelling in his new brief and posing a real goalscoring threat as he overlapped at pace and linked up intelligently with his teammates.

Relishing his new role in the team, Reid saw more game time than any other Louth player in 2013. So who better to ask for an assessment of how the year panned out? “My feeling on it would be that it was a year of contrasts,” reflects the Collon man. “Definitely, there has been progress made as a team. We’ve improved our game plan and there has been a clear step up as far as training and strength and conditioning are concerned. “On the other hand, if you look at the bigger picture, we would have expected ourselves to have done better in Leinster and we would have liked to have got one over on Kildare in the Qualifiers. We didn’t do ourselves justice in that game and, ideally, we’d have wanted to progress a bit further than the second round of

the Qualifiers.” There were, of course, many pluses to take from the first year of the new regime. “Retaining our Division Two status is something that we can build on,” Reid continues. “At the start of the year, we would have been hoping to have pushed for promotion but once that didn’t happen we were happy enough to at least stay in Division Two. That provides us with a solid platform to build from in 2014 and we’re hoping to push on and do better next year.” While the groundwork and preparation was second to none, it was the results that ultimately proved disappointing. “We made some mistakes and it’s the really simple things that can throw you off sometimes. Against Wexford, we missed a great chance to get to

Adrian gets away from Antrim’s Andy McClean during the All-Ireland SFC Qualifier in Drogheda

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Adrian Reid designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:18 Page 4

Leinster final. Just because we are been looking at a Leinster semi-final. another Leinster semi-final. We did a working on improving our game “The Kildare game was an exception few silly things on the day and that cost doesn’t mean we can’t still go out there because they’ve had a two- or threeus.” and win games. year headstart on us with regards to Considering that Louth only managed “Next year, it goes without saying that the kind of strength and conditioning to string back-to-back wins together we would be hoping to make a we were doing this year. We couldn’t once all year, was the lack of statement in both the league and the compete with that in the closing stages consistency a concern? championship. We’ll be aiming for and their experience and superior “We can’t seem to nail down a promotion and also to reach a Leinster strength and conditioning really consistent run. You’d probably have to final. There really is no time like the showed in the end. That was sort of go back to 2010, when we got to the present and this current crop of players understandable. Leinster final, for the last time we can’t afford to sit around and wait for “Kildare are renowned for that kind of strung together a run of victories. That ‘the right time’. power, while we have really only year, we won our final league game “This team has been together for five started to go down the strength-andand then had a run in the Leinster or six years now without championship. That’s been an awful lot of change our most consistent period personnel-wise, so it’s of play in recent years. definitely time we did “It’s hard to put your something” finger on exactly why we Twenty-thirteen saw aren’t winning back-toAdrian Reid’s back matches. It’s metamorphosis from a probably a mental thing wing forward into an and we seem to lose some attacking wing back of our focus on the pitch. providing a constant But it’s definitely a concern scoring threat. He enjoyed and something we’re the fresh challenge and going to have to address.” embraced it. Was the performance “There are always things against Laois in Portlaoise that you can improve on, in the first round of the but overall I was happy Leinster championship on enough. It was my first May 26th – when Louth time playing as a wing half won by a landslide ten back and I still have a lot points (1-16 to 1-6) – the to learn about the position highlight of the year? but I was happy with how “Everything clicked on the it went. day and it was definitely as “I had played as a half good of football as we forward for the previous played all year,” admits three seasons and I don’t Reid. “But it’s very think I scored as much in frustrating then when you a single season as I did fail to reproduce that kind this year. That just of form again in the highlights the way gaelic remainder of the football has changed at championship, except for Adrian Reid has Donie Kingston of Laois for company during the intercounty level. Wing patches against Kildare.” Leinster SFC game at O'Moore Park forwards are tracking back Would it be fair to say a lot and scoring less, while wing half conditioning road this year. It’s that Louth faded out of some games? backs seem to be counter-attacking definitely a step in the right direction for There were a good few league points and finding themselves with more time Louth. It’s something we’re going to left behind and Kildare overwhelmed and space.” build on and, long term, it will improve the Wee County in the last ten Was it something Adrian aspired our game. I’m expecting that we’ll get minutes. Would Adrian like to see towards or where did the idea come positive results from it.” Louth finish games more strongly? from? “Unfortunately, I can’t take any Accepting that perhaps this team is a “I think I’d probably disagree with you credit for that one. Adrian decided to work in progress, then, when can we on that,” he counters. “I think we try me there. I’m not sure if he saw hope for or expect to see a finished strongly in a lot of our games something that made him think the role breakthrough? Is it feasible for the and I don’t believe there’s a problem would suit me or if he was just Wee County to qualify for a Leinster there. Against Armagh in the league, experimenting, but the first game went final in 2014, for example, even though for example, they went ahead late on well enough and I managed to keep the new regime will be still in its and, rather than folding, we came back my place for the year. I’m happy with infancy? strongly to take both points. Against how it worked out.” “There’s no time like the present. You Wexford in the championship as well, I think it’s fair to say that everybody can’t put success on hold. This year we were flying at the end and if that in the county was happy with how it we would like to have done a lot better game had gone on for another five worked out! and we were aiming to get to a minutes, I think we’d definitely have

DIARMUID MURPHY

HURLER ON THE PITCH

hile Louth’s hurlers didn’t set the world on fire in 2013, long-serving Diarmuid Murphy was one man who certainly stood up to be counted, delivering a number of top-drawer displays in defence and attack and finishing the year as top scorer. We caught up with the Naomh Moninne ace to look back on what was a disappointing season for the Wee County stickmen – including one particularly farcical day out against Roscommon in the Wild West. Diarmuid Murphy is determined to keep the shoulder to the wheel and keep plugging away. “We’ll soldier on,” he quips, adamant that the sheer disappointment and frustration of 2013 won’t represent an epitaph for a Louth team that in previous years came so close to tasting All-Ireland glory. The Reds had contested four Nicky Rackard Cup finals in eight years prior to ’13, but last year saw them lose both their outings in the third-tier championship, bowing out of contention prematurely after away defeats to Tyrone and Roscommon. Murphy bagged a hat-trick of goals as the Wee County thumped Tyrone by 511 to 0-15 in the last round of the league at Strabane in late March but he admits that their season went downhill from there on: “It was disappointing year,” he concedes. “When we got to the final of the Nicky Rackard in 2012, we sort of felt that we were ahead of ourselves. We weren’t necessarily planning to get to a final that year because we were building and had no expectations. However, when you get there, you go for it. Unfortunately, on the day, Armagh were too strong. “From the start of this year [2013], we started out in mid-November and Pat [Clancy, manager] and the backroom team put a strength and conditioning programme in place – something we had been lacking in previous years. That continued right into mid-January and we all bought into it. “In that respect, we were as well

It’s headed over the bar as Diarmuid Murphy strikes

prepared as we’ve ever been. We went to Barry Martin’s place and we were also working in the gym in Darver. The boys were all flying fit and things seemed to be going perfectly. But, for some reason, things didn’t pan out as well as we expected.” And there are no easy answers as to how or where the plan unravelled: “It’s hard to know what went wrong,” Diarmuid shrugs. “It was just one of those years where things didn’t work out. “The first match in the league was against Fingal away and we had been heavily defeated in the corresponding fixture in 2012, so we went in all guns blazing in the first half. “We built up a seven-point lead but for some reason we sat back and stopped hurling and they pegged us back. We lost a man and managed to hold on for a draw with 14 men in the end. It was hard to know how to feel after that game because we would

have taken a point before throw-in and we thought it would stand to us as a point gained. As it turned out, however, it was a point dropped because losing that match from a commanding position actually ended up costing us a place in the Division 3A final. “It was the same again against Fermanagh: the second half was poor. We don’t know why. If you ask any of the lads they will tell you the same: the preparations were top class, we trained well and we worked on tactics. Everyone knew exactly what they had to do, so it’s hard to know what went wrong. We hung on for a win against Fermanagh with 13 men and I thought our defence was very good that day. “We gave a poor first-half performance against Monaghan at home and were given a few home truths at half time and turned it around. “We had known from the start of the year that the make or break game would be the third round, away to

Donegal. We had beaten them well the previous year in the semi-final of the Nicky Rackard and we knew they’d have that in their heads and that they’d be up for it. On the day, they were sharper, hungrier and more aggressive. They got three goals in the first half and there was no way back. Once you start chasing a game, you lose your shape. We were well beaten that day. “In the last league game against Tyrone, we were concerned with scoring difference. We set out to beat them by eleven or twelve points and then we had to hope that Donegal didn’t lose at home to Fingal. We performed well in Strabane and beat them convincingly but unfortunately Fingal defeated Donegal in the other game and we were out of the league. The draw in Swords in the first round came back to haunt us. “All in all, it was a poor league campaign considering that we had targeted a place in the final. But it just wasn’t to be.” Did this disappointing end to the league leave Louth on something of a downer going into the championship? “No, I don’t think so. We had lifted it in the last game against Tyrone and we played well. We also had some good challenges, including one against Ballyhale Shamrocks, and we were keeping the tempo up in training, so we went into the

Diarmuid Murphy lines up a Louth score in the Allianz HL game against Fermanagh at St Brigid’s Park

championship confident.” As it transpired, the first championship outing was a repeat of the last league one. “We knew Tyrone would be a tight game and that they would be a different proposition than in the league, but we still thought we’d be on the right end of the result at the final whistle,” Diarmuid admits. “We lost men like Ronan Byrne, Gary Relis, Derek Horan and Wesley Morrissey to injury and we had to switch things around. “We got off to a great start with four Brian Corcoran points but then they got a goal and they led by two or three at half time. But we had the breeze in the second half and thought we could turn it around. However, when you hit 17 wides in any game, you are not going to win. We got it back to one point and I had a ‘65’ that went wide. I remember thinking ‘if we could only get level we could kick on’. We couldn’t get that score to get level and things didn’t happen for us on the day.” Defeat came as a shock, but there was no time to be feeling sorry for themselves. “We had to regroup after that because we had another game in two weeks,” Murphy continues. “In our own minds, we had expected to beat Tyrone but we should never have looked beyond the first game. That was a big mistake. “We regrouped and had good training and

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Diarmuid is driven on by the desire to win a Nicky Rackard championship

a challenge match and then we faced Roscommon. To say that day was a farce is an understatement… “That’s not sour grapes because we lost to a better team on the day, but what happened that day – for an AllIreland championship match – is not right. “First of all, we had assumed we would have had a home match, because we had played away in our first championship match, while Roscommon had lost their first championship match at home. But they got a home game again and the match was fixed for Athleague. “We got on the bus on the Saturday morning and we were planning on stopping off in Kilbeggan for tea and sandwiches, so we headed for Dublin first. As we approached Dublin Airport, at around 11am, we got a phone call telling us the game was moved to Claremorris of all places. We couldn’t fathom why it had been brought so far away. Why the other side of Roscommon instead of this side? Was there really no pitch playable in Roscommon? To play an All-Ireland match on a 3G pitch an extra hourand-a-half from where we were originally meant to travel made no sense to us whatsoever. We couldn’t understand what was going on. “Colum Corrigan from LMFM and our

physio both arrived at Athleague and they thought the pitch there seemed fine, so why was the game moved? And it didn’t suit Roscommon either. As far as I’m aware, they weren’t happy about having to go to Claremorris. The bottom line was that we were subjected to a long day’s travelling – we left town at 10am and didn’t get back until 10:30 that night – and we had absolutely nothing to show for it at the end “It was a howler of a day wind-wide and rain-wise. They started well but we pegged them back and felt we were well in the game. They got a lot of soft frees and Fallon was striking them over for fun. “We were just two down at half time with wind advantage to come and we were happy enough. But we then went four behind and started chasing the game. We lost our shape and they scored a goal from a penalty to go six ahead. In the end, we had no qualms in terms of the actual game – we didn’t perform in the second half – but that day was a farce.” Reflecting on the season in general, Diarmuid Murphy admits that it could have been much, much better: “It was a bad year all around. But our preparations, from the manager and the backroom team through to the players, were excellent. The effort and

the time that was put in and the meticulous planning was second to none. It was through no fault of anyone that we didn’t perform. I don’t know what the reason was, but I suppose that’s the way sport is. “We were preparing from November and we only got two championship matches and our season was over in the middle of May. We had been spoilt in previous years, going on to play in Croke Park in June, so it’s going to be a challenge to pick it up again now. But we have to soldier on, go back to the drawing board, and see what we can do next year. “We had a good few injuries this year, something which didn’t hamper us in previous years. Our captain Shane Fennell got a knock against Monaghan, Wesley Morrissey missed the Tyrone game with a bad groin problem and I had knee trouble. But we’ll have to pick it up again and keep going. The older lads like myself and David Dunne and Wesley will have to lead by example and get the thing going again. “I still think there’s an All-Ireland there for us. That’s what’s driving us on. The final against Sligo was the one that got away, but I believe there is still one there for us and it’s that conviction that’s keeping a lot of the players going.”

Ciara O'Connor designed_Layout 1 11/12/2013 17:22 Page 1

CIARA O’CONNOR

LOOKING FORWARD RATHER THAN BACK

ttacking ace Ciara O’Connor was yet again one of the star turns of the Louth ladies football team in 2013. Even though the Wee County failed to build on their run to the previous year’s All-Ireland junior championship final – this time bowing out at the semi-final stage – the all-action Dowdallshill clubgirl is adamant that they can get back on track in the coming season. A glance at the results might suggest that Louth’s ladies took a backward step in 2013. However, as long as they

have young talent of the calibre of Ciara O’Connor at their disposal, the Reds will always be in with a chance of challenging for major silverware. The All-Ireland JFC remains the Holy Grail and Ciara is confident that they will be back in the shake-up in 2014. Ciara enjoyed another stellar year in ’13, performing with distinction whether it was in the colours of UCD or Louth … or helping her home club Dowdallshill to their breakthrough Louth intermediate title. But – at the end of the day – it’s a team game and, as she looks back on the season, it’s hard not to feel disappointed at the

lack of success garnered on the intercounty front: “It was disappointing, especially when you know how well you did last year,” she notes. “When you get to a final, you’d like to get back and make amends but unfortunately Wexford knocked us out at the semi-final stage. I actually thought we played well on the day but it just didn’t happen for us.” The Wee County had powered into the last four with a 1-13 to 0-4 demolition of Derry in Steelstown but were edged out by the Model girls after extra time at Clane on September 1st – 0-15 to 1-8. It was a game that could

Ciara O’Connor on the attack for Louth against Antrim in Drogheda

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have gone either way and it’s hard to argue with the contention that Louth would have prevailed in normal time had they not lost Ciara O’Connor and Rebecca Carr to injury during the opening period: “We played well and were unlucky,” says the former. “It was one of our best performances of the year but we didn’t get over the line.” It goes almost without saying that the objective from the start of the year was to get back to the AllIreland final stage and to take it a step further than 2012… “The goal every year is to do your very best and to get up to the highest level you possibly can,” Ciara reflects. “We had our eyes on the final and were planning to go back to training the week after the semi-final, but our season came to an abrupt end. But we’ll go back to the drawing board and hopefully come back stronger next year.” Encouragingly, Ciara

Dowdallshill celebrate winning the Louth IFC

Louth's Ciara O'Connor with Emma Kelly of Antrim at Croke Park

sees plenty of young players coming through in the Wee County and is confident that the experience some of the younger girls gained in 2013 will stand to them in 2014. “We have more young players coming through and we’re hoping that the mix of youth and experience can bring us on a bit further to win a junior All-Ireland. “It’s great to see the young girls starting to come through. There’s a good strong minor team there and when you watch the senior, intermediate and junior club games in Louth you can see how good those minor players are and how much of an impact they can have. You have to keep things fresh and it looks like there are young players there ready to come through at senior level with Louth.” Twenty-fourteen will be Ciara’s fourth year with the county senior team and she has already

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Dejection after losing to Antrim in the 2012 All Ireland JFC decider

experienced the thrill of playing in an All-Ireland final. She is determined to bring her intercounty career much further, however: “The All-Ireland final was definitely the highlight so far but I’d be hoping there will be bigger and better to come,” she confirms. “We also won Leinster that year and we’d be hoping to do the same again next year and then to take it a step further by winning the All-Ireland and getting to the next level.” At club level, 2013 was a fantastic year for Ciara as Dowdallshill defeated St Brides by 3-8 to 0-10 at The Grove in early September to finally claim the Louth intermediate title. It was the Newry Road club’s fourth final appearance in seven years (they lost the 2007 JFC decider to Geraldines; beat St Fechins in the 2009 junior final; and lost the 2012 IFC decider to St Kevins) and they made no mistake this time. “We also got to the senior league semi-final, so we were delighted with the season as a whole,” says Ciara, who lines out at midfield for the ‘Hill.

“Next year will be our first to play in the senior championship and we are all looking forward to that.” Football has always been important to Ciara and she points out that she developed her interest in the game through her parents. “My parents have been a huge influence and my grandfather Plunkett Maguire is an honorary president of Dowdallshill GFC. He would have brought us all to the club and got us involved, while my father, Tomas, is manager of the ladies team. And my mother is always there as well.” Ciara is joined on the ladies panel by her sisters Sharon and Abbey, while brother Colm (16) is representing the club at juvenile level. Looking forward to 2014, the Dowdallshill star is hoping that Louth can get back to winning ways and challenge for an All-Ireland junior title. Ciaran Marks is staying on at the helm, which should provide a bit of stability, and the plan will be to hit the ground running: “We all have to buy into it again and

maybe do something a little bit different than we did in 2013. We have to put in the effort and give that one extra push that will get us over the line. We met before Christmas to discuss the year ahead and morale in the camp is good. “In 2013, we were without up to five of the players from the 2012 All-Ireland team and hopefully we will be able to entice some of them back because they have experience and can offer some leadership. If we can’t, everyone else is a year older and wiser. “They are all welcome on the team. It’s very easy to fit into this panel. I suppose you could say it’s relaxed enough in a way – and everyone has their say - but, at the same time, it’s very, very serious when it comes to competition. Your main aim is to go out and win that ball, give 100%, and win the game. We won’t be holding back.” Ciara has been a revelation in the county colours in recent seasons and the Dowdallshill dynamo will be very much to the fore if - and when - the Wee County do strike gold at Croke Park on All-Ireland final day.

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CIC SAOR

TITLE GOES TO DECLAN BYRNE

he Corona Cic Saor All Ireland Finals took place in Oriel Park on Saturday last, 14th. September. Blessed with excellent weather the event was a great success for competitors and spectators alike and the separate play area for children was a major success.

Katie Flood became the first lady Competitor to compete in the Cic Saor competition and GAA players from all over Ireland were joined by a number of competitors from other sports. The competition for the title was keen and went right to the wire before St. Mochtas clubman Declan Byrne took the title a €5,000 cash prize. This year’s event saw the rles amended slightly following consultation with competitors from last year’s inaugural event. The earlier rounds allowed paired competitors to choose their shooting spots and some unusual angles were chosen at this stage. ound Two involved groups of four and the elimination process continued until only four competitors remained. The standard of free kicking from the four remaining contestants was a sight to behold and the accuracy rate very high also, with only a shot or two eliminating players eventually. The last four players were: 4th. Place: John Rodgers (Strokestown,

Rodgers D Maguire, J D O’Connell, d D Byrne an

Corona Cic Saor winner Declan Byrne receives his prize from Jack O’Shea

Roscommon), 3rd Place: Derek Maguire (Dundalk Young Irelands), 2nd Place: Daniel O'Connell (Roche Emmets). The Corona Cic Saor 2013 and Golden Boot winner was Declan Byrne from St. Mochtas. Declan Byrne gave an exhibition of place kicking in an intriguing final from all areas on the pitch, shooting with both left/right feet from various distances and finishing off with a 95% successful scoring rate to his credit. Corona Cic Saor organiser Adrian O'Donoghue and Jack O'Shea presented Declan with his cheque and the Corona Golden Boot

Oisin McConville and Jack O’Shea

Award. Dundalk Lions Club & Young Irelands would both benefit from the proceeds of the event. Adrian thanked all the clubs and players who participated in the event. He thanked D4 Events for the Live Streaming, Net1 Broadband suppliers for Broadband coverage, BBC Radio commentator Owen McConnon who provided Commentary for the event, the Oriel Park staff led by Paul Johnstone and the many voluntary stewards from local club Young Irelands who assisted on the day. The “Kids Section” had entertained juveniles from the many young families who visited the competition and Pelican Promotions deserved great credit for their support. The First Aid Corner was staffed by Physio S.O'Donoghue. He paid tribute to the Corona sponsors and their event team for the full support they offered the event. He praised the input and efforts of Jack O`Shea and Oisin McConville, both of whom had promoted the Corona Cic Saor during the year. In conclusion he appreciated the efforts of all GAA clubs and players countrywide who by their response to date had indicated the future for the competition was assured. The 2014 Cic Saor All-Ireland competition would prove to be just as competitive and exciting as the 2012 / 2013 events. .

Oisin McCon ville is faces of Cic one of the Saor

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CLUB FOOBALL TEAM OF 2013

CLUB FOOTBALL TEAM OF THE YEAR

Darren Breen

Goalkeeper - Darren Breen The young St Brides goalkeeper has been making quite a name for himself in recent seasons and 2013 saw him once again illustrate his undoubted potential. Solid throughout the season under the high ball and impressive with his kickouts, Darren was one of the reasons for the Knockbridge men being in contention for league and championship honours. His displays against St Josephs in the championship semi-final and promotion play-off proved his quality while he was also one of the top performers in the championship final. Honourable mentions: Conor Barton (Newtown Blues), Cillian Quigley (Kilkerley Emmets), Neil Gallagher (Cooley Kickhams), Alan Fedigan (Hunterstown Rovers), Duane Crosbie (St Marys), Sean Connor (St Patricks). Full Backs

Right Full Back - Sean Kirk (Roche Emmets) Sean Kirk was one of the stars for Roche Emmets as his side enjoyed a magnificent season. The Faughart outfit made an immediate return to Division 2 by winning the Junior League, dropping only one point in the process. They also reached the Kevin Mullen Shield Final and pushed Geraldines all the way in the Championship. Full Back - Thomas Costello (Newtown Blues) The Newtown Blues march to the Joe Ward Cup was as much about the solid defence as it was about the threat in

Sean Kirk

attack, and at the back, Thomas Costello was a man never found wanting. The ever-dependable defender proved his worth with fine performances over the season.

Thomas Cost

ello

Left Full Back - Richard Brennan (Cooley Kickhams) Cooley Kickhams enjoyed a successful year in both league and championship and Richard Brennan was to the fore throughout the year with some excellent outings. His fine tackling was complemented by his willingness to get forward and even provide some crucial scores.

Honourable mentions: Anthony Williams (Dreadnots), Brian Matthews (Hunterstown), Nicky Mackin (Geraldines), Andrew Tinley (Newtown Blues), Darren Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hanlon (St Patricks), Niall Carroll (St Marys).

Half backs Richard Brennan

Dessie Finnegan

Right Half Back Dessie Finnegan (St Patricks) The St Patricks defence has been the foundation for their success over the past number of years and county star, Dessie Finnegan, remains a huge influence. Another excellent and consistent season from Dessie in a number of defensive roles helped the Pats finish top of the league and retain the Cardinal Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donnell Cup

Centre Back Gerard Hoey (Geraldines) In a memorable year for the Geraldines Gerard Hoey was an inspiration at centre half. The Louth man plays with great commitment and made life difficult for attackers throughout the campaign. He illustrated his importance to the team

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Gerard Hoey

with a Man of the Match display in the Intermediate Final which also saw him score a point.

Left Full Back - Keith Brennan (Hunterstown Rovers) Keith Brennan turned in a magnificent season at the heart of the Hunterstown defence as Rovers enjoyed huge success. The centre-half was a vital cog in the Hunterstown backline that was in superb form throughout as they romped home to win the Junior Championship. Honourable mentions: Owen Zamboglou (St Patricks), Jimmy Murray (Newtown Blues), Salem Rifaie (O’Connells), James Craven (Geraldines), Jackie Agnew (O’Connells), Stephen Moonan (Newtown Blues), Patrick McGrath (Cooley Kickhams). Midfield

Paddy Keenan (St Patricks) Once again Paddy Keenan continues to

Keith Brenna

set the standards for others to follow. The Louth captain was superb in 2013 where he turned in a series of excellent displays to comfortably finish top of the Division 1 League. He helped ensure the peninsula side ended the year with more silverware following a fine displayin the Cardinal O’Donnell Cup Final. Michael Rogers (Geraldines) There were a number of contenders for the midfield slot alongside Paddy Keenan, but Michael Rogers gets the nod after helping the Geraldines to the Intermediate league and championship double. His ball-winning ability and forward running was vital in the big games while he also weighed in with vital scores.

Honourable mentions: Keith Lynch (Newtown Blues), Brian Donnelly (Cooley Kickhams), Cathal Bellew (Kilkerley Emmets), David Quigley (Roche Emmets), Tony McKenna

Michael Rogers

Paddy Keenan

(Hunterstown Rovers), Patrick Reilly (St Brides). Half forwards

Right Half Forward - Hugh McGinn (Newtown Blues) The form of Hugh McGinn in the Newtown Blues attack was one of the main reasons for the Drogheda men regaining the Joe Ward Cup. His ability to find space and take on a man helped set up a series of scores for colleagues, while his accuracy from play and frees was crucial.

Centre Forward Jim McEneaney (Geraldines) The Geraldines captain, Jim McEneaney, led by example as his side completed the Intermediate Championship and league double. A player who always seems to find space to hurt the opposition, he scored freely from play and frees. His superb display in the Intermediate Final underlined his talent in an excellent season.

Hugh McGin

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Jim McEnean

Left Half Forward Andrew Sharkey (O’Connells) The O’Connells enjoyed a fine season as they built on their Intermediate Championship success and in Andrew Sharkey have a deserving representative on the Team of the Year. The young attacker was in fine form in a season where the O’Connells won the Paddy Sheelan Cup, reached the Championship semi-final and just missed out on the Division 1 play-offs.

Honourable mentions: Paul Carrie (Hunterstown), Tommy Durnin (Westerns), Dan O’Connell (Roche Emmets), Andy McDonnell (Newtown Blues), Aidan McCann (St Patricks), Aoghan McGuinness (Cooley Kickhams), Adrian Reid (Mattock Rangers), Kevin Hearty (St Brides).

Andrew Sharkey

Ryan Burns

Full forwards

O’Donnell Cup semi-finals.

Full Forward Shane Lennon (Kilkerley) On his return from injury, Shane Lennon enjoyed one of his best seasons as the focal point of the Kilkerley attack. The leading scorer in the majority of games, the Louth player’s scores were a huge part of Kilkerley’s march to the Cardinal

Honourable mentions: William Woods (Nh Fionnbarra), Stephen Kilcoyne (Sean O’Mahonys), Danny O’Connor (St Patricks), Colm Judge (Newtown Blues), Ciaran Byrne (St Mochtas), Shane O’Hanlon (Geraldines), Dean Matthews (St Marys), Paudy Clarke (St Marys).

Right Full Forward Ryan Burns (Hunterstown) The Louth minor burst on to the scene this year with a series of stunning displays as Hunterstown Rovers won the Junior Championship. The topscorer was a constant threat, kicking a succession of fine points and also adding important goals on the way to claiming the Christy Bellew Cup.

Right Full Forward Ronan Carroll (St Marys) Ronan Carroll spent much of his time in attack this year as St Marys came agonisingly close to a return to the Division 1 League. His pace and strength, allied with an eye for a score saw him play an important role as the Ardee side established themselves as one of the most conisistent teams over the year.

Ronan Carro

Shane Lennon

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DIARMUID McCARTHY

SKILL IS PARAMOUNT TO NEW HURLING SUPREMO

arly in November, it was announced that Drogheda man Diarmuid McCarthy had been handed a two-year term as manager of the Louth senior hurlers. No sooner had the news reached our ears than we were on the phone to ‘Dee’ to get an insight into his goals as Wee County boss. As the conversation flowed, it quickly became evident that the former Louth custodian will be placing a major emphasis on trying to improve the players’ alreadyimpressive skill levels. Prior to taking charge of the Louth senior hurlers towards the end of 2013, Diarmuid McCarthy’s most-notable previous experience in management was his stint at the helm of the Oliver Plunketts footballers, whom he has also represented on the field of play (he also hurled with Wolfe Tones for quarter of a century before transferring to Mattock Rangers three years ago and was part of the Louth set-up for 18 seasons). Does he see it as a big challenge to go from junior club football management to senior intercounty hurling management? “Of course it’s a big challenge from a personal point of view but, at the same time, I wouldn’t describe taking over this Louth hurling team as a big task. They are a very good bunch of able lads and I know only too well what they are capable of. “I’m taking over a talented bunch of players, so from that point of view I wouldn’t describe it as a big challenge. I think these players have been welltrained and well-coached in the past and I believe they are ready to do themselves justice. There’s a good bunch of players there, so it certainly isn’t a daunting task.” It’s interesting to observe that Diarmuid is only too willing to give credit to his predecessors in the county manager’s role. “They have done good

New Louth hurling manager Diarmuid McCarthy

work,” he confirms. “I played under Pat Clancy myself and he was a top-class coach. The last three Louth manager – Clancy, Paddy Kelly and Kevin McDonnell – have all brought Louth to Nicky Rackard Cup finals, so there has been a lot of progress made and a measure of success that hasn’t been reflected in championship silverware.” McCarthy reiterates his conviction that the quality of hurler in the Wee County is of a very high standard: “Some of these guys have played in Croke Park three or four times,” he continues. “That is unheard of for Louth hurlers. You have the likes of Shane Callan and David Dunne winning All Stars this year, Ronan Byrne and Paul Dunne are others who have been recognised in the past [as well as Brian Corcoran, Donagh O'Sullivan and Shane Fennell last year!]. There are a lot of very capable

hurlers in the county.” Of course, the Reds have yet to win the Nicky Rackard Cup despite appearing in four finals since the inception of the third-tier All-Ireland championship eight years ago. Is this Holy Grail their obvious objective for 2014? “Not so much for myself but talking to the players the Rackard Cup is their ultimate goal. From a coaching point of view, we are not going to set out any specific targets. What we will be doing is trying to create an environment for the lads to be able to perform to the best of their ability. Performance is the key and putting foundations in place for them to be able to play to their optimum. “I know it’s a cliché, but that’s what we are going to be doing. If success follows, then well and good. We won’t refuse it. But, from the management

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point of view, it’s all about the process. If you are going to be judged solely on cups and trophies, then there wouldn’t be too many individuals offering their services as managers.” But surely, having played alongside and against all of these players – including in a Nicky Rackard Cup final – the new manager must realise that the talent is there to win the Nicky Rackard? “They are good enough for sure,” he says. “I don’t doubt that for a second. They have been very close on a couple of occasions, especially the final against Sligo, which Louth could have won. On their day, Louth can turn over anybody.” Diarmuid has enlisted the services of two trusty wingmen. “I’ll be working alongside two selectors,” he explains. “John Murphy – Naomh Moninne - was a colleague of mine with the county team and I also played against him a lot. We have been involved together with Louth teams from U14 right up to senior. Joe Power is an ex county manager from the early 2000s; he’s a Tipperary man who has played for and managed Louth. These are two men

whose opinions I respect greatly. “Between the three of us, all the jobs will be shared out and we’ll all be working together. We will look after the coaching and training of the players ourselves, but we will also be leaning on the excellent resources at Darver. For strength and conditioning work, for example, we will be relying on the gym and facilities that the County Board has developed in Darver. That will be a big plus to us.” Once Diarmuid was confirmed as manager, he wasted no time in getting things up and running, with an initial trial held on Sunday, November 17th. “We went back on the Sunday and we followed up with another session on the Wednesday night and went again the following Sunday,” he recalls. “We threw it open to all the players from all the clubs. All the secretaries were contacted and they were told that we were holding open training sessions and that we were going to look at every lad who was interested in playing for Louth. “We had 28 lads at the first trial and 26 at the second one, ten of whom

hadn’t been there on the Sunday. A lot of the lads are students and it can be difficult for them to find time, but we were initially looking at a group of 40 to 45 players. Of course, we will then cut that down for the national hurling league. I would be familiar with most of the lads already – maybe 95% of them – but you have to start from scratch and take a look at everybody. We can’t afford to overlook anyone.” The new Louth senior hurling manager places huge importance on skill and one of his main targets is to improve the skill level of the players at his disposal. “Hurlers can never have too much skill,” he concludes. “I will be trying to raise the skill levels and to get them hurling as well as possible. Training will be hurling-focussed and we will be getting them hurling as much as possible as often as possible. We want to make sure that they are all enjoying training and looking forward to it.” With the buzz back, who knows what Louth’s hurlers might achieve in the next two seasons?

Louth's Brian Corcoran and Adrian Wallace disappointed after a Nicky Rackard Cup final loss

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CUL CAMP - NAOMH MAIRTIN

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CUL CAMP - ST. BRIDES

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CUL CAMP - ST. JOSEPHS

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CUL CAMP - ROCHE EMMETS

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CUL CAMP - ST. PATS

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CUL CAMP - ST. PATS

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CUL CAMP - Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;CONNELLS

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CUL CAMP - KILKERLEY

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CUL CAMP - GERALDINES

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CUL CAMP - GERALDINES

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CUL CAMP - COOLEY KICKHAMS

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CUL CAMP - ST. MARYS

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NICKY MACKIN

THE PHILIPSTOWN LEGEND & GENTLEMAN

By Sean Ross

hen I first saw Nicky Mackin, I was told he was a gentleman footballer and that he played like Mick O' Connell of Kerry. Nicky was born in 1936 in Ardlaraghan, around Philipstown. He had two brothers and two sisters. His father James Mackin was from Cooley and his mother Mary Kate from Stabannon. He went to Philipstown N.S. , where there was no football played. He line out for Dunleer where Father Downey and Father Quinn looked after football. Teams from Termonfeckin, Tullyallen, Monasterboice and Togher played in South Louth Rural. Nicky told me that despite South Louth Rural matches which were very scarce, there was no juvenile structure in Philipstown. The lads themselves organised teams like Whiteriver, Funshog, and Collon Road. This is in contrast to towns and villages in Co. Louth where structures were in place. Bean Park in Dunleer was used for juvenile matches at this time. Nicky was 12 when St Kevins were formed as a Division Two club. St. Kevins first ever game was a challenge match V St. Colmcilles (Togher) in a field opposite Carron’s Pub at Togher Cross. St. Kevins minor team was Baile Philip, they played in the Mid Louth League. At 17, Nicky Mackin was chairman, his brother was treasurer, and Larry Tenanty was secretary. This was extraordinary for young lads to be organising their own football. In 1949 St Kevin s got to the semi-final against O’ Connells at Pairc Mhuire, Ardee. They were beaten 1-7 to 0-14. St Kevins had to contend with the senior clubs’ second squads - St Marys of Ardee, Stabannon and Dundalk

Young Irelands. So life was difficult for Nicky and St Kevins. In 1957 the tide turned for St Kevin’s when they beat Sean McDermotts by 2-6 to 3-2. Now football was fully alive in both Philipstown and in Louth in general with the All-Ireland title in the bag too. St Kevins had a good combination of older and younger players. It meant going up into junior ranks. Nicky by the way went to the All-Ireland with Danny Flanagan in a Hillman Husky; he also farmed his land with his two brothers. While they stayed in the junior ranks, the Macardle Cup was won three years in a row- 1965, 1966, and 1967. Paddy Tenanty was trainer of all these teams. In 1968 they won the championship. This was a golden era for the St Kevins club. They beat Fane Rangers by 2-8 to 0-5. So for the first time senior football would be played in Philipstown. The Cup was presented by Sean Murray to Benny Grogan- a reception was later held in Mc Quaids of Ardee with Paddy Tenanty thanking everyone. Pasty McCullough and Fr Hardy looked after the training and coaching. After 1970 St. Kevins dropped to intermediate as there were no housing estates and very few families, and the catchment area was very small indeed. In the 1970’s championship St. Kevins beat Roche Emmets, St Brides, but St. Marys beat them on September

Nicky receiving a county board award

12th. Nicky Mackin played at full forward. Mixed fortunes in the 1970’s for St Kevins as juvenile football improved. In 1982 Sean Tracey’s/ Baile Philip beat Naomh Buithe in the Louth minor Final. This would provide life blood for this area in future years. Also the new pitch in Philipstown saw St Kevins V John Mitchels with Mitchels winning. Nicky Mackin had hung up his boots. Now Philipstown had a new pitch and a new hall. In the 1990s Nicky was involved at committee level, working as secretary up to 1988. He turned to Co. Board Delegate up to 1992 when he served on the Juvenile Committee . St Kevin’s went back to junior ranks. Nicky when asked about good opponents and opponents with the “gentleman” qualities mentioned Ollie Reilly of Hunterstown, Peter Shevlin of Togher, Damien Reid of Collon and the Geraghty brothers of Collon. In the early 2000s St Kevins ,won the junior championship. Nicky would like to mention the St. Kevins camogie teams and their many titles. In 1960 Nicky played for Louth in Castlebellingham on April 9th, Meath won this match, it was the opening of the O Connell’s pitch. When talking to Nicky, he named the whole McDermotts team - his one time opponents - he is a mine of information. I promised Nicky and Barry Brennan to loan them Jack O’ Connors book - Keys to the Kingdom - the best G.A.A. book I’ve ever read. Nicky remains one of the most respected men in his own parish, and in both football and farming circles. He played football until he was 45 years, and brought his boots with him for many years later in case his beloved club St. Kevins would need a player. As the young people say - he is a legend and a gentleman.

Aidan O'Rourke designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:24 Page 1

AIDAN O’ROURKE

O’ROURKE INSTILLING GROUP MENTALITY

idan O’Rourke’s first year as Louth boss was a learning process for both himself and the players. The Dromintee clubman brought an unprecedented level of professionalism and deep-thinking to the camp but – brilliant and all as preparations were – the team didn’t bring its A game to the field of play on a consistent basis. Reflecting on the season as a whole, the Wee County manager says the most pleasing aspect of 2013 from his point of view was the manner in which the players bought into the group mentality – a vital trait that defines all winning teams. The appointment of Armagh man Aidan O’Rourke as Louth senior football manager in October, 2012 was clearly a bold and progressive one – a

statement of intent from the County Board. Formerly a selector with both Kildare and Down, the 2002 All-Ireland winner is a card-carrying member of the new breed of young, thoughtful and meticulous gaelic football managers. He began the process of stamping his influence on Wee County football during the season gone by and the result was, for the most part, highly impressive. Reports from inside the camp – i.e. from the players themselves – are that O’Rourke’s regime is the most professional and organised they have played under. The project will continue unabated in 2014 and this time the abiding hope is that the team can kick on and achieve the kind of results that reflect the progress being made in terms of preparations, togetherness and application. What objectives did the manager set

Louth manager Aidan O'Rourke

for his team in 2013? “It’s very difficult to set out clear objectives at the start of the year,” says the former Orchard County full back – holder of an astonishing seven Ulster SFC medals. “You assess it on a continuous basis as the year goes on. “In general, however, we hoped to be in a position to challenge for promotion in the league, but we didn’t manage to achieve that. One or two small things stopped us, but it was a good learning curve. In the championship, we set ourselves a target of winning a minimum of three matches, so we fell short there, too, which was disappointing. “The way the championship panned out – and the Wexford game in particular – was a big disappointment. A lot of people outside the county would have expected us to beat Wexford in Drogheda and to advance

Aidan O'Rourke designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:24 Page 2

to a Leinster semi-final, but we took our eye off the ball that day and paid the price.” In the run-up to that game, the mantra from Louth’s players doing interviews in the local media seemed to be that they wouldn’t take Wexford for granted. But isn’t the very mention of not taking opponents for granted disconcerting? “It was a harsh lesson to learn,” says O’Rourke. “In hindsight, complacency might have manifested itself. The performance was decent until we scored the goal against the wind early in the first half. When that goal went in a subconscious switch seemed to go off in their heads that this was going to be easy. Concentration levels dropped and they gave Wexford a 20miute period of dominance before half time, which they weren’t able to recover from.” Trailing by seven points, the

Paddy Keenan gets the better of Wexford's Rory Quinlivan at Drogheda

Martin and Aidan O'Rourke

Wee County produced a grandstand finish but ran out of time and lost by one point, 2-13 to 1-15. This meant that instead of a provincial semifinal against neighbours Meath, they were pitted against Antrim in the first round of the Qualifiers. Having failed to win a match through the back door since 2007, the Reds recorded a 117 to 1-11 victory over the Saffrons in Drogheda to temporarily get their summer back on track. “Antrim were a hard team to break down – they put it up to Monaghan and Monaghan went on to win Ulster – so to beat them by six points wasn’t a bad result. I thought it was a reasonable performance but the Kildare game probably came a round too soon for us. If we’d managed to get another win under our belts in between and then took on the likes of Kildare in the third round of the

Aidan O'Rourke designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:24 Page 3

Qualifiers, we might have been ready for them,” the 2002 All Star states. From what he has seen so far, Aidan is confident that there is an abundance of footballing talent at his disposal in Louth: “There’s no doubt about it,” he asserts. “Louth have good players in every sector of the field and ultimately the challenge for us is to produce competition for places in every single position. The potential is there and the work-rate is there, so we have plenty to work with. We have to push on with the conditioning (physical and mental) to produce thoroughbred county footballers.” Most observers would – understandably – rate Louth’s magnificent tenpoint drubbing of Laois in Portlaoise in the first round of the Leinster SFC as the high point of 2013. When asked what the most pleasing aspect of the season was from the manager’s point of view, however, O’Rourke opts not to focus on one particular result but on a sea change he detected in the outlook of the players:

“For me, the most positive thing was how they developed as a group. The group mentality became more and more apparent as the year went on. Through Christmas and the O’Byrne Cup, they had a very individual approach to playing football. But they developed as a team and bought into the group mentality - that would be the one main positive for me, out of maybe ten or twelve positives. I think they made huge progress as a team. I was very happy with their mental toughness and their work ethic, as well.” As O’Rourke prepares to go into his second year as Louth manager, does he accept that the honeymoon period is over now and that there will be a higher level of expectation in 2014? “I would hope so. When you have potential it will only get you so far; eventually you have to start realising this potential and there can be no more excuses. I don’t think anybody who aspires to be as good as they can be would be content to just put in good

performance and push teams close. That’s not good enough. You have to get to the level where you are beating these teams. We put eight or nine months of work into trying to realise that potential in 2013 and the objective now is to push on.” Realistically, how far can Louth go in 2014? How high should they aim? “In the league, I would certainly hope to win promotion to Division One. I don’t see a league game that we can’t win next year. I think we are a Top 8 team and we are good enough to qualify for Division One and I would then hope to reach the quarter-final stage of the championship.” O’Rourke is adamant that Louth have the talent to achieve these goals: “I honestly believe that, right now, they are a Top 8 team. But there are rough edges to saw off and we have to bring consistency to their performances. You need to be in Division One and you need to be going into championship matches against teams 9-16 and beating them.”

Ciaran Byrne with John O'Loughlin of Laois during the Leinster SFC clash at Portlaoise

Aidan O'Rourke designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:24 Page 4

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OUT AT THE FIRST HURDLE UNDER 21 FOOTBALLERS

outh exited the 2013 Leinster U21 FC at the firstround stage when suffering a disappointing 3-13 to 1-7 defeat to neighbours Meath at Pairc Tailteann on Tuesday, February 19th. Such is the nature of the U21 championship that the team’s season was over almost before it had begun. Reflecting on the defeat, manager David Reilly was big enough to concede that in hindsight he perhaps could have done a few things differently. The U21 intercounty championship is a difficult taskmaster at the best of times. There’s not much space to get things going and, without a break or two, you can draw a blank before

Manager David Reilly

you even know it! Having progressed to the provincial final the previous year only to run into a juggernaut before driven by wouldbe All-Ireland champions Dublin, Louth’s U21s went into the 2013 season hopeful of putting together another memorable campaign. But it wasn’t to be as Meath spoiled the party in the opening round of the 2013 Leinster U21 FC. There’s not a lot of time to get your team ready at this level as most of the players would be heavily involved in colleges football in January and February – but it’s the same for all counties so this can’t be offered as an excuse. Meath were always going to present a more formidable challenge than Kilkenny did in the

Conal McKeever gets the better of Meath's Brian Moore at Pairc Tailteann

Under 21 Football designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:26 Page 2

The squad for the Leinster clash with neighbours Meath at Pairc Tailteann, front l/r: Jamie Mulholland, Anthony Williams, Andrew English, Michael McKeown, Kevin Hearty, Conall McKeever, Patrick Reilly, Michael Rafferty, Alan Quigley, Robert Quigley, Conor Deane. Back: Shane McMahon, Darren Marks, Kevin Toner, Ciaran Byrne, Robert Brodigan, Dermot Campbell, Martin Breen, Kevin Brennan, Darren Mcmahon, Ciaran Ward, Sean Donnelly, Ciaran Bellew, Glen Traynor

Under 21 Football designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:26 Page 3

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Under 21 Football designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:26 Page 4

lads in total and, at corresponding fixture in 2012 intercounty level, everybody and the Wee County – who has to be prepared to stand had five of the previous year’s up.” panel at their disposal again – How much preparation did suffered a blow before the the panel get to put in? “We match had even started when had a couple of trial games in it emerged that Peter Kirwan December and did some would miss the first-round strength and conditioning game due to glandular fever. after that. Then, from the Louth gave as good as they beginning of January, we got for 40 minutes before the trained three days a week – Royals pulled away to prevail we had Tuesday and Friday by twelve points… nights and Sunday mornings. With Kildare waiting in the “We did as much as we next round, Louth got off to a could do in seven weeks. dream start on a perfect night You’re trying to squeeze it in for football in Navan: Patrick with colleges football too and Reilly hit the back of the you have lads with knocks Meath net after just 20 etc. so it’s not a great time of seconds following good work year to be getting a team from Robert Brodigan and together. Martin Breen before Daniel “But, look, we have no Queeney (who would plunder excuses. Meath were the 2-4) and Ciaran Byrne (free) Anthony Williams gets in his clearance despite the efforts better team on the night and I traded points. But the Royals of Meath's Conor Downey wouldn’t argue with that. gradually got on top to lead by Whether they were twelve three at the break, 1-6 to 1-3. it was the same for every other team. points the better team is another Byrne popped over a free in the first We can’t put that forward as an story… I would question that. We were minute after the restart but the hosts excuse.” well in the game at half time and let in stepped on the gas to tear into a 3-11 As for the match itself, he points out a couple of soft goals at the start of the to 1-6 lead with just seven minutes left. that Meath pounced ruthlessly on second half. We lost our shape in the There was no way back for the Reds whatever mistakes Louth made: “We last quarter and Meath were taking and all their preparation counted for made a couple of mistakes at vital points that you should never get in nought as they bowed out of the stages and Meath punished us.” championship football. competition at the earliest possible Injuries were obviously a factor but – “I couldn’t fault the work-rate or the stage. again – no excuses from the manager: commitment of any of the lads. We “It’s like everything else – you don’t “Every county has injuries,” Reilly were lucky to have the use of the want to be beaten by twelve points in accepts. “In an ideal world, you’d love facilities at Darver and we had the best any championship game,” manager to have all your best players out on the of everything. Getting games was the David Reilly (who was assisted on the pitch for every game, but that’s not big problem. Things didn’t work out the sideline by former Louth team-mates how it works. We had injuries but we way we’d hoped but next year the lads Stephen Melia and Ollie McDonnell) were working off a panel of 34 or 35 will all be a year older concedes. “On and wiser.” reflection, there are things we would have Louth (2013 Leinster done differently. We U21 FC V Meath): K made mistakes and we Brennan; C Ward, D were punished for Campbell, K Toner; M them.” McKeown, A Williams, A lot of factors S McMahon; R conspired against the Brodigan, M Breen; D Wee County but Reilly McMahon, C is reluctant to cite any McKeever, M Rafferty; of them as the reason K Hearty, P Reilly (1for his team’s demise: 1), C Byrne (0-5). “All teams are in the Subs - A English for same position going Toner (25), S into the U21 Donnelly for championship so we McMahon (27), G can’t be making Traynor (0-1) for Ward excuses. We had until (35), C Deane for February 19th to McMahon (52), A prepare, which is only Quigley for Breen seven weeks. It’s a (57). very short window but Martin Breen evades the challenge of Meath's Conor Sheridan at Pairc Tailteann

Supporters designed_Layout 1 12/12/2013 13:56 Page 1

SUPPORTERS CLUB AWARDS

U21 Football receives the Cathal Bellewfrom Brendan Byrne Award

Delaney the late Joe Louth g laney, wife of Margaret De ptain of the 1973 winninal from who was ca , receivesÂ Joe's med hurling team ichael Duignan M

ty m Inter Coun who retired fro Aaron Hoey receives a special award ll footba atthewsÂ from Brian M

Willie Reilly accepts a Special Award for Jim McKeown for his service to the Louth Supporters Club from club chairman Jimmy Myers

Offaly All St guest speake ar Michael Duignan, wh o r at the Lout h Supporte was Awards appearance night, receives a token fo rs Club from club ch r airman Jimm his y Myers

Senior Footballer of the Year Darren Clarke receives his award from Fiona Myers

Gerry Farrell receiv of Fame awares the Dermot Clarke Ha d from Sean ll Clarke

Tony McArdle receives the Johnny Mullen Award from Peter Hoey

Rose McEne aney of the Year Aw receives the Club Wor ker ard chairman Pa from county board draig O'Conn or

Supporters designed_Layout 1 12/12/2013 13:56 Page 2

SUPPORTERS CLUB AWARDS

Geraghty receives the Mary Curran m Gerry McGee Award fro

Paddy Keenan presents the U16 Football Award to Conor Early

Barry Cullen pres Handball Aw ents the Senior Mens ard to Stuart Heslin

Senior Ladies receives the rry O'Brien Ba Karren Lawler m ard fro Handball Aw

Peter Hoey presents the Ladies Football Award to Ciara O'Connor

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inor Hurling ceives the M illy David Yore re Willie Re Award from

John McEneaney presents the Minor Footballer of the Year Award to Stephen Kilcoyne

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Minor Football designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:30 Page 1

MINOR FOOTBALLERS

SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR

t was a familiar story for the Louth minor footballers in 2013. They played well in the championship – especially in the first round against holders Dublin but exited the competition on the back of two defeats in little over a fortnight. The Louth minor footballers produced two really creditable performances in the 2013 Leinster MFC. But. alas, they came up short on both occasions. After losing lucklessly to Dublin after extra time (1-9 to 1-7) at Drogheda on Saturday, April 13th, the Wee County

travelled to Enniscorthy to face Wexford in the loser’s group on Wednesday, May 1st. This time, a last-minute point put paid to their hopes (1-15 to 2-11) in a game that Louth looked imminently capable of winning. All in all, it was therefore a very disappointing year for Thomas McNamee’s charges (who failed to win a competitive game in all competitions). Honourable defeats don’t really count for anything at the end of the day. In intercounty football, it’s all about results. Playing well in defeat doesn’t cut it, unfortunately. The reality is that,

Midfielder Eoghan Lafferty on the break against Dublin

while the first-round Leinster MFC display against Dublin – who were defending provincial and All-Ireland champions - was commendable, Louth should have got a result away to Wexford on the Wednesday night 18 days later, having bossed large segments of the first half and moved into commanding leads four times after the restart. With an experienced manager at this level in Thomas McNamee (at the helm for a third year) and three notable starting players from the 2012 minor campaign - Cian Doyle, Wayne Campbell and Eoghan Lafferty – Louth

Minor Football designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:30 Page 2

The minor squad that took on Dublin, front l/r: Cian Doyle, Dara Hamill, Ross Murphy, Daniel McKeown, Dylan Lynch, Ryan Trainor, Josh Arrowsmith, Derek Williams, Dean Maguire, Ciaran Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, Stephen Bellew. Back: Aaron Rogers, Robert Curran, Joseph Hanna, Wayne Campbell, Sean McConnell, Conor Carthy, Gavin Douglas, Niall McArdle, Emmet Duffy, Darragh Lafferty, Conor Lenihan, Conor Reilly, Eoghan Lafferty

Minor Football designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:30 Page 3

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Minor Football designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:30 Page 4

hoped to make some sort of impression. Many of their players had also featured regularly for the Dundalk Colleges combination. Louth went into the Leinster opener against Dublin as complete outsiders, but almost pulled off a massive shock. The Leinster minor league campaign had failed to produce a win, with defeats to Offaly (2-11 to 2-9) and Kildare (1-12 to 0-10) at Darver on February 2nd and 9th respectively followed by a draw away to Laois on the 13th – 1-9 for Louth against the O’Moore County’s 2-6. In hindsight, the championship performance against Dublin will be remembered as the highlight of the year. Louth were seconds away from recording an unforgettable victory but the Dubs mustered an equalising point on the stroke of full time to force extra time before winning by two points. Leading by a point with time almost up, the Reds had a good shout for a free close to the Dublin posts but there was nothing doing from the referee and the visitors took full advantage of their Get Out Of Jail Free card. In wet and windy conditions at the O’Raghallaighs, Louth had produced a fantastic, gritty team effort to push their illustrious opponents all the way. The hosts were excellent in the first half, playing against the wind but achieving parity to go in level at the short whistle, 0-3 apiece. Cian Doyle opened the scoring in the first minute and added his second within 60 seconds. The O’Connells ace notched his third first-half point from a free and Roche’s Niall McArdle made a super save to deny the Metropolitans a first-half goal. The Dubs started the second half brightly with a freak goal and a point but St Patricks attacker Daragh Lafferty’s three-pointer ensured that the sides were level again with ten minutes remaining, 1-5 each. Naomh Mairtin clubman Wayne Campbell had kept the Wee County in touch with two pointed frees. Substitute Dean Maguire (Dundalk Young Irelands) pointed in the 57th minute to raise hopes of a famous home win but the referee overlooked an obvious foul on another sub, Josh Arrowsmith (Geraldines), before Dublin levelled through Con O’Callaghan.

Maguire and O’Callaghan traded points in the first period of extra time but Dublin stole victory by adding two unanswered scores in the second additional ten-minute period. Louth had certainly been unlucky not to win in normal time but they would at least have a second chance in the loser’s group and they could go into that game full of confidence on the back of this solid effort… Louth (2013 Leinster MFC V Dublin): Niall McArdle; Ryan Trainor, Ross Murphy, Conor Lenihan; Sean McConnell, Eoghan Lafferty, Dylan

there was provided by Wexford, who had lost to Westmeath in the first round proper before recording a decisive win over Carlow in the back door. At Enniscorthy on May Day, the Model County produced a real Houdini act to stun Louth and send them packing from the championship on a 1-15 to 211 scoreline. That the match was another absolute thriller and that they had contributed enormously to the spectacle was of no consolation to Thomas McNamee’s crestfallen charges at the final whistle. Having to travel all the way to

Louth minor manager Tomas McNamee

Lynch; Wayne Campbell (0-2), Joseph Hanna; Dara Hamill, Robert Curran, Conor Carthy; Daniel McKeown, Cian Doyle (0-3), Daragh Lafferty (1-0). Subs: Josh Arrowsmith for D McKeown; Dean Maguire (0-2) for C Carthy; Ciaran O'Connor for R Trainor; Emmett Duffy for C Lenehan; Conor Reilly for E Lafferty; Derek Williams for D Lynch. In the loser’s group, Louth got a bye to the second round. Their opposition

Enniscorthy mid-week was certainly demanding and in the end it proved to be a bridge too far for the unlucky Reds. With a provincial quarter-final place up for grabs at Bellefield, the home team built on their win over Carlow the previous week to progress to the last eight. The victors had been stunned when Cian Doyle’s goal gave the visitors a three-point lead with four minutes

Minor Football designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:31 Page 5

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remaining but they replied in style with an Eoin Roche major before Jamie Carty clinched the win with a late, late point. Louth led by two points at the break, 0-7 to 0-5, and that advantage could have been greater had not a few presentable goal-scoring opportunities gone astray. The Model County started efficiently and roared into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead - with Niall Hughes, Cormac O'Rourke and Donal Shanley on target - but Louth never lost their composure and had points from Dara Hamill, Cian Doyle (his second) and Daragh Lafferty as they moved ahead by the minimum, 0-4 to 0-3.

nell

Shane McCon

Doyle was proving to be a real thorn in the Wexford side and he twice came close to finding the net, with one shot crashing back unluckily off the underside of the crossbar. The next four points were shared with Shanley and Paudie Barden pointing for the Slaneysiders before Hamill and Laverty replied for Louth to leave the visitors still leading by one, 0-6 to 0-5, with five minutes left in the first half. Doyle added another Louth point with the last kick of the first half, to double the away side’s advantage at the

break. Josh Arrowsmith clipped over a brace of points for Louth upon the restart to open up a four-point gap but Wexford then rallied with three unanswered scores to close the gap to one. However, Clan na Gael’s Robbie Curran momentarily put paid to that revival when he drilled a 39th-minute shot low to the back of the net - 1-9 to 0-8 and Louth now looked likely winners. Shanley pulled back a Wexford free to keep things interesting and the same player then added a point from play - as did Barden - to set up a grandstand finish, with just a point

Cian Doyle ge

ts the better

between the sides early in the fourth quarter. Wayne Campbell clipped over a close-range free in the 49th minute to double the gap and Doyle added another after good work by substitute Dean Maguire - 1-11 to 0-11 with ten minutes left and again Louth looked like winners! Centre forward Jamie Carty replied with an excellent Wexford point and Shanley then tapped over a 52ndminute free after Eoghan Lafferty was penalised. Full forward Barden tied the scores

up again but - amazingly - with four minutes to go – O’Connells clubman Doyle hammered the ball to the top corner of the net to make it 2-11 to 014. For the fourth time in the second half, Louth had established a threepoint cushion. Incredibly, for the fourth time, Wexford would wipe it out – only this time they went on to add the crucial lead point right at the death… Corner forward Eoin Roche replied immediately with a three-pointer for the never-say-die Model County and Carty then dropped over a winning Wexford point much to the obvious delight of the home crowd, 1-15 to 2-11 after 58 minutes.

of Dublin's Ga

vin Gallagher

in Drogheda

That was the final score as Wexford claimed a dramatic win and Louth’s year ended in bitter disappointment. Louth (2013 Leinster MFC V Wexford): Niall McArdle; Ryan Trainor, Conor Lenihan, Emmett Duffy; Sean McConnell, Eoghan Lafferty, Dylan Lynch; Wayne Campbell (0-2), Joseph Hanna; Dara Hamill (0-2), Robert Curran (1-0), Ciaran O'Connor; Josh Arrowsmith (0-2), Cian Doyle (1-4), Daragh Lafferty (0-2). Subs: Dean Maguire for C O’Connor; Ryan Burns for D Lafferty; Conor Carthy for D Hamill.

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REFEREE AWARDS PRESENTATION NIGHT

Siobhan Keenan (Anchor Tours) presents new bags for the Louth referees to Pater Bannon and Michael Boyle with Gerry Connor (Anchor Tours) also on hand

Referee of the Year Kevin Brady with Michael Boyle and former referees Seamus Thornton and Gerry Malone

irman, ard vice-cha his e, county bo Declan Byrng Stephen Johnston with al nior fin presentin reeing the se awardÂ for refe

Paul Drumm (senior hurling final referee) receives his award from Declan Byrne

Kevin Brady receives the Refere Year award fro m Michael Boe of the yle

an David Loughr on final referee Intermediate s award from Peter Bann receives hi

Minor final referee Gerry Connor receives his award from Liam O'Neill

Minor hurling receives his final referee Kevin Brady award from Pa ul Burke

iving referee) rece Â (junior final s Kevin Levinsard from Paddy Matthew his aw

U16 championship final referee Jonathan Conlon receives his award from Michael Boyle

U14 champion Murphy rece ship final referee Stephe ives n O'Neill of the his award from Liam Louth minor board

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Derek Crilly driving Louth forward

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OBITUARIES

FRIENDS WE LOST Jimmy Mulroy (Drogheda) From the youngest age, Jimmy Mulroy had a great passion for gaelic games so much so that he would develop into one of the greatest footballers the Wee County ever produced. Having excelled in the street league, he joined Newtown Blues in 1958 and would give them a lifetime’s service. Jimmy made an immediate impact, winning minor and junior championship medals in his first year with the Well Road club. Between 1961 and 1974, he would collect an amazing total of nine Louth SFC medals – a county record shared by Jim and three team-mates from that magnificent Blues team. He played in five different positions on those nine championship-winning teams! During over a decade in the Louth colours, Jimmy Mulroy made the No.3 shirt his own and he had no shortage of skill, style and judgement to go with his undoubted physical presence. A fair and sporting footballer, Jimmy was also selected to represent his province in the Railway Cup. Making 28 consecutive appearances for Louth at full back, Jimmy enjoyed many great tussles with Down legend Sean O’Neill over the years. At the other end of the field, he was also a very capable forward. During the course of his 103 appearances for Louth, he actually started up front 31 times, amassing 666 (including a goal on his debut against Laois in the national league at Ardee in November, 1959). He was the Wee County’s top scorer in 1962/63, notching 1-6 against Wicklow in the Leinster championship (and six points from midfield against Offaly in the league). In February, 1972, just three months before his retirement, Jimmy became just the third Louth man to record 100 intercounty appearances. He was appointed Louth manager for the first time in January, 1973 at the age of 32 and again in the early ‘80s, and was at the helm for 52 matches in total, winning 30 of those. An O’Byrne Cup winning captain with Louth in 1963, Jimmy was also well known in public life and was a member of Fianna Fail for over 30 years,

contesting local and general elections. A true giant of Newtown Blues GFC, Jimmy Mulroy will be sorely missed and never forgotten by all those who knew him.

Jimmy was one of the greats of Louth football. The following is an interview we carried out with the Blues’ star back in 1994: Jimmy Mulroy Arriving too late for that ’57 success but Louth G.A.A. folk will always remember. The odds on Louth claiming this year’s Leinster title are diminishing as steadily as the weeks pass to the Leinster Final itself. A win (albeit only by a point) over Westmeath was followed by that recent emphatic triumph over Carlow in Drogheda and now the stage is set for a semi final joust with Dublin or Kildare. The big victory over Carlow certainly caught the attention of many people who look upon the Louth team as one filled with potential, just waiting to be fulfilled. One man who was greatly encouraged by their recent performances is former Louth star Jimmy Mulroy. For most of his fifty-something years Jimmy has supported, or played in Louth teams and like many of his contemporaries he remembers with nostalgia the All-Ireland winning year of 1957, but the 1994 model, he says, certainly has promise. "This Louth team are very good, they are maturing into a very good Division Two National League team and a lot of the young players are developing into top class footballers. On their day they are good enough to give any team a run for their money". In his own long and distinguished career, Mulroy emerged as one of the most talented players produced by Louth in recent times. Unfortunately he was not to get an opportunity to play in the All-Ireland final as Louth failed to reproduce the magic of ’57 but enjoyed unprecedented success at club level, helping his club, the Newtown Blues (based in Drogheda) to a record nine

county Championships during the 60s and 70s. He was also the Louth coach for two separate spells in the mid 1970s and again in ’80s. These days Jimmy plays a quieter role, preferring to watch games rather than take an active involvement, although his duties as a member of Drogheda Corporation and an active political life not to mention his job of running his own firm, M. & L. Manufacturing, leaves him little spare time. Born in Drogheda, Jimmy has lived in the coastal town all his life, playing gaelic football in the local Street League as a youngster before joining Newtown Blues in whose colours he was to enjoy many of his most memorable moments in the game. In his youth Mulroy was no mean soccer player either but at 17 the terms of the infamous ban meant the choice had to be made between Gaelic and soccer. "I decided to put my lot in with Gaelic football and it is a decision I have never regretted". The Drogheda native was just developing into a fully mature footballer when Louth emerged from the blue to claim the 1957 All-Ireland, defeating Cork 1-9 to 1-7 in the final. This was only the third occasion that the Wee County had won the Sam Maguire (1910 and ’12 were the two previous years) and their achievements whipped up a whirlwind of interest in gaelic football. The buzz around the north-east before and after the final left a lasting impression, particularly on a young man who already had a passionate interest in the game. Jimmy Mulroy has every reason to remember the stars of ’57 simply because he played with many of them. Two years after Louth won the title Jimmy made his Senior debut for Louth as a 19 year old, after playing two years with the county Minors. Some indication of Mulroy’s ability can be gauged from the fact that once in the Louth squad he remained there for the following twelve years, appearing in a variety of positions mainly midfield and full-back. The closest Louth came

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to glory during those years was a Leinster final appearance in 1960 when they were defeated by Offaly by single point, 0-10 to 1-6. On the club front it was a different tale, however, as the Blues dominated the local football scene with most of the nine county titles coming in a glorious spell in the 1960s, included a record bursting fourin-a-row in the early part of the decade. The dominance of the Blues came about through a combination of qualities that separated them from the rest, including a group of highly motivated and talented players whose primary concern was honours for the club rather than glory for themselves. "We had a brilliant team in those days with some very talented footballers but there were no prima donna’s, all the players were treated in exactly the same way. There was no special treatment for the county players, if you didn’t turn up for training during the week you ended up on the sideline on a Sunday.. The club mentors were also tremendous people and totally committed to the club, they gave 100% just like the players. It was this level of commitment and a well balanced team that made the club great during those years", he asserts. In addition to his Senior county titles, Mulroy won a host of other honours with the Newfoundwell based outfit including many O’Donnell Cup (League) medals. It is as an intercounty player, however, Jimmy Mulroy was better know to G.A.A. fans throughout the country even though Louth, while always capable of knocking out the big guns, rarely managed to make a big impression in the Leinster Championship. The Drogheda player captained Louth for a number of years "mainly because the Newtown Blues did so well" and was selected at right half forward for the Leinster team beaten by Ulster in a Railway Cup final in 1964, one of only Louth players to make it onto that particular team, the other being the renowned footballing talent, Frank Lynch. Louth’s annual knack of making an early Championship exit finally prompted Jimmy Mulroy to retire from intercounty football. Hard training would be done in preparation for the Championship but invariably the Wee County would fall at the first hurdle. However, just as the Newtown Blues star stopped playing for Louth the newfangled job of "team manager" was

made available and he was asked to fill the breech, with new powers. The manager was given complete authority to appoint an assistant manager and trainer and he had complete control over team selection. There was also an advisory group set up to meet with manager at least once a year and put forward proposals on new players and tactics. "The Louth County Board had set up a commission to investigate how they might improve football in the county and one of the conclusions they came to was to appoint a coach with complete control over their affairs so I was asked to take the job and I did. That was in 1973 and Louth was one of the first counties to appoint a manger, I don’t think Dublin had appointed Kevin Heffernan by that stage". Although Mulroy was still a young man, just 32, well capable of continuing his own career in the red shirt, he took over the reins of management and did so with considerable success helped greatly by a vision of what he wanted to achieve. The highlights probably occurring running in 1975 when the men in red jerseys ousted National Football League champions Meath in the opening round before putting up a spirited performance to the star studded Dublin XV of that era. "For three years, 1973, ’74 and ’75, I was manager and I tried to get the team to play a different brand of football. I wanted the team to play as a unit, to get players to run off the ball, creating space for others. Above all I encouraged player to use their natural ability, I never wanted to inhibit any player but it was also important for players to stick to a team plan. I enjoyed the three years as coach and we beat Dublin in 1973 after a replay. We beat them by a point and of course, the following year they went on to win the All-Ireland". At club level the Drogheda man has also successfully managed Oliver Plunketts in the early eighties when they won two Junior and an Intermediate Championship and his beloved Newtown Blues and spent a second term as Louth boss in the early 80s. But time was always a precious commodity with the busy company executive, especially after 1984 when politics began to play a bigger role in his life. In ’85 Jimmy was elected to the Louth County Council and Drogheda Corporation on the first count and a

recent local election saw him retain his seat. Married to Chris with two daughters Caoimhe and Christine and one son Cormac, who also play for the Newtown Blues, Jimmy Mulroy continues his love affair with gaelic football in general and Louth football in particular and little would please him more than to see the Wee County pick up another Leinster title and go on to even greater things.

Shane Dawson (Ravensdale) There was a tremendous sense of sadness throughout the county on February 13th, 2013, when news spread of the passing of 40-year-old Shane Dawson of 4 Siul Na Mara, Lower Point Road and formerly of Ravensdale. The youngest of three sons of Pat and Margaret Dawson, Shane was a keen sportsman and fitness enthusiast, participating in many sports, including gaelic football, cycling and running and completing the Dublin City Marathon as a teenager. He had a distinguished career with St Patrick’s, winning a Louth MFC medal in 1990. We, at Lynn Group, were lucky to have Shane’s presence in our workplace for a spell back in the mid 1990’s. A friendly and considerate person, he volunteered to help out at the 2003 Special Olympics when Dundalk hosted Greece. Shane married Louise in 2004 and became father to Cara in 2006 and Cian in 2012. A loving family man who achieved much during his short life, he bore his illness with great dignity and determination and leaves behind many fond memories to all those who were fortunate enough to have known him. St Patricks GFC provided a guard of honour as his remains were taken to St Joseph’s Redemptorist Church.

Adrian Donohoe (Lordship) Friday, January 25th, 2013 will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of St Patrick’s GFC. That night, one of the club’s most treasured members, Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, was murdered while carrying out his duties of protecting the local community. Adrian had been a brilliant footballer with the Pats – winning senior league and championship honours – and was heavily involved in coaching the club’s nursery players, the U7s, who looked up to ‘Big A’ with tremendous respect. Adrian’s native Kilnaleck community,

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all of County Cavan, Lordship, everybody in Louth and indeed the entire population of Ireland were shocked and sickened by the brutal murder. Husband to Caroline and father of two young children – Amy and Niall - the 42-year-old Kilnaleck native was renowned as a pillar of the community in his adopted Louth, having spent his entire working life serving in Dundalk Garda Station. Adrian was a hugely-gifted footballer who excelled with Crosserlough, the Cavan minors and U21s, and latterly with St Patrick’s, Lordship. Adrian’s father Hugh was part of the great Crosserlough seven-in-a-row side, while – standing at 6’5” – Adrian himself was a gifted midfielder who could also do serious damage up front, if utilised there. Described by everyone who knew him as a gentle giant, he scored the winning goal for Crosserlough in the 1989 Cavan county U21 final and also won a minor title that year. In 1991, he added another U21 medal. The tributes that poured in for Adrian from the sporting world and the political spectrum in the aftermath of his death reflected the high esteem in which he was held not just in Cavan and Louth but on the national stage also. In the Wee County, Adrian joined the Pats in 1997 and was a member of the St Patricks team that brought the Joe Ward Cup (SFC) to Lordship in 2003 – as well as an ACC Cup the previous year - and he went on to serve the club with great distinction as an underage coach. A great role model in St Patricks, where he had just been appointed as Og Sport Director, the Cavan man also pulled on the red jersey of Louth at junior level. During his all-too-short time amongst us, Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe touched the lives of many. Adrian was honoured with a state funeral and his love of the GAA was demonstrated when he made that final journey. As the cortege passed the St Patricks pitch, Aidan’s coffin was carried by his family, friends and colleagues to his final resting place. Among those to have this honour were his friends from St Patricks, who were reigning county champions at the time. Jim Downey (Drogheda) Jim ‘Skinner’ Downey from Ship Street played underage football with the Marsh Road Street League team before being invited by Jacko Smith to join Newtown Blues in 1966. At that

time, the Blues were very much the dominant force in Louth football. Displaying scorching pace and a bullet of a shot, Jim quickly made the No.10 jersey his own and it was he who slotted home the decisive goal against St Marys in the 1970 county SFC final. In total, Jim collected four county medals with the Blues and he also represented the Newfoundwell club at Croke Park – in the 1971 Leinster club final. Jim was very proud of the nickname ‘Skinner’, which he inherited from two of the Blues’ great players of the 1930s – Skinner McDonnell and Skinner Caffrey. Jim’s legacy with the Blues continues: his grandson Ciaran ‘Ciza’ Downey was Man of the Match on the side that won this year’s Louth U16 FC final. Jim Cousins (Dundalk) Former councillor Jim Cousins passed away on November 14th, 2013, aged 76. Jim had begun his political career as a member of Fianna Fail but resigned from the party and in 1991 became the first Progressive Democrats representative elected to a public body in Louth. A tireless worker for charity and a former Louth County Council chairman, Jim lined out for Young Irelands in his youth and maintained a keen interest in sport throughout his life. Vincent Kerr (Stonetown) Annaghminnon Rovers GAA club was greatly saddened by the passing on January 10th, 2013 of club founder Vincent Kerr, who was 92. Vincent was one of the original members of the local club, which was formed in his sitting room. Before a proper ground had been acquired, he provided the team with a field to train in and was later inducted into the Annaghminnon Rovers Hall of Fame. At the funeral ceremony, an Annaghminnon flag was draped across Vincent’s coffin and club members formed a guard of honour.

Paddy McCabe (Drogheda) Wolfe Tones GFC lost a true legend with the passing of Paddy McCabe over the August Bank Holiday weekend, 2013. Paddy and his late brother Johno had been synonymous with the club. Paddy was part of the great Wolfe Tone Macardle Cup winning teams of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s (which produced most of the

club’s greatest players) and he also had the honour of representing Louth with distinction. After his playing days ended, he was often seen along the sidelines, helping out the next generation of Tones footballer. On any given day, he would be in McCabes shop on Duleek Street talking GAA with his many friends. Players past and present formed a guard of honour as Paddy was laid to rest alongside Johno in Calvary Cemetery. Paddy Boland (Dundalk) The late Paddy Boland of New Street, who died on January 23rd, 2013, aged 95, was synonymous with sport in the town, where he was a true driving force behind a number of GAA clubs and Dundalk Rugby Club. Affectionately known as ‘Bowley’, he represented the Isles of the Sea gaelic football club before joining Dundalk Gaels. With the Gaels, he starred on all three of their SFC-winning teams of 1942, ’45 and ’52. He was the last surviving member of the 1942 team. Paddy went on to become a GAA manager of note, serving Forkhill, Dromintee, Young Irelands and Na Piarsaigh along the sideline. As Paddy’s remains were brought to St Patrick’s Cemetery, a guard of honour was provided by assorted sporting bodies, including members of Dundalk Gaels and Dundalk Young Irelands. Davy McCoy (Ardee) Though Bradford is hardly a gaelic football nursery, the late Davy McCoy came from this part of Yorkshire to Ardee and served the Marys with distinction, on and off the field of play. He won back-to-back MFCs with the Marys in 1972 and ’73 and went on to represent both the Marys and Louth at senior level. Winner of two county U21 medals, Davy was on the St Marys team that defeated Cooley, after a replay, in the 1975 SFC final and completed the double by adding a Cardinal O’Donnell souvenir. A brilliant footballer with a great pair of hands, he also lined out in the SFC and O’Donnell deciders of 1978 and completed the set by winning ACC Cups both that year and again in 1983. After hanging up his boots, Davy went on to serve his club as a selector and his contribution to St Marys over the years was so substantial that he is fondly remembered in Pairc Mhuire as ‘the real McCoy’.

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John Carroll (Greenore) There was much sadness in the area when John Carroll, Whitestown, Greenore passed away on November 24th, 2012. While working in England, John had once had a trial with West Bromwich Albion. He played a number of sports including soccer, golf, pool, snooker, bowls and gaelic football. In 1947, he was on the Willville Stars side that beat Greenore to win the Cooley League.

Kevin Fergus (Dundalk) One of a family of five from the Point Road – Quay area of Dundalk, the late Kevin Fergus, Dunmor, Avenue Road was brought up as an ardent Sean O’Mahonys supporter. He represented the club with distinction and will be remembered as a very fine footballer indeed. Among the pallbearers at Kevin’s requiem mass in St Joseph’s Redemptorist Church were members of Sean O’Mahonys GFC, former work colleagues from Bus Eireann and collectors from St Joseph’s Church.

Sadie McCarragher (Greenore) A native of Dundalk who settled on the shores of the Cooley peninsula after marrying the late Tommy, Sadie McCarragher (nee Quigley) passed away on December 24th, 2012. Gaelic games was always a big part of Sadie’s life and her children Tony, Niall, Colm, Pearse and Joan all played for Cooley Kickhams and Louth. A guard of honour was formed by Cooley Kickhams, including members of the ladies team and committee. Patsy Myles (Ardee) There was much sadness in the local community when Patsy Myles of Stormanstown, Ardee passed away suddenly on January 5th, 2013, aged 74. Patsy was a stalwart of the Sean McDermotts club and was named 2003 Club Person of the Year. He attended as many games as he possibly could to support the men, ladies and the juvenile players.

Brendan Carthy (Dundalk) Roche Emmets stalwart Brendan Carthy of Killin, Brid-a-Crin, Dundalk was a very well-known figure in Louth GAA, who contributed enormously to gaelic games in the Wee County – particularly the development of the Centre of Excellence in Darver (which he designed). Born in Mullingar in 1957, he passed away on July 21st,

2013. Brendan’s family moved to Dundalk when he was a young lad and he initially played football for Dundalk Gaels before transferring to Roche Emmets. With the Gaels, he lined out at corner forward on the side beaten by Geraldines in the 1979 Louth intermediate championship final. After marrying Mary Lennon, who is part of a strong GAA family from Kilkerley (Mary is twin sister of the late Pat Lennon, who played for Louth and Leinster), Brendan emigrated to Australia, where he helped form a GAA club in the Melbourne suburb of Geelong. Upon returning to Ireland in 1989, he soon became involved with the local GAA club, with whom his sons Liam, Dermot and Conor play. Conor was also on the Louth minor team in 2013. One of the main architects behind the development of Louth GAA’s Centre of Excellence in Darver, Brendan devoted immeasurable voluntary time to the project and it was a source of immense pride to him when it was opened in 2007. During four years as chairman of Louth Minor Board from 2009 until 2013, he helped introduce Og Sport Lu and oversaw the development of underage football in the county to a level not previously seen. At Brendan’s funeral, guards of honour were provided by members of Roche Emmets GFC, Roche Emmets ladies, DKIT GAA club and the 2013 Louth minor footballers. Oliver Breen (Knockbridge) Formerly of Castlering, Knockbridge, Dundalk, Oliver ‘Ollie’ Breen passed away on July 8th, 2013. Working with CIE and then running his own taxi business, he became a popular figure around the town. Ollie loved gaelic football and lined out for Fane Rovers in his youth, winning back-to-back championship medals in the 1960s. He was an uncle of All-Ireland winning Crossmaglen Rangers and Armagh goalkeeper Paul Hearty.

Peter McArdle (Dundalk) Peter McArdle, Lower Faughart, passed away on November 6th, 2013. A member of a well-known and highlyrespected family, he was born in 1928. Peter was delighted to see his children and grandchildren get involved in sport, especially the GAA, and had been instrumental in the formation of the local Naomh Brid club. He always encouraged younger members of his

family to participate regardless of the code.

sport,

David Carney (Stabannon) The entire local community was plunged into grief by the passing at the age of 38 of David Carney, Bolies, Bog Road. David was born in Stabannon and spent most of his life there. He had been married only six years ago and had just finished building his new family home a little over a year before his passing. His illness was diagnosed only weeks before his death. In his youth, David played football for Stabannon Parnells and he was proud to have the distinction of scoring the first-ever point on the club’s newlyopened grounds. At his funeral, a guard of honour was provided by members of Stabannon Parnells GFC as well as pupils and staff from Stabannon National School. A number of David’s friends also escorted the cortege on their motorbikes. Michael Kerley (Dundalk) The late Michael Kerley passed away at his Dowdallshill home on December 3rd, 2012. A brilliant gaelic footballer in his youth, he lined out for Dundalk Young Irelands and Louth in the 1950s. In 1953, he was a member of Louth’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final panel. After retiring, he maintained a healthy interest in the game, especially his local Dowdallshill GFC club. Greyhound racing was the other great sporting passion of Michael’s life.

Paddy Callan (Monasterboice) Paddy Callan from Riverstown was a fine footballer, playing with distinction in the No.10 jersey.

Betty Rafferty (Ardee) From Slieve Breagh in Ardee, Betty Rafferty, who passed away on February 25th, 2013, was a member of one of the town’s best-known families. Betty had a foot in both camps, so to speak, as she was grandmother of both St Marys’ Robert Leavy and Mattock Rangers’ Christy Grimes, but she always supported and encouraged both in their sporting endeavours. James Quigley (Dundalk) The late James Quigley of Aisling Park was a member of one of the town’s best-known families. Having worked for Ravensdale Meat Company for more than 20 years, he took up employment looking after the Clan na

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Gael pitch and clubhouse.

Kevin Lynch (Aclint) Kevin Lynch passed away on June 10th. 2013 just a week after receiving a letter and cheque from president Michael D Higgins to mark his 100th birthday, which fell on June 2nd. Kevin was a founder member of Westerns GFC.

Patrick J Moynagh (Dundalk) April 6th, 2013 marked the passing of Monaghan native Patrick J Moynagh, Castle Road, who was aged 94. Paddy, as he was known, worked in the library service for all of his working life and is the only male to have held the position of County Librarian in Louth. In his youth, he was a keen handballer and footballer, representing Bawn and Bawn Erin Hopes respectively.

Mary Neary (Louth Village) Nee O’Rourke, the late Mary Neary of Monvallet House, Louth passed away on April 17th, 2013. Widowed at the age of 40, just ten years into her marriage, Mary coped courageously with very difficult circumstances when she was left to raise four children under the age of ten on her own. She was a member of a famous Inniskeen and Monaghan GAA family, with her brothers Frank and Oliver representing Monaghan for many years, while Paddy served as county treasurer for five decades. Peter Jones (Dundalk) On November 13th, 2012, Peter Jones Snr. of Marian Park passed away at the age of 87. Peter maintained an interest in gaelic football all his life and was a member of Clan na Gael GFC, regularly socialising in their clubrooms.

Gerard Kindlon (Carlingford) Former schoolteacher Gerard Kindlon, Monksland, Carlingford, who passed away on January 29th, 2013, will be remembered with great affection by all those in the Cooley peninsula who knew him. Gerard founded Cooley Youth Club and enjoyed a spell at Cooley Kickhams GFC. But it was in the development of schools football that he was most prominent. He coached many successful Boher NS teams down through the years and always encouraged girls to play the national game. Gerard loved all aspects of Irish culture – sport, music

and language – and was a man of great faith.

Kathleen Thornton (Haggardstown) Kathleen Thornton of Marlbog Road, who passed away on November 23rd, 2012, contributed greatly to community life in Haggardstown. Kathleen was always more than willing to do her bit to help out with the local GAA club, serving alongside the ladies who perform invaluable fund-raising and catering duties on behalf of Geraldines GFC. David McBride (Dundalk) David McBride, Ard Easmuinn, Dundalk passed away on April 18th, 2013, seventeen months after being diagnosed with illness. He was only 51. One of nine children of the late Larry and Kathleen McBride from St Mary’s Road, he served as a dedicated teacher for over quarter of a century. David was a member of staff at Patrician High School in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan for 20 years and, as guidance teacher, he sent many young people along the correct path in life. On the GAA front, hurling was his great love. As a young man, he represented Naomh Moninne and the Louth minors. He became actively involved with Moninne again when his sons Shane and Conor started to play and, as well as coaching, he served as language and cultural officer. He represented the club on Coiste na Iomana and worked with county development squads. David was particularly proud when Shane and Conor togged out together on the same Moninne minor team. As David’s remains were taken from his home to the Church of the Redeemer, members of Naomh Moninne Hurling Club provided a guard of honour.

Jim ‘Justice’ Gough (Drogheda) Born in 1936, Jim ‘Justice’ Gough was a true Newtown Blues legend. He was instrumental in developing generations of Blues footballers into fine club and county men and the high esteem in which Jim was held in Drogheda and beyond was reflected in the large attendance of GAA people who turned up to pay their final respects. A statement from the club observed: “Jim was a great Blues man that built up great football in the area, managing many of the great Blues players in their early years along with playing himself in the ‘60s and representing his club on

the Louth panel’.

Geraldine Flood (Dundalk) A member of one of the town’s bestknown families, Geraldine Flood of Cluan Enda passed away on August 27th, 2013. Geraldine had a keen interest in classical music and also supported Irish culture, language and tradition, most notably the GAA. Her late uncle, Seamus, served as Louth County Board and Leinster chairman.

John McCreanor (Ardee) The entire communities of Ardee, Drogheda and beyond were stunned, shocked and saddened in November, 2012 when news spread that John ‘Beachy’ McCreanor had passed away suddenly in his De La Salle home. A brilliant rugby player with Boyne RFC, Delvin RFC and Ardee RFC, ‘Beachy’ also represented Hunterstown Rovers with distinction in gaelic football. Patsy McKeown (Dundalk) Patsy McKeown of 17 Park Avenue passed away at his home on May 19th, 2013, aged 84. A decade ago, Patsy became the oldest organ recipient in Ireland when he received a kidney transplant. From Ballybarrack, he loved gaelic football and was an ardent supporter of St Brides and Louth all his life. Memorabilia from 1957 – including the All-Ireland final match programme – took pride of place in Patsy’s home. Members of St Brides GFC provided a guard of honour as he was laid to rest in Saint Fursey’s Cemetery.

Bernard Quinn (Jenkinstown) Galway native Bernard ‘Bernie’ Quinn of Rampark, Jenkinstown passed away on April 20th, 2013, aged 74. A keen follower of gaelic games, he supported the local St Patricks footballers and was also passionate about hurling, travelling to Croke Park for the 2012 All-Ireland final between Galway and Kilkenny. Bernie was a pioneer all his life. Gene Conroy (Dundalk) The late Gene Conroy, who passed away on Friday, October 25th, 2013, aged 74, gave a lifetime of service to The Dundalk Democrat. He held a lifelong interest in sport and played both gaelic football and soccer in his youth. Brendan Murphy (Dundalk) Brendan Murphy Snr., Riverside

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Crescent, Newry Road, Dundalk passed away on August 26th, 2013. Aged 66, Brendan was the youngest of 17 children born to Tom and Theresa Murphy from Cooley. He played football in his youth in Cooley and remained interested in sport throughout his life. Tommy McConville (Dundalk) Dundalk FC soccer legend Tommy McConville was also a fine gaelic footballer for Clan na Gael. Widely regarded as the best League of Ireland footballer of his era, Tommy played GAA as a young man at De La Salle but he was destined for greatness on the soccer fields of Ireland, Europe and beyond. Tommy Mac, as he was affectionately known, made a record 580 appearances for his beloved hometown club, winning three league titles and three FAI Cup winner medals during the late ‘seventies and early ‘eighties. Tommy, who played for Ireland six times, was also a loyal Clans man and won a senior championship with them in 1985 as well as being part of the coaching staff when they won the treble in 1993. McConville also represented Waterford and Shamrock Rovers in the League of Ireland and lined out for clubs in New York and Washington during the summer.

Paddy Lavin (Dundalk) Former Louth County Manager Paddy Lavin of Elm Park, Blackrock passed away on December 16th, 2012, aged 87. A native of Frenchpark in County Roscommon, he was a staunch supporter of the GAA all his life. Having played as a young man in Roscommon, Paddy’s love for the game became such that he never missed an All-Ireland final. After arriving in Dundalk, he joined the Dundalk Gaels club, whom he served as a tireless committee member, providing great assistance as they developed their grounds on the Ramparts.

James McLaughlin (Dundalk) From Pearse Street, Dundalk, James McLaughlin hailed originally from Ballyliffin in County Donegal. While he was working in Malone’s Pork Butchers on the Dublin Road, James hooked up with the Geraldines GAA club and he won a championship medal with them in 1939.

Nicholas ‘Nicky’ McCartney (Dromiskin) ‘Nicky’ or ‘Nicko’ of Church View, Dromiskin – a true legend of the Joes – passed away on March, 13th, 2013, aged 90. He was the last surviving member of a family of six born to Willie and Kate McCartney. Michael Kinahan from St Josephs sent us the following tribute to the club’s founding father: “If the Joes had a Mount Rushmore to honour their founding fathers, then Nicky McCartney would have been the first face to be carved into the stone! However, when the club celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2011 there was a painting commissioned to mark the occasion. The artist was given one instruction, not to include anyone’s face in it! The artist however had the good sense to defy the instructions and he included one face, subtly smiling out at anyone who looks upon it, not one of the club's great players, but its greatest ever clubman, the Nicko. Everyone was in agreement that it was a great call. The best word that has been written to describe Nicko is indefatigable! He was an absolute gentleman who loved the GAA in Louth and particularly the Joes. We all know that the word legend is too easily bandied about these days, but anyone who knows anything about Nicko will know that he was indeed one. Nicko could not remember a time when he was not involved with the GAA in Darver and Dromiskin. When the Dromiskin Unknowns won the Junior Championship in 1955 he was the treasurer. Five years later this club would merge with the Darver Volunteers to create the club we have today. Not only was Nicko one of the driving forces behind the amalgamation and the first secretary of the club, but he was also the one who came up with the name St Josephs. So from the very formation of the club it was his club, although he would have been far too modest and humble to have ever made such a claim. Throughout the years he served as chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, treasurer, county board representative, honorary president; in fact, you name it and Nicky has been it. Never afraid to get involved in all levels of the club, collecting at the gate, cleaning the field, to the highest levels of diplomacy. Although, it will be for his amazing abilities as a fundraiser that some will remember him best. As a club we have never seen the likes, his ability to sell

lotto and draw tickets the length and breadth of the parish and the county was unparalleled. This was best displayed in 1988 when the club launched a monster draw, as it embarked on the clubhouse development that we have today. The tickets cost IR£72 (old money, this would be worth about €170 in today’s terms), this was long before any celtic tiger, the country had an unemployment rate of over 16% (2% higher than we have today). But Nicko did not care for the economics of the situation, he sold an amazing 340 tickets! This was not a once off for the Nicko, he visited many a kitchen down through the years, travelling by car or on his bike, he did not believe in territorial boundaries and even sold tickets to close relatives of other committee members if they were too slow to get to them first. He happened to be ill in hospital in 1996 when the club won the Joe Ward for the first time in its history. Of course the cup was taken into him about an hour after the game, he met the captain Enda McKeown at the hospital door and much to the displeasure of his doctors later on, took off around the hospital like a mad man on a lap of honour. Indeed the last photo we have in our gallery of him was with the minor captains Alan McKenna and Alan Lynch bringing the Fr Larry Murray to visit with him in 2009. Nicko was not able to attend the evening festivities when the club celebrated its 50th anniversary. For these celebrations the community centre was turned into a museum for the weekend, with newspaper cuttings, books, programmes, jerseys, videos and photos spanning the entire 50 years of the club on display. On the Saturday evening, before the revellers arrived and as the last of the many workers involved put the finishing touches to the displays, it was tremendous to see the man himself arrive down to inspect all. For he had been a part of all of those years and it was great to see him take such enjoyment from looking back at the memories. Nicko was known throughout the county as a Joes man, he was the heartbeat of the club. However, he was also involved with Louth football and served for many a year on the county board finance committee and would have been seen at the gate of many a county championship match. He was a founder member of the Louth

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supporters club. He was honoured by the county board as clubman of the year on more than one occasion and if we had our way he would have received that honour every year. On the occasion of his 75th birthday he was honoured by the club and the function room was named after him. As you look upon the pictures in the gallery on our club’s website, you will notice two things about Nicko, he was rarely alone and he had the most enchanting smile. He was not a footballer himself, his own personal sport was cycling, for which he won a number of trophies. He worked for his parish in many ways and was also involved in the credit union. He took great pride in his garden. A gent, a great, a one in a million. He was predeceased by his wife Margaret and will be sadly missed by his family, his friends and his club.” Ar dheis de go raibh a anam St Josephs GFC

Michael Flood (Dundalk) Nineteen-fifty-seven All-Ireland winner Michael Flood of Annaloughan, Jenkinstown, Dundalk, who passed away on March 25th, 2013 at the age of 82, was the last surviving member of a family of nine from Park Street. He had the distinction of holding AllIreland medals in two different sports – gaelic football and table tennis. He lined out for Young Irelands throughout the 1950s, predominantly at midfield or on the 40, collecting an Old Gaels Cup medal when Naomh Mhuire were beaten in the 1958 final. The Dundalk man’s prowess had quickly come to the attention of the county selectors and he broke into the Wee County senior team in 1954. In 1957, he was one of six Young Ireland clubmen who featured on the Louth panel that won the Sam Maguire Cup. He had lined out at full forward in the Leinster championship wins over Carlow and Wexford and was an intrinsic part of the all-conquering group. In 1958, Michael travelled to New York with the All-Ireland champions. After his playing days ended in the 1960s, Michael worked in Dublin for a while. But, upon returning to Dundalk, he would serve the club in a variety of capacities, including treasurer, vice-chairman and assistant secretary. Having been instrumental in the development of the club’s new facilities, he was made honorary president of Young Irelands in 2003. Among the offertory gifts at

the funeral mass were his All-Ireland jersey. As Michael Flood made his final journey to Lordship Cemetery, his coffin draped in black and green, guards of honour were provided by Young Irelands GFC and surviving members of the 1957 All-Ireland winning team.

John White (Castletowncooley) There was great sadness on March 18th, 2013 when word spread of the passing of John White, Castletowncooley, Riverstown, Dundalk. A brother of the late Louth GAA legend Stephen White, John – who was an inspirational and committed family man – lived in Castletowncooley all his life. The gifts at his funeral mass at St Anne’s Church included a football, a deck of cards and John’s pioneer pins. A mark of the high esteem in which he was held across the local community was evident as members of both St Patricks GFC and Cooley Kickhams GFC formed a guard of honour as the Pats’ honorary president made his final journey. John was heavily involved in the GAA throughout his life, most notably with his local St Patricks club. Having played for Valley Rangers in his younger years, he was a founder member of the Pats in 1953. In 1960, he featured on the club’s first-ever championship-winning side. John had the distinction of also winning championship medals with Cooley, Darver Stars and Young Irelands. After hanging up his boots, he became a central figure in the development of St Patricks, serving in a variety of roles including chairman, selector and president. He was very much to the fore when the club opened its current Pairc Eamoin pitch and facilities in Lordship. John was especially proud on that historic day in September, 2003 when his son Sean captained St Patricks to their first-ever county SFC and he observed with great joy as they developed into the dominant force in Louth football. John’s other children, Gerard and Maria, also lined out for the Pats, having inherited their love of gaelic games from one of St Patricks’ all-time greats. Veronica Mulholland (Dundalk) Shock and sadness followed the sudden, unexpected death of 46-yearold Veronica Mulholland outside her workplace in Blackrock on March 19th, 2013. From Castleross, Castletown

Road, the Down native was very popular both in Dundalk and in the village of Blackrock. She was a keen camogie player in her youth.

Vincent Durnin (Dundalk) The late Vincent Durnin of 92 Point Road, who passed away on September 24th, 2013, had a great love of sport. Born in 1931, Vincie, as he was affectionately known, played for Young Irelands as a young man and he was good enough at gaelic football to earn selection on the Louth minor team. He was also a keen athlete and soccer player, who will be remembered as a great all-rounder. Vincie will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

Sean Murphy (Dundalk) The late Sean ‘John’ Murphy of 85 O’Hanlon Park was one of Dundalk’s few remaining blacksmiths. Sean passed away on March 13th, 2013. He played gaelic football as a young man at the CBS and also represented the Gaels. Although work soon took over, he continued to follow the GAA all his life. On the rare occasions he sat down to watch television, it was usually soccer or gaelic football that lit up the screen.

Elizabeth Shevlin (Haggardstown) Much sadness and sorrow followed the passing on September 25th, 2013 of Elizabeth Shevlin of Mayfield Drive, Haggardstown, Dundalk. A lady who bore many hardships in life with great dignity, Elizabeth was a keen sports enthusiast who played gaelic football and pool. Lily Savage (Dundalk) Elizabeth ‘Lily’ Savage of Mountain View Crescent spent most of her life in the Quay area, where she was a popular member of the local community. Lily, who passed away on April 8th, 2013, was an enthusiastic supporter of the GAA, particularly ladies football.

Nuala Ward (Navan) Originally from Dundalk, Nuala Ward passed away at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin on July 12th, 2013. Born in 1930 to Agnes and Patrick Kirk, Nuala had a great interest in sport, including golf and tennis (both of which she played with distinction) and gaelic football. An avid Louth supporter all her life, Nuala was at the 1957All-Ireland

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final and she spoke often of that neverto-be-forgotten and historic day for Wee County GAA. Matthew Reilly (Dundalk) A native of Kilsaran, Matthew Reilly of The Laurels, Dundalk passed away on March 8th, 2013 at the age of 85. Pat liked to watch sport and was amongst those who travelled to Croke Park to witness Louth’s historic 1957 AllIreland SFC win.

Gerry Grimes (Ardee) From Cookstown, Ardee, Gerry Grimes passed away at the age of 70 on February 25th, 2013. Living in Cookstown since the mid-1960s, he was an avid sportsman whose main sporting passion was the GAA. Gerry was a loyal member of Sean McDermotts GFC and he served the club at administration level with great distinction. He held many posts on the board, the most recent being treasurer. Gerry acted as Sean McDermotts representative to Louth County Board for 35 years.

Laurence Meegan (Dundalk) The death took place on November 4th, 2013 of Monaghan native Laurence Meegan, Cloneen Drive, Ard Easmuinn. Larry was in his 95th year and he was the last surviving member of the Inniskeen Grattans side that won the Monaghan SFC in 1948. A contemporary and acquaintance of Patrick Kavanagh, Larry represented Inniskeen at minor and senior levels, winning many honours along the way. He also penned the club’s history, entitled ‘The Inniskeen Story’ and once wrote that ‘football, camera and music’ provided most enjoyment in his life. Other sports he favoured were boxing and cycling. John Logan (Blackrock) John Logan, Main Street, Blackrock, Dundalk died on February 28th, 2013. He was aged 79. John worked for the ESB for 45 years, from 1952 until 1997. As a young man, he played a number of sports, including gaelic football, athletics, badminton and golf. He was a tireless worker and volunteer when it came to supporting and promoting Community Games in Louth.

Pat Hughes (Dundalk) On June 12th, 2013, Pat Hughes of Seafield Lawns passed away following

a short illness. Aged 69, Pat was one of nine children born to Patrick and Margaret Hughes from The Laurels. Pat, who spent his entire working life in PJ Carrolls, enjoyed strong ties with the Dundalk Young Irelands GAA club, which dated back to the involvement of his father, ‘Erin’, who served the club in a variety of capacities and was honorary president. Pat Hughes represented the Irelands between 1964 and 1970 and was captain in 1968. Dundalk Young Irelands provided a guard of honour at his funeral.

John Clerkin (Ardee) Born in New York in 1932, John Clerkin of 98 Cherrybrook, Ardee passed away on March 4th, 2013. John, who grew up in Purcellstown, was a member of the Hunterstown Rovers club, with whom he won several medals in his youth. He continued to support Hunterstown all his life and the club was very important to him. Members of Hunterstown Rovers GFC provided a guard of honour as his remains were brought to the Church of the Nativity in Ardee. Kitty Devlin (Drogheda) Born and raised in Glenview, Drogheda, the late Kitty Devlin passed away on September 29th, 2013, aged 81. Kitty attended many boxing and football matches when her brothers were competing. She loved the Newtown Blues and derived great joy from watching her nephews play. William Manning (Ravensdale) William ‘Willie’ Manning of Proleek, Ravensdale passed away on October 31st, 2013, just five months shy of his 100th birthday. Born in Liverpool to James and Julia Manning from Ardee, Willie was raised in Dundalk and had a great love of sport and music. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living holder of a Louth SFC medal, having featured on the Dundalk Young Irelands side that struck gold in 1938.

Declan Gerard Maguire (Carlingford) The late Declan Gerard Maguire from Irish Grange, Carlingford, passed away on September 9th, 2013, aged just 54. Originally from Newry, Declan was raised on the Racecourse Road in Dundalk and settled in Cooley following his marriage to Angela O’Dwyer in 1982. Sport was always a

big part of his life and Declan pulled on the colours of both Dowdallshill and Cooley Kickhams. He also lined out for the Bellurgan United veterans. At his removal, a guard of honour was provided by members of Cooley Kickhams GFC as well as former work colleagues from Diageo. Pat O’Brien (Dundalk) Pat O’Brien, who died on September 10th, 2013, spent most of his life in Dowdallshill. The second-youngest of a family of five born to Patrick and Brigid O’Brien, he grew up beside the local GAA pitch. He played for and supported Dowdallshill and was also a keen Dundalk FC and Manchester United follower. The prominent role both sports played in Pat’s life was evident at his funeral, where members of Dowdallshill GFC carried the coffin, which was draped in a Manchester United flag and Dundalk jersey.

Padraig Bellew (Dunleer) An acute sense of sorrow followed the passing of loyal St Kevin’s clubman Padraig ‘Pat’ Bellew of Paughnstown, Dunleer. Pat had a great local knowledge and this was always evident in his writings or contributions to conversations. A stalwart of the local GAA club, Pat worked extensively on the development and maintenance of the St Kevin’s pitch and clubhouse. Alongside Gene McDaniel, he also oversaw one of the club’s most successful underage crops, which was captained by Fergal Kavanagh. Pat was one of the four writers who compiled ‘The History of St Kevin’s 1949-1999’ and he was one of those individuals who could always be depended upon to complete small, thankless, behind-the-scenes tasks on behalf of the club. For example, one of his last contributions was to repair and replace broken and decayed seats in the stand – the sort of menial task that generates little in the way of appreciation but is the hallmark of all great clubmen. St Kevin’s submitted the following tribute to Pat: In Appreciation of Pat Bellew “Sadly Sep 18th 2013 saw once again the untimely death of a very long serving member of our club, Pat Bellew after a brave battle with a short illness. A year ago when the sad news of Pat’s illness broke it shocked the community and particularly St Kevin’s. Many

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members, players and supporters were saddened to hear that a man of such character and who was held in such high esteem would have to face a difficult battle with illness. I can truly say that meetings in Philipstown hall will never be the same without Pat. We all hoped that Pat would make a full recovery and return to our monthly meetings where his opinions and thoughts were always taken on board and greatly respected. He was a man who definitely wasn’t afraid to voice his opinion and tell you off, but a man you could never fall out with. At our meetings and after listening to discussions on new developments or other, his line would always be “Can we afford it?” or “How are we going to pay for it”. Of old stock he would not be in favour of letting there be a debt that could not be met. Pat was an active officer of the club and sat on many committees. He was treasurer from 1989 to 1997. He was never one for the limelight and hard to get in front of a camera lens. He was recognised in his early years as a very bright student, the evidence to that was his contribution to the book “The History of St. Kevin’s and District”. His research in detail of bygone days was exceptional. He believed in passing on to others all that he knew. One of the most successful underage team of St. Kevin’s was managed by Pat and Gene Mc Daniel with Fergal Kavanagh as captain. He wasn’t a player of note, but that didn’t hinder him on giving his opinion on how the game should be played or refereed (on some occasions having to watch the remainder of matches from a distance)! His greatest asset to St. Kevin’s GAA club was, of course his work on maintenance of both grounds and centre, and he would never ask one to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself. He was to bear his illness with great dignity, never losing sight of those around him who kept his interest alive in local happenings. He even showed great delight at the floor in the centre being repaired. This man was ill for almost a year, but in the end it came as a shock at his passing. When you sit in the seats in the stand at St. Kevin’s grounds, just remember Pat’s last active function for the club was to help and replace seats which were broken or decayed.

Pat lived a life of commitment to his family and to St. Kevins and even during his brave battle with illness he showed great support and commitment to our club. Pat was proud and took great pride in his club. He was a man that was very proud of the Red and Black jersey and of all both men and women who wore it. The large attendance at the mass and interment reflected the impact Pat had on so many lives in the community and the high regard for which he was held. The old saying that "time is the one loan that can never be repaid" could have been aptly applied to Pat, who gave so much of his own time freely and used his talents and abilities for the benefit of our club. He will be sadly missed at our grounds and club rooms.” Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. Barry Brennan

Rose Kelly (Dundalk) Much sadness was evident in the Fr Murray Park and Castletown areas of Dundalk when word spread of the death on August 31st, 2013 of Rose Kelly, nee Curtis. Born in 1922, Rose grew up in Castletown and was married to the late Pete from Knockbridge before moving to Ennis. Both were keen Louth GAA followers, who often made long journeys to see the Wee County in action. After Pete passed away, Rose returned to Dundalk and lived in Fr Murray Park. Rose always wished to see her native county appear in another All-Ireland final.

Tess Rice (Carlingford) Shock and sadness followed the sudden death at her home of Tess Rice from Mucklagh, Carlingford on September 4th, 2013. A native of Rostrevor in Down, Tess made Cooley her home and became a great supporter of the local GAA club. She derived tremendous joy and pride from watching her children and grandchildren line out for both Cooley Kickhams GFC and Roche Emmets GFC. The support she offered to the GAA throughout her life was best reflected in the fact that both clubs provided guards of honour at Tess’ funeral. Eamonn McGuire (Dundalk) Eamonn McGuire was a brilliant all-

round sportsman, who was a master of any sport he turned his hand to. A native of Galway and former Chief Fire Officer in Louth, he was capped eight time for Ireland in rugby and was the man who ‘scored’ a try against New Zealand at Lansdowne Road in December, 1963 which could have given Ireland their first and only win over New Zealand. But the referee was unable to see that the ball had been grounded and the All Blacks won by a point. As well as rugby, Eamonn McGuire also excelled in rowing, sprinting and gaelic football, representing Claddagh Gaels. After recovering from a broken leg, the former Connacht star helped Dundalk to a Towns Cup in 1970 and would coach them to another Towns Cup in 1987.

Patsy Byrne (Dundalk) Patrick ‘Patsy’ Byrne of Marian Park, who passed away on August 31st, 2013, was a member of one of Knockbridge’s best-known families. A keen and talented sportsman who worked for three decades as caretaker at Dundalk RTC (now DkIT), Patsy was originally from Stephenstown and lived for a while in Knockbridge and Louth village with his wife and family before settling in Dundalk. As a gaelic footballer, he had the distinction of representing St Brides, St Mochtas and Clan na Gael; Patsy was also a gifted marathon runner and golfer. He was the son of Maisie and Michael Byrne, who was deeply involved in the GAA scene in Knockbridge. Michael passed his love of the GAA on to his son and gaelic games were a constant source of joy to Patsy Byrne throughout his life. Michael ‘Bammel’ Malone (Cooley) The loss of Michael ‘Bammel’ Malone of Ardtullymore, Carlingford on June 29th, 2013 came as a huge blow to friends, neighbours and family as well as his beloved Cooley Kickhams GFC. He may have been relatively small in stature but Michael will be remembered as a true club giant. From an early age, Michael’s many attributes on the football field were apparent. He was fast, fit, nimble and extremely skilful and he went on to feature prominently on the great Cooley Kickhams side of the 1970s. After hanging up his boots at the end of a

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very successful playing career, Michael gave as much as possible back to the club he loved. As a coach, he had the honour of helping develop many Cooley Kickhams players – including his son Cormac and grandson Dylan! As a player, he won SFC medals in 1971, ’73, ’76 and ’77. Michael was captain of the 1977 Joe Ward Cup winning side. The following year, he served as team mentor as the three-in-a-row was completed. ‘Bammel’ came out of retirement in 1980 and helped the club’s juniors achieve championship success. Brother of current club chairman Gerry, he went on to serve the club extensively as a juvenile coach and committee member and was also a senior selector again more recently. Fr McEvoy Park was Michael’s spiritual home and he rarely missed a training session at the local pitch – never mind a match! His passing has left a huge void in the club that can never be filled but Cooley Kickhams know how privileged they were to have had this great clubman in their midst. Members of Cooley Kickhams GFC formed a guard of honour as their former captain made his final journey.

Shane Whelan (Monasterboice) The Naomh Mairtin club was devastated by the death in a road traffic accident on Sunday, October 27th of 19-year-old star player Shane Whelan. Shane, who lost his life when he was struck by a car crossing the old N1 at Donegan’s, was a brilliant young footballer for the local club and had a bright future ahead of him in the Mairtins colours. Among the gifts brought to the altar at Shane’s funeral mass were a football and his 2012 Minor Player of the Year award as well as his U19 schools soccer Player of the Year award. As ‘Wheelo’ was brought on his final journey, guards of honour were provided by the two great sporting loves of his life – Naomh Mairtin GFC and Albion Rovers FC, with his coffin draped in a Mairtins flag. A brilliant forward who had the distinction of captaining the Naomh Mairtin minors, Shane also won a Louth Colleges U16 title with St

Oliver’s CC and was voted Player of the Year in the school. Shane started playing football with Naomh Mairtin and Albion Rovers at the age of four and developed into a formidable footballer, known for his intelligence on the field of play. In 2012, he also operated as a third midfielder on the Mairtins’ all-conquering junior side. Naomh Mairtin submitted the following tribute: “Shane, or "Wheelo" as he was better known as, will always be fondly remembered for his infectious smile, his bubbly, happy-go-lucky character and his genuine love for life. A son to be proud of, a brother to look up to, and an absolute treasure to his extended family and countless friends, who were lucky enough to have had the pleasure of this true gentlemans company. A supremely talented young footballer, Shane's passion and dedication to Naomh Mairtin football club was unquestionable and unwavering. Wheelo was an amazing teammate to the lads both on and off the pitch. He will be sorely missed by everyone in Monasterboice. Shane has been described by so many people as a 'legend', and that he truly was. Cherish all of the wonderful memories you have of this remarkable young man, keep him alive in your heart and mind, and preserve the incredible legacy that he is leaving behind. May you rest in peace Shane and keep on living the dream.” In Appreciation of Liam Gaughran (Collon) Sadly June 29th 2013 saw the untimely death of a long serving member of our club, Liam Gaughran, after a brave battle with a short illness. Liam was a very keen sports person and enjoyed an array of different sports. He was originally a Glen Emmets member and was a valued player who togged out as a half back when they won the Junior 2 championship in 1983. In his more youthful days he was involved in the setting up of Collon Pitch and Putt and had a great interest in darts, hitting the bullseye many a time for his team then

known as Collon Mathews Lounge. But Whiteriver was where he settled, and St. Kevin's was his club of choice. Liam played a very active role in our club, taking on many important roles. He became the first Chairperson of the Juvenile Section as it stands today, following on from there he became Treasurer of the Juveniles and Secretary of the Mid Louth Cumann. He was a very hard working and dedicated man for the juvenile club. During which time he also showed great commitment towards the camogie club and proved to be a loyal supporter and an even better umpire. Liam lived a life of commitment to his family and to St. Kevins and even during his brave battle with illness he showed great support and commitment to our club. The old saying that “time is the one loan that can never be repaid" could have been aptly applied to Liam, who gave so much of his own time freely and used his talents and abilities for the benefit of our club. He will be sadly missed at our grounds and club rooms.” Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. - Damien Johnson, St Kevins GAA Chairperson. Frank Taaffe (Drogheda) Frank ‘Snag’ Taaffe, who passed away in November, 2012, was equally gifted in soccer or gaelic football. He was a member of the last Louth team to beat neighbours Meath in the championship. The year was 1975 and the Wee County saw off Wicklow and the Royals before losing to Dublin in front of a packed house in Navan. Partnering Peadar McParland at midfield, Frank came up against Brian Mullins and Bernard Brogan that day. An Oliver Plunketts clubman, Frank Taaffe represented the Louth seniors for a total of nine years, playing in a variety of positions in both attack and defence as well as centrefield. The greats of the game came out in force for ‘Snag’s funeral, as Oliver Plunketts GFC provided a guard of honour and the club’s great campaigner was given a fitting and emotional send-off.

We have endeavoured to include all Louth Gaels who passed away between the time of publication of last year’s Wee County Yearbook and the end of November 2013, when this edition went to press. Every effort has been made to ensure that all relevant deaths were included. However, if an omission has been made, we apologise sincerely. We offer heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of our departed. Thanks to all the clubs who assisted in compiling this year’s obituary list.

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WILLIAM ENGLISHBY

A LONG CONNECTION WITH FOOTBALL IN COLLON

By Sean Ross

Civil Service won by one point in the third match massive n one of the crowds went to see smallest parishes these matches in the in the Diocese of heat of those Armagh, Collon summers. stands between the In the 1980’s Old Mellifont ruins Ranafast Cup medals and today’s Mellifont were won, the Cistercian Abbey. Intermediate Standing on a hill, it Championship was is a village well won also in 1982. known by passing Willie became a motorists. In the selector but Collon early 2000’s Collon were hit by emigration represented by to America and also Mattock Rangers got losses to neighbouring to the Leinster senior clubs. But a Finance club final. Two men Committee with people that helped to like Michael Reid, and achieve that feat Dermot Clarke as were William Willie Englishby and Gerry Hanratty as Mattock Rangers get their chairman began to Englishby and hands on the Joe Ward Cup in 1992 work hard. A new pitch Brendan Reilly (RIP) surface, a wall, and William wants to League based tournament was won by new dressing rooms were put into dedicate this article to Brendan, Collon, and Damien Reid was on the place. Dolores (his wife) and Patrice and county minor team. So there was In 2000, Brendan Reilly was Nichole, his two daughters, writes steady progress being made. In 1969 appointed team manager and Willie Sean Ross. Collon got to the Cardinal O’ Donnell Englishby as selector. Newtown Blues Cup final, to be beaten by Newtown beat Collon in the senior final but William himself was born in 1951. In Blues, and the O’ Gaels Cup final - to players like Christy Grimes, David the local National School Mr. Bill be beaten by Cooley Kickhams. But it Brennan, John Hanratty, Niall Callan, Hanratty was helpful to all footballers. was the beginnings of Collon as a Gerry Hanratty, David Reid, Robert William played in the school Leagues. senior force in Louth. Brennan, Donal Geraghty and both Then Collon won the Under 14 South In the 1970’s when Cooley, St. Marys Willie and Brendan began to be fed up Louth Championships in 1962, 1963, Ardee, and Newtown Blues were with a lack of any real success. 1964, 1965. dominant, Mattock Rangers got to the Then the men from Mattock became Players like Dessie Matthews, Martin senior finals in 1973 and 1976, beaten really serious as a home built gym with Sherlock and Pat Bannon played with by Cooley on both occasions. Willie 30 weight exercises was installed. him - they were to form the nucleus was a sub each time. In 1976 Collon Willie told me that himself and Brendan of the 1973 Senior Team that reached won the Flood Cup beating St. Brides combed north Leinster for equipment the county final. Teams from Togher, 2-17 to 3-5. There were four and the club had to pay nothing for this Dunleer and Monasterboice played in Englishbys on this team - Michael, winter training gym. South Louth Championships. Collon Willie, Sean and James. They trained at Christmas time on the also won at Under 16 Level. In 1968 On the club front the Geraghty Cup hills, in the muck and in the snow. with the famous Jim “Doc” Butterly as was started to help get funds for the Willie trained the team up to April, and trainer, Collon reached the Louth minor new pitch/dressing rooms . Teams then Des Lane from Slane took over. Final. It is interesting to note that from Louth, Meath, Dublin, Cavan and Frankie Freely transferred from Slane, William was at right full back, Sean Monaghan played in this tournament. he became a major help at right half Englishby at wing forward, Michael Clubs like Civil Service, Syddan back/ centre field. Collon beat Clans Englishby at right half back. Having (Meath) St. Marys (Ardee) Cooley, St from Dundalk in the semi- final - the O' beaten Ardee at the emi final stage, Vincents, (Dublin) Collon, and Hanlons, Gerry Curran to name but a Cooley beat them in the final. Seneschalstown (Meath) with Ollie few stars played for Clans. They beat Willie became Service Man with Geraghty as captain. This writer the Brides in the final in Ardee - the G.E.C. Dunleer, and stayed there till remembers playing for Syddan against promised land had been reached. 1978. The Mc Kenna Cup - a minor Civil Service, Dublin - after two draws,

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At the Drogheda Independent All Star awards in the Boyne Valley Hotel in 2002, Brendan Reilly (front row, extreme right) picks up an award

David Brennan, Christy Grimes and Frankie Feely were outstanding. There were nine under 21’s on this first senior championship winning team. Willie says his mother, at 84 years, was at this game. Then followed the Leinster championship with two games against Starlights (Wexford). As Collon advanced to play the Offaly champions, Willie’s mother Margaret Englishby died. This period was very emotional for Willie. Next up was Moorefield from Kildare, Collon beat them and Mark Brennan scored two goals. The Leinster Final was played in Navan against Dunshaughlin with the Kealy Brothers backboning this Meath team. Dunshaughlin had more experience. Collon played below par and were beaten by five points. But a great 12 months. Never before to win a Louth championship and to then get to the Leinster final. Great credit is due to the players and to Brendan, Willie, Des Lane and Sean Reid. William and Brendan became involved again in 2005 after a short break from football. With Paddy Clarke as trainer and Damien Reid also on board,

Collon beat the Blues in the Senior Final. In 2006 St Josephs beat Collon. In 2007, 2008 both Willie and Brendan took a break. But Brendan was suffering badly from arthritis and football would have to do without his great spirit, dedication and work load. It is important to note that in 2002 Brendan Reilly got an All- Star Award from the Drogheda Independent in the Boyne Valley Hotel. Collon got Kit Henry to help out with the training and they won championships in 2009/2010. William was back as a selector in 2013, but on May 10th 2013, Brendan Reilly died after a long battle with cancer. He even went to Germany for treatment, but finally passed away in May. Brendan was also part of William’s business, which started in Beach Lane in 1978.

Willie with Brendan Reilly

They worked with Domestic Appliances and covered Louth/ Meath/ Dublin/ Kildare so North and Mid Leinster area. Willie said Brendan worked for him for 27 years, he was like a son. He was honoured to have him work for him, and also to have spent wonderful times with Mattock Rangers. Willie still has a thriving business at Beach Lane, Collon with William, William junior, Daire, his nephew and of course his good wife Marie who deals with all communications. The domestic appliances service industry is in safe hands. On the development of Gaelic Games, William said he would like to see more club championship matches. Also the late start for club championship games is not good for football. I made my way home through the White Mountains full of these great stories of a wonderful club Mattock Rangers. I will also miss Brendan because he was always willing to listen to football stories and everyone who knew him were so impressed by the way he coped with his illness. God bless his family in Collon.

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Brian Donnelly picks out the pass

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Ardee Cup designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:35 Page 2

ARDEE COMMUNITY SCHOOL

PLENTY OF SUCCESS FOR ARDEE CS

here was plenty of silverware in Ardee CS this year with both the senior and U14 sides delivering titles. The seniors claimed provincial and North Leinster C honours. In February Mountmellick Community School were defeated in the North Leinster Final. Played under lights in St. Lomans, Mullingar this was a game that was in the balance with ten minutes to go with Ardee winning by one point. In the final ten minutes however, Ardee took control of the game and won on a score line of 117 to 0-9. Three days after that win the team were back in action against Rathangan, Kildare in the Leinster semi-final. There was no evidence of tiredness, however, as Ardee Comunity School totally outplayed their opponents from start to finish. At half-time Ardee were six

Emmet Duffy raises the Leinster SFC C trophy

Leinster champions

points ahead thanks largely to a penalty and some wonderful points from man of the match, Ryan Burns. In the second half, Ardee continued to dominate and ended up winning on a score line of 2-13 to 0-7. The provincial final in March proved to be a one sided affair with Ardee Community School comfortable winners over Lucan CBS played on the astro pitch at Meath's Centre of Excellence, Dunganny. Ardee had this game closed out in the opening twenty minutes. Martin Duffy opened the scoring with a pointed free. Ryan Burns and Ryan Rooney followed up with like scores before Rooney netted twice to put Ardee 2-3 to 00 up. The Louth school finished the half with a brace of points from Conor McCullagh and Duffy to lead 2-6 to 0-3 at the break. For the opening twenty minutes of the second half it was all one

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way traffic towards the Lucan goal. Full forward Martin Duffy got in for his teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third goal while Rooney completed his hat trick on the 15th minute and got his fourth goal five minutes later. Conor Kerr was only on the field a minute when he broke through to for Ardee's sixth goal to put the issue beyond doubt. The final score was Ardee Community School 611, Lucan CBS 0-4.

captain (Sean McDermotts), Alan Matthews (Hunterstown Rovers), Neil Reilly (John Mitchells), Kevin Traynor (Syddan), Conor McCullagh (Glyde Rangers), Ciaran Scriven (Westerns), Terry Donegan (Mattock Rangers), Ryan Burns (Hunterstown Rovers), Martin Duffy (St Mary's Ardee), Ryan Rooney (St Mary's Ardee). Subs: Jake Stuart (Glyde Rangers), Peter Clarke (St. Mary's Ardee), Mitchell Keenan

Mary's Ardee)

The U 14 team played Cnoc Mhuire, Granard in their North Leinster Final in February. Ardee trailed Cnoc Mhuire for most of the match but in injury time however with Ardee trailing by one point a quick free was taken and Craig Corrigan blasted the ball to the Granard net. The final whistle went from the kick out and the celebrations

Ryan Burns in possession against Lucan in the Leinster final

Ardee scorers: Ryan Rooney (4-2), Martin Duffy (1-4), Conor Kerr (1-0), Ciaran Scriven (0-2), Terry Donegan, Conor McCullagh and Ryan Burns (01) each Ardee Community School: Niall Carrie (Hunterstown Rovers), David Carroll (St. Mary's Ardee), Michael Smith (Syddan), Paul Taaffe (Hunterstown Rovers), Conor Keenan (St. Mary's Ardee), Emmet Duffy,

(John Mitchells), Conor Kerr (Westerns). Also on panel: TJ Duffy (Sean McDermotts), Cathal Bradley (John Mitchells), Pierce Callan (St. Mary's Ardee), Danny Commons (Sean McDermotts), Aaron Keeley (John Mitchells), Donal Forde (Hunterstown Rovers), Liam Farrell (Hunterstown Rovers), Cormac Walsh (Sean McDermotts), Evan Keenan (St. Mary's Ardee), James Conlon (St

started. This was the first time that Ardee Community School won the under 14 North Leinster. The winning team was: Alan McGauley, Eoin Sullivan, Lorcan Dixon, Philip Traynor, Shaun Dawdall, David Cluskey, Conor Gillespie, Cathal Dardis, Nathan Murphy, Cian Commins, Aaron Devlin, Eolann Aiken, Shane Matthews, Craig Corrigan, Killian Scott.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

ON THE RIGHT ROAD

njoying a strong, long-term relationship with Louth County Council, John McQuillan (Contracts) Ltd. has played a major role in the enhancement and upkeep of the roads network in the Wee County over the past two decades and more. We met up with Terry McQuillan to take a closer look at this successful family business and its ongoing projects in County Louth. The McQuillan name has been synonymous with quality and excellence â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in terms of both materials and workmanship - for over a century, since the family business was established by John McQuillan in the early years of the 20th century. Today, Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great grandson Terry oversees an impressive operation, which has strong ties here in Louth, completing a

Quarrying is part of the McQuillan companies activities

number of high-profile projects for both Louth County Council and Drogheda Town Council. McQuillan Companies is a Northern Ireland based, fourth-generation family-run group of companies which incorporates a diverse range of activities including civil engineering, demolition, quarrying, hazardous and non-hazardous waste management, outdoor cleaning services and analytical chemistry. The individual companies that comprise the group are John McQuillan (Contracts) Ltd.; McQuillan Quarries; McQuillan Envirocare; McQuillan Analytical Services; McQuillan Skiphire; and Pattersons Outdoor Cleaning. Parent company John McQuillan (Contracts) Ltd is one of the leading civil engineering and road surfacing companies in Northern Ireland. Incorporated in 1953, John McQuillan

(Contracts) Ltd. has over the years established a reputation for quality, reliability and exceptional service. The company possesses the expertise and flexibility to carry out widely varying projects including - but not limited to - road construction and maintenance, surface treatments, car parks and environmental schemes, coastal and inland waterway works, demolition and sports pitches. John McQuillan (Contracts) Ltd. utilises its extensive experience, a skilled technical and operational workforce, broad range of plant and equipment resources and longstanding relationships with specialist partners to deliver projects to both the public and private sectors. High-profile clients from the public sector include DRD Roads Service, Central Procurement Directorate, various local councils and Education and Library Boards. With a focus on creating

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effective, long-term partnerships, the company aims to deliver high-quality levels of performance and valueadding construction services to all its customers and stakeholders. Furthermore, the company works closely with a small number of partners who support its core services through the provision of milling, road markings and street lighting installations. This work is supported by in-house supplies coming from McQuillans’ own Edentrillick and Budore Quarries. John McQuillan (Contracts) Ltd. also boasts over 50 years’ experience in surface treatment activities. It is a fully-registered member of the Roads Surface Treatment Association, with ISO accreditation including surface dressing specific Sector Scheme 13a. The most common type of surface treatment performed is surface dressing, which can be used successfully on all types of road from country lanes through to trunk roads. It provides a simple yet cost effective form of improving texture and skid resistance of the surface, arrests disintegration (thus extending pavement life) and seals the road surface from the ingress of water. Regarding the company’s activities in County Louth, Terry McQuillan began by explaining: “John McQuillan (Contracts) Ltd. essentially specialises in road construction, i.e. surfacing and civil engineering works. We’d mostly operate along what I’d call the eastern corridor – from Ballymena and North Antrim down as far as Louth County Council, Meath County Council and Fingal County Council. We’ve been working for Louth County Council since the early 1990s.” One of the earliest projects completed by John McQuillan (Contracts) Ltd. in the Wee County was on the Old Dublin Road, close to the Carrickdale Hotel. More recent work carried out in 2013 includes excavation, stoning operations, overlap operations and surfacing in South Louth and Drogheda as well as streets and smaller schemes like lanes leading up to Council-owned houses. They also carried out a 1km road resurfacing project on the N2 south of Collon for Louth County Council and the National Roads Authority. The nature of the economy is such

Demolition in progress

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these days that very few companies can afford to refuse work. However, even allowing for this, Terry says he has always been more than happy to work in Louth… “You have to go where the work is and then obviously you have to give your client value for money and quality. A lot of the tenders would be based on the most economical price and they are getting more square metres for their Euro. “I have to say, from my own personal experience, it is a real pleasure to work for Louth County Council. They run a very professional organisation and they are very helpful to work with. If any problems do arise, they will always work alongside you to resolve them, from the inception of the scheme through to completion. Terry McQuillan is also pleased to report that business in general is going extremely well: “The nature of this game is that sometimes you will be busy and other times you will be quieter,” he concludes. “But, thankfully, at the minute, we are quite busy.”

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Ladies designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:43 Page 1

LADIES FOOTBALL

NO FINAL APPEARANCE THIS TIME AS LADIES UP SHORT

fter the high of contesting the 2012 All-Ireland junior ladies football final at Croke Park, the Wee County were hoping to get back to that stage (and perhaps even go one better) in 2013. Alas, they didn’t quite get there, losing agonisingly to Wexford – who were their tormentors-inchief all year – after extra time at the semi-final stage. In the ladies national football league, Louth produced some encouraging performance but didn’t always get the rewards their sterling efforts deserved. They ultimately finished fifth on the Division Four table, with nine points from six outings. The points were garnered from

victories over Roscommon and Carlow and a walkover against Derry. At the end of the campaign, the Wee County had amassed a positive points difference of +28. The girls got their season off to the best possible start when defeating Roscommon by 2-10 to 0-12 in the first round of the league at St Michael’s in Drogheda on Sunday, February 3rd. St Patricks’ Kate Flood was in devastating form for the home side, accounting for exactly half of their winning tally – 1-5. Louth led by four points at the break, having had wind advantage in the first half. The Rossies made a fight of it but second-half goals from Flood and Gillian McDonnell put the game to bed, with Tara Lynch floating over three points.

Jenny McGuinness splits the Antrim defence in Drogheda

A fortnight later, Louth cemented their 100% record with a thumping 6-20 to 0-1 win over Carlow but the first sign of the wheels coming off the wagon appeared in Drogheda on March 3rd when reigning All-Ireland junior champions Antrim went home with a 411 to 1-11 success. To their credit, Louth battled gallantly to get back into the promotion race but were extremely unfortunate to suffer back-to-back narrow defeats at the hands of Limerick (0-8 to 0-7) and Offaly (1-7 to 0-8) at Dunganny and Newtown Blues respectively. In the Limerick game, on Sunday, March 24th, Kate Flood gave the Wee County a late lead but the Treaty girls clipped over the last two scores to win by the minimum margin.

Ladies designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:43 Page 2

The ladies senior squad 2013, front l/r: Danielle Sharkey, Kelly Cunningham, Michelle McMahon, Lauren Meehan, Jennie McCourt, Ann Marie Lynch, Patricia Marmion, Jenny McGuinness, Aine McGee, Eibhlin Rice, Grace Lynch. Back: Gillian McDonnell, Ciara O'Connor, Kate Flood, Siobhan McDonald, Sandra Lynch, Michelle O'Hagan, Una Pearson, Nicole Sheerin, Aoife Halligan, Katie Rafferty, Katie Ann Holdcroft, Susan Byrne, Michaela O'Boyle

Ladies designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 16:49 Page 3

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The Louth seniors on championship duty, front l/r: Aimee McNally, Michelle McMahon, Danielle Sharkey, Jenny McCourt, Eibhlin Rice, Grace Lynch, Patricia Marmion, Una Pearson, Ann Marie Lynch, Jenny McGuinness, Aoife Halligan, Marie O'Connell, Bronagh McGrane. Back: Katie Anne Holdcroft, Aine Breen, Ciara O'Connor, Kate Flood, Emma Singleton, Nicole Sheerin, Kelly Cunningham, Susan Byrne, Andrea Carney, Michelle O'Hagan, Rebecca Carr, Sandra Lynch, Siobhan McDonald, Michaela O'Boyle

In the JFC group stage, Louth lost to Offaly (2-12 to 0-5 at Tullamore on Sunday, July 21st) and Wexford (1-15 to 1-6 at Dowdallshill seven days later) but recorded an emphatic victory over Derry at Steelstown on Saturday, August 3rd, 1-13 to 0-4. This was enough to see them take their place in the last four but – depleted by injury they unluckily lost their semi-final to Wexford by four points after extra time at Clane on Sunday, September 1st, 0-15 to 1-8. So near and yet so far… In between the league and the All-Ireland series, Wexford had also provided the opposition in the first round of the Leinster junior championship on Sunday, June 30th. Manager Ciaran Marks pointed out before the match that he had a keen young squad of 28 players at his disposal, all of whom were keen to pull on the Louth shirt. They had given everything on the training pitch since the end of the league and were ready for the championship season. Against the Model County in the Leinster semi-final, Louth could consider themselves very unlucky not to progress to a final meeting with Offaly. The game was played in Bellefield and the teams were all-square after the hour. With 75 minutes played, it was 0-10 apiece but the hosts registered the last four points to progress to the provincial decider. But the Wee County still for to face the Faithful County – in the

first round of the TG4 Junior All-Ireland ladies football championship at O’Connor Park, Tullamore on Sunday, July 21st. Offaly were the Division Four champions and they hit the ground running to lead by 1-6 to 0-2 at the interval. In perfect conditions, the visitors mustered the first point of the second half through substitute Danielle Sharkey but Offaly quickly responded

Susan Byrne

with 1-1 and further Louth points from captain Grace Lynch and Kate Flood (free) were mere consolations. In Round Two, Wexford were in the opposing corner for the second time in a month, Louth made a bright start at Dowdallshilll on July 27th and were rewarded when Amy McNally got on the end of a fine team move to clip over the opening point of the match. After Wexford levelled, Ciara OConnor’s goal provided the home side with a massive boost. O’Connor added a point but, worrying, the Model girls were staying on their tails thanks to a series of close-range frees. Kate Flood and Eibhlin Rice added to the Wee County total but Wexford finished the half strongest to lead by 1-7 to 1-6 at the short whistle. Deflated to go into the dressing-room in arrears at the break, having been the better team, Louth never managed to recover from the concession of three points in as many minutes at the start of the second half. In the end, a nine-point defeat was harsh on Ciaran Marks’ team. Louth got back on track with a brilliant demolition of Derry in Steelstown on Saturday, August 3rd. Jenny McGuinness slotted the first two scores – a goal and a point – with the Oak Leaf girls clearly deploying a damage-limitation approach. After Susan Byrne struck the crossbar, Rebecca Carr and Kate Flood notched a point apiece and

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Sandra Lynch got Louth must have the next. A Flood sensed it wasn’t free and another going to be their Carr strike closed day when Danielle the first-half scoring Sharkey’s effort and it was came back off the comfortable at the bar. break, 1-8 to 0-1. The match ebbed The second half and flowed and continued in a extra time would be similar vein: needed after points McGuinness got from Siobhan Louth up and McDonald and running again and Susan Byrne left Eibhlin Rice and the full-time score Flood featured reading: Louth 1-7 Louth Ladies team manager Ciaran Marks with backroom team of Colin Titley, Barney O’Neill, Barry Teather, Karen Kane and Sharon O Donoghue prominently Wexford 0-10. amongst the The gruelling remarkable bravery and improvisation second-half scorers as a facile 1-13 to hour’s football and a spate of injuries to poke home the goal that assured 0-4 victory was secured. took their toll on the Louth girls in extra Louth of a deserved 1-4 to 0-5 halfBidding to qualify for a second time and they tired visibly as the time advantage, with Sandra Lynch successive All-Ireland final, Louth’s run Slaneysiders got on top to take their and Marie O’Connell dictating the pace was ended at the semi-final stage by place in the All-Ireland final. of the game. While the scoreboard familiar foes Wexford in Clane on the Louth, All-Ireland ladies junior football looked encouraging, Louth had first day of September. The match semi-final V Wexford: Una Pearson, started well for the losers as Kate suffered a massive double blow during Bronagh McGrane, Michelle Flood and Jenny McGuinness McMahon, Ann Marie Lynch; Aíne the opening half-hour when losing both registered the first two scores. Una McGee, Sandra Lynch, Aoife Halligan; Carr and Ciara O’Connor to injury. Pearson made a brilliant save and Grace Lynch (captain), Siobhan Pearson executed another fine save Flood and Rebecca Carr added to the McDonald; Rebecca Carr, Kate Flood, upon the resumption but Wexford Louth tally. Michelle O’Connell; Amy McNally, moved ahead with three points on the And Amy McNally demonstrated Jenny McGuinness, Ciara O’Connor. spin. Susan Byrne equalised and

Kate Flood taking on Antrim

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emarkable. That’s the word which best describes Geraldines’ 2013 season. In a year of unprecedented success, the Haggardstown club culled the intermediate league and championship double as well as the county minor football championship crown. And then to top it off, a Leinster title was claimed. Each of these victories represented a phenomenal achievement in its own right, so it’s hard to know exactly where to start when reflecting on the Gers’ utterly fantastic season. Just expect an avalanche of superlatives in the review that follows… It would have been a great year had Geraldines annexed even one of the three Louth trophies. County minor football title; Division Two league crown; intermediate football championship … all massive, massive competitions and worthy, hard-won prizes. To claim all three during the

GERALDINES course of one season is bordering on the ridiculous. This was the stuff of fairytales. Except fairytales are made up and the rewards reaped by Geraldines in 2013 were the real and tangible fruits of hard work, diligent preparation, insatiable hunger, steely determination and nolittle skill. To be fair, you couldn’t make it up! With three of the most coveted pieces of silverware in the Wee County due to spend the winter safe and snug in a crammed McGeough Park trophy cabinet, everybody in the Haggardstown / Blackrock community can reflect on the season gone by with tremendous satisfaction and pride. The highlight of a momentous year came at Dowdallshill on Sunday, October 6th when Eamonn McEneaney’s charges simply blew near-neighbours St Brides out of the water in the 2013 Louth IFC decider, 215 to 2-5. They may have lost to the Knockbridge men at the group stage of

the competition but, when it mattered most, a powerful and focussed Geraldines surged to glory. Geraldines went into the county final as favourites and they more than justified this mantle with a devastating display from the first minute to the last, putting the match to bed long before the half-time whistle had sounded. The players left absolutely everything out on the St Brigid’s Park pitch, making light of the greasy conditions to leave their opponents reeling under a barrage of brilliance. Nowhere was this more evident than in the stunning performance of centre forward Jim McEneaney, who plundered an amazing tally of eight points during the first half alone. But the Gers won all the personal duels on the day and Man of the Match Gerard Hoey also led by example from centre back, rallying and inspiring his colleagues as the considerable Brides threat was snuffed out ruthlessly. Midfielders Michael Rogers and

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GERALDINES 2013

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Jim McEneaney raises the Leinster club IFC Cup at Parnell Park

Dillon Kresa receives the minor final man of the match award from Barry Cullen of JR Autoparts Newry Road

Minor captain Josh Arrowsmith lifts the Fr Larry Murray Cup

Stephen Reidy were immense, their craft, industry and intelligence ensuring that the Geraldines had a monopoly on controlled possession. They then had the forwards to translate that dominance into scores, as McEneaney and goalscorers Shaun Callan and Glen Traynor chipped in with the finishes which confirmed that the Seamus Flood Cup - and senior football! - was on its way to McGeough Park. Superb both with and without possession, Geraldines had two McEneaney points on the board before Shane O’Hanlon produced a good save from Brides goalkeeper Darren Breen. McEneaney and Barry Hamilton made it 0-5 to 0-1 and the Brides closed the gap to two before Callan cut inside to hit the net via the inside of a post ... 1-9 to 0-3 at the break. Traynor reacted quickest to knock in the second three-pointer upon the restart, after Rogers’ initial effort was saved, and the game was over as a meaningful contest long before O’Hanlon, McEnenaey, Traynor and Hoey chipped in with further points. St Brides notched two late consolation goals courtesy of David Dunne but Geraldines were home and hosed and this vibrant, exuberant young team knew they had senior football to look forward to in 2014 long before the final whistle sounded. Geraldines, 2013 Louth intermediate football champions: Nathaniel Cooney; Sean Watters, Nicky Mackin, Tiarnan Hand; James Craven, Gerard Hoey (01), Kevin Pepper; Michael Rogers, Stephen Reidy; Sean Thornton, Jim McEneaney (0-9), Shaun Callan (1-0); Barry Hamilton (0-1), Shane O’Hanlon (0-2), Glen Traynor (1-1). Subs: Josh Arrowsmith (0-1) for B Hamilton; Patrick Hoey for S Thornton; Benny Connolly for S Callan; Johnny Breen for G Traynor; Aaron Murray for S Reidy. In many ways, the Division Two league success was even more spectacular, due to its very nature. After nine rounds of matches, St Marys looked home and dry as they had a 100% record and sat comfortably at the top of the table. Gers had 15 points from a possible 18 and could still win the silverware, mathematically, if they won their last two games and the Ardee man lost theirs… This was made somewhat more straightforward by the fact that the two contenders clashed in the penultimate

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round. And, at the end of an amazing match on Thursday, September 12th, Eamonn McEneaney’s double-chasing team came away with a 5-8 to 2-11 victory. Goals from Jim McEneaney (2) and Shane O'Hanlon propelled the winners into a 3-3 to 0-1 lead after just 13 minutes and the sides added just two more points each before the short whistle. The Deesiders closed the gap to three points at one stage but - in a game that saw three players sent off goals from substitutes Barry Hamilton and Johnny Breen were enough to set up a nervy final weekend in Division Two of the ACFL. The team on duty against the Marys was: Nathaniel Cooney; Sean Watters, Nicky Mackin, Tiarnan Hand; Kevin Pepper, Gerry Hoey, James Craven; Michael Rogers (0-2), Stephen Reidy; Benny Connolly, Jim McEneaney (2-1), Sean Callan (0-1); Glen Traynor (0-2), Shane O'Hanlon (1-1), Sean Thornton. Subs: Barry Hamilton (1-0) for G Hoey, Johnny Breen (1-1) for B Connolly. The final round of league games was played the weekend after the IFC final and, on a day that will long be remembered in Haggardstown, Geraldines completed the double in style. The needed to win against St Josephs whilst hoping that St Marys would slip up against their neighbours, Hunterstown Rovers, who had just won the JFC. It seemed unlikely that both results would go their way but, somehow, they did... The Gers completed their part of the deal, notching a thrilling 3-11 to 2-13 win over the Joes. And then word started to filter through of the Ardee club’s unlikely injury-time demise... Cue the celebrations! Glen Traynor and Michael Rogers slotted first-half goals against the Joes and Jim McEneaney came off the bench to strike the all-important third major. The Dromiskin men finished strongly with two late, late goals but substitute Dara Hamill’s point in between proved to be the decisive score as a famous double was sealed. Not to be outdone, the Geraldines minors – managed by Eamon Dunne and with Paul Reneghan, Barry Hamilton and Jim McEneaney as selectors - had clinched the MFC with a fabulous 4-9 to 1-9 victory over St Marys on county final day – Sunday, September 29th. It wasn’t looking particularly promising as the Gers trailed by seven points at the interval but they delivered a rousing second-

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half display to reclaim the Larry Murray Cup. Captain and senior star Josh Arrowsmith led by example, plundering two goals as the minor title went to McGeough Park for the fourth time. This was Geraldines’ fifth MFC final appearance in seven years and they will have as many as seven of the 2013-winning team eligible for selection again in 2014! Dara Hamill was the winners’ only scorer in the first half, registering a fortuitous goal and a point – both from frees – as they trailed by 1-8 to 1-1 at the interval. Hamill and Paddy Geoghegan pointed after the restart and Arrowsmith then pounced for his opening major to give the men in green belief. When Hamill added three points and Paddy Geoghegan helped himself to their third three-pointer in the 41st minute, the Gers led by 3-7 to 1-8 at

Peter Kierans (Anglo Printers) presents Gerard Hoey with the IFC man of the match award

The Division 2 league winners

the end of the first quarter. Nine minutes from time, county minor Arrowsmith bagged the fourth goal and there was no way back for the shellshocked Ardee lads. Geraldines, 2013 Louth minor football champions: Dean Smith; Tim McGuinness, Ryan Trainor, Shane Murphy; Robbie Lynch, Jack Traynor, Dillon Kresa; Dan McSherry, Mathew Corcoran; Niall Craven, Dara Hamill (1-6), Conor McDonald (0-2); Vincent McKee, Josh Arrowsmith (2-0), Paddy Geoghegan (1-1). Subs: James Corrigan for Vincent McKee, Harry Cleary for Shane Murphy, Niall Jones for Conor McDonald. The battling qualities displayed by the minors (who saw off St Patricks/Cuchulainns st the semi-final stage) typified the club as a whole in 2013. The first team oozed the same impressive characteristics as they won the Seamus Flood Cup for the fourth

Annie Renaghan and her grandson Pauric at the IFC final

time – adding to the wins of 1979, 1995 and 2005. They reached the business end of the IFC after an indifferent group stage innings, crushing Glen Emmets by 6-17 to 1-11 but losing to St Brides by 2-8 to 1-6. It was at the quarter-final stage that their campaign really caught fire. At the Grove on Saturday night, September 7th, Geraldines trailed Dundalk Young Irelands by seven points at the break but staged an amazing second-half recovery to prevail by five, 1-16 to 111. Roche Emmets provided the semifinal opposition at Dowdallshill on Saturday, September 21st and Geraldines booked their place in the decider by virtue of a battling 2-10 to 1-9 success, with Glen Traynor and Shane O’Hanlon finding the net at the start of each half while the competition’s top scorer Jim McEneaney weighed in with another

Michael Rogers gets the better of Patrick Reilly

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Eamonn and Jim McEneaney with the Seamus Flood Cup

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five points. Space limitations preclude us from saying any more about what was a truly remarkable year for Geraldines, one what will live long in the memory and that will be hard to top. But, as we saw in 2013: if anyone can do it, Geraldines can! Watch them go in 2014…

LEINSTER EXPRESS

Not content with winning a magnificent 2013 intermediate championship and league double in Louth, Geraldines carried their outstanding domestic form into the provincial club championship and made history by bringing the Leinster IFC club crown back to the Wee County. This represented a truly stunning achievement for Eamonn McEneaney’s team, who got the better of opponents from Westmeath, Longford and Dublin to rule the province in style.

When a Leinster title comes to Louth, it’s a major, major story. In 2013, the honour fell to Geraldines, who did the county proud by capturing the Leinster intermediate club football championship, beating Naomh Olaf of Dublin after a replay in an epic final duel.

The Minor final victory celebrations get underway

Having been crowed Louth intermediate champions, the Gers opened their Leinster campaign against St Malachy’s of Westmeath at Haggardstown on Sunday, November 10th. Making little of the absence of injured attacking talisman and captain Jim McEneaney, the home side produced an exceptional display to prevail by nine points, 3-11 to 1-8. After a tentative start – understandable perhaps considering

the celebrations that must have followed Geraldines’ domestic double! – the Louth representatives got into their stride and from the moment Glen Traynor found the net in the second quarter, the result was never really in doubt. Second-half majors from Stephen Reidy and Sean Callan in the sealed the victory, which set up a trip to Wexford’s St Fintan’s the following Sunday. The Geraldines side that accounted

Geraldines celebrate with the Seamus Flood Cup

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Michael Rogers has Mark Noone for company

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(0-3); Sean Thornton, Johnny Breen (0-1), Paddy Hoey; Glen Traynor (0-2), Shane O’Hanlon (1-9), Barry Hamilton (0-1). Subs: Sean Callan for S Watters; Brendan Connolly for T Hand; Josh Arrowsmith (0-1) for J Breen; Dara Hamill for S Thornton; Liam Boyle for G Traynor. Geraldines wanted the Leinster final against Dublin kingpins Naomh Olaf to be staged at McGeough Park but their pleas fell on deaf ears and it was fixed for Drogheda on Sunday, December 1st. At the end of an incredible tussle, the sides finished deadlocked after extra time: 2-9 to 1-12, with Jim McEneaney returning from injury to strike four points after coming off the bench. His ‘45’ had forced extra time and his late free meant the sides would have to meet again. Glen Traynor bagged both Gers’ goals in the drawn game, a match in which the Haggardstown-Blackrock men had their mettle severely tested on numerous occasions but refused to fold. The replay was in Parnell Park seven days later and this time Geraldines made no mistake, roaring to a 0-13 to 0-9 victory to take the provincial title back to the Wee County – and in the process book a place in the All-Ireland club series next year! The winners tore into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead and led by double scores at the break, 0-8 to 0-4. But Olafs would have win advantage after the resumption… There was just a point between the sides with four minutes remaining but Geraldines kept their cool and late strikes from substitute Dara Hamill, Jim McEneaney and Josh Arrowsmith saw them take the silverware. The Geraldines team that made history by beating Naomh Olaf in the Leinster intermediate club football championship final replay at Parnell Park was: Nathaniel Cooney; Sean Thornton, Nicky Mackin, Tiernan Hand; James Craven, Gerard Hoey, Kevin Pepper; Michael Rogers (0-1), Stephen Reidy (0-1); Johnny Breen (01), Jim McEneaney (0-4), Sean Callan; Barry Hamilton, Shane O’Hanlon (0-2), Glen Traynor (0-2). Subs: Josh Arrowsmith (0-1) for Breen, Dara Hamill (0-1) for Traynor. A permanent fixture in the Geraldines team on the edge of the square for all four provincial matches, Shane

Jim McEneaney getting away from Colin Carolan

O’Hanlon was understandably thrilled by their Leinster success. How pleasing was it to become the second Louth team (and first in ten years) to take a Leinster club crown back to the county? “It was a brilliant win,” the Geraldines full forward agrees. “We actually only found out a couple of days before the final that Gaels were the only other team from the county to have done it and it was great to emulate them.” Was winning the Leinster crown ever a stated target for the team? At what stage did the players start to focus on ruling the province? “The main goal this year was the league and championship within the county,” says Shane. “However, once we won them, it was something Eamonn said to us more or less straight away: that we could give Leinster a shot and that you

Josh Arrowsmith gets the better of Derek Johnston

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don’t know when you are going to get a chance in Leinster again. So we decided to give it a real go.” An unbelievable amount of effort went into the Leinster campaign, which went right into the second weekend of December. “It was a long year,” Shane reflects. “We were training for twelve or 13 months and we only lost twice in all that time, but you don’t mind playing games when you’re winning.” Will the extended season hinder or help Geraldines’ preparations for 2014? “I don’t think it will hinder us. Winning games breeds confidence. We peaked at the right times and the management got things right with our fitness and preparation.” Fair to say the Leinster final was an epic contest? “The fact that we went to extra time and then a replay, both teams knew each other very well. To be fair, we thought we were lucky to get the replay. We couldn’t have had too many complaints if they’d beaten us the first day and we were delighted to get the second chance. We felt that if we could pick it up we would have every chance in the replay. “It’s hard to play good football in November/December, so I suppose the football in Drogheda and Parnell Park might not have been great. It was more of a battle and it came down to hard work as much as football.” It’s been a monumental year for Geraldines GFC and they have a lot to look forward to in 2014 as well – contesting the Louth SFC again and the small matter of an All-Ireland semifinal! Monaghan and Ulster champions Truagh Gaels will provide the opposition therein… “The All-Ireland semi-final is what we will all be thinking about over the next couple of weeks and over Christmas,” Shane concludes. “We’ll see how we get on in that game and then we’ll look forward to next year in Louth. “There are a lot of good teams in the senior championship but we are not afraid of senior football and we know we have the players to compete and that we can improve year on year. We wouldn’t be counting any chickens but we have lots of good players in the club and we won another minor championship this year, so there should be a few more coming through, which will improve us even further.”

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Jim McEneaney is developing into a top class inter-county forward

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John Bingham

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TO SERVE THEM ALL MY DAYS ANGO COURTNEY

By Sean Ross

his job and was successful. Ango remembers beating Dowdallshill/O’ Mahony’s in 1965, and Cooley minors in 1966. Ango was one month over age for the 1967 minor championship. In the St. Marys booklet, Rev Brother Dermot mentions Jim Roe, Pat Leavy and Ango Courtney as youthful stars. Ango would like to mention Paddy Farrelly and Bach O’ Brien as great characters - both from John Street. Bach fought at the Somme WW1France and was the St. Marys “rub down” expert. In 1968 St Marys beat St Fechins to win the Senior Championship, Ango was injured. 1970- Blues beat St. Marys in the Final. 1971- St Marys were beaten by Cooley, Ango played centre field with Seamus Walsh. Ardee minors were also beaten by Cooley. In 1972 Marys won both Minor and Senior, they were battle weary of losing finals. Turlough McDonnell got a great goal. Minors won again in 1973. But the Cooley team trained by Father Martin Kenny dominated the rest of the 1970s except in 1975 when St. Marys won again against Cooley in Drogheda. At Leinster Club Level Ango remembers beating Seneschalstown, and then being beaten by St. Vincents of Dublin. Ango played on Tony Hanahoe, Jimmy Keaveney also played with St. Vincents. St Vincents were beaten in the All-Ireland Final by Thomond College. In 1975 St. Marys reached the quarter-final stage of Leinster but they lost out on a Saturday

to either Moate or Athlone on a wet and windy pitch. orn in November 1948 to Ango was captain in 1978, but was Mary (nee Duffy) and Peter ruled out of the final because of injury. Courtney, there were three Cooley won by one point. St Marys children - Michael, Anne and and Ango won many more trophies Anthony. Peter Courtney was until he bowed out of senior football in originally from Bigstown, Newtown, 1983. But the loyalty to St. Marys went Co. Meath, while Mary Duffy was on. In 1981- Vice Chairman, 1982 from Lambs Lane Ardee. Anthony trainer and selector with Pat Leavy and went to the De La Salles in Ardee Kieran Byrne. 1984- Chairman of Club, where Brother Vincent Byrne and and played Junior for a number of Brother Dermot both had a great years. 1984, 1985, 1986- Chairman influence on him in all respects Trainer in 1986. He was P.R.O. for a including football. In 1961 he was few years and he was chairman of captain of the Ned Bailey winning minors and juveniles for four years. His Cup side, writes Sean Ross who involvement went on into the 1990’s, paid Ango a visit. working as Vice- Chairman and Secretary. Other teams included Dundalk C.B.S In those years St. Marys developed and Drogheda C.B.S. Schools. This Pairc Mhuire. Ango in so many ways game was played in the golf links as gave his heart and soul to St. Marys the school field was under and, during this interview he was a real construction. Anthony went to secondary school where Brother gentleman. He would like to mention Edmund was Principal. As this school Gabriel Clarke as chairperson of the was only beginning, numbers were Ladies football - she was a Farrelly small, very little football, but Ango from the Syddan area. remembered “Sailor” Carry from This year is the 85th year of the St. Drumconrath as a good player. The Marys and, on Nov 23rd 2013, there Street Leagues were interesting with was a gathering of past players, North/ South/East/West teams. Anglo supporters with craic and played with the West- after Mass on entertainment. Sundays. The school field was packed Ango remembers Barney with people, there were some McGuinness who used to say to him wonderful occasions, and this fed into sure the other team won’t turn up. In minor football. the senior final against Blues in 1970 At minor level, Ango scored a goal Blues were held up because of a against Termonfeckin- he was 14 at funeral - Barney said “sure I told you that time. so Ango”, but both From 1964 to 1967, Ango and Barney Ardee minors won the remembered that Louth Minor day as the Blues Championship. Ango walked away with himself played Minor for the cup. All those five years - this record is memories – all I something like Jim can say is Ango “Blackie” Judge’s record Courtney - one of in Drogheda. In the 1964 the most loyal St. game played before the Marys men I’ve Div Two championship met, also a man final Ango scored a 21with a wonderful yards free to draw the memory. He never match – Ardee minors told me about his won the replay. other passionNicky Roe was trainer of The St Mary’s side that claimed the 1972 Louth senior football championship title, front l/r: Handball- that’s for J Malone, P Rice, B Landy, A Courtney, P Reid, T Rice, T McDonald, S Ross. Back: these teams, both loved M Bennett, M Clarke, M McDonald, C Byrne, B Whateley, M Rice, S Walsh another day.

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olfe Tones never quite caught fire in 2013 but Patrick Fanning Jnr. says the current crop is far from burntout. To the contrary, he predicts that they will start to rise again in the coming season, like a phoenix from the ashes… To be fair, it was anything but a dream year. On the back of a very commendable 2012 campaign, when great progress was made, the Tones went into the ’13 season hoping to kick on. But it was one of those years where anything that possibly could go wrong did go wrong. Wolfe Tones languished at the foot of the Division Three league table all season and they also failed to win either of their two Group A outings in the JFC. It was a year to forget but there’s no reason why they can’t consign it to distant memory and hit the ground running again when the new season gets up and running. A regular on the Tones starting XV for the last five years, the everdependable Patrick Fanning doesn’t

WOLFE TONES mince his words when asked to rate the team’s performances over the course of the season gone by: “It was a terrible season, to be honest,” the versatile Fanning concedes. “We just couldn’t seem to get the numbers up at training for a variety of reasons. We had lads at college and then three key men emigrated and John Horan, who was our top scorer in 2012, went away on the J1 in May. “We were also struggling with injuries and it all seemed to go wrong for us at the same time. We were really down to the bare bones and then – to add insult to injury – we lost two of our mostimportant players to lengthy suspensions after the league game against Sean McDermotts. That was the last thing we needed.” Things just seemed to go from bad to worse and it got to the stage where Wolfe Tones were lucky to have eight lads at training. Some heavy defeats were suffered and the club finished the season cast adrift at the foot of the Division Three league table. To their credit, however,

even though they were swimming against a powerful tide, they still managed to fulfil nearly all of their fixtures. “We played the majority of our games,” says Patrick Jnr. “I think we missed out on three league games in total. The match against the Kevins fell on a bad weekend for us and we couldn’t get a team together. I’m not sure what exactly happened for the Nicks game, and then by the time it got to the last game of the season, there was no interest anymore as the lads were demoralised after getting a few hammerings. We weren’t able to enter the ‘wooden spoon’ phase of the league, either…” Mickey Kelly, David Tully, Patrick Fanning Snr. and Paul Sewell took charge of first-team affairs and they put in a massive shift over the course of the year, doing everything they could to prepare the side as well as possible and to keep the Wolfe Tones show on the road. Ultimately, results didn’t go as planned, but hope springs eternal for this nothing-if-not-resilient club… “We’d be hoping to try to find our feet

FANNING THE FLAMES

Darren Rice

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WOLFE TONES FOOTBALL 2013

The Wolfe Tones senior squad for 2013, front l/r: Mark McKenna, Keith Farrell, Owen O’Shea, Gideon Lugoye, Darren Rice, Joe Reynolds, Jonathan Lynch, Neil Mallon. Back: Alan Wilton, Ciaran Ward, Ciaran Floody, Ivor Kelly, Robbie Daly, Frank Quinn, John Kelly, Patrick Fanning, Conor Ludlow

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again next year,” says Patrick. “We usually do get back on track each time we have a bad year. We were decent last year and the year before that was even worse than this one! We need to push on from the start of the year and hit the ground running. “There are lads who have drifted away from it and we have to encourage them to come back and give it another go. There are also a few good young lads coming through and we’ll have John Horan back again, which is a big boost. All in all, I’d be confident we will have a good season in 2014.” July was championship month. Wolfe Tones opened their Group A campaign against Westerns at Dunleer on Sunday, 14th, falling to a heavy 5-15 to 0-4 defeat. Twelve days later, St Nicholas provided the opposition in a tense Drogheda derby and it was the Nicks who booked their place in the last eight by virtue of a 1-11 to 0-3 success. The Wolfe Tones side on duty against St Nicholas in the 2013 Louth JFC was: Johnny Lynch; Chris McDonald, Ciaran Floody, Gareth Cooney; Reece Owens, Patrick McKernon, Ciaran Ward; Robbie Daly, Ivor Kelly; Patrick Fanning, Mark McKenna (0-1), James Traynor; Gideon Lugoye, Darren Rice, Eoin O’Shea. Subs: Joe Reynolds, Alan Fanning, Conor Ludlow, Eoin Sewell, Niall Mallon (0-1). When Wolfe Tones have a wobble – as they undoubtedly did in 2013 – it really puts into perspective the great strides the Drogheda club has made in the past decade or so, to recover from the jaws of extinction and stand toe-totoe with the other 35 football clubs in the Wee County. Sometimes they even surprise themselves! “We were drawing with Oliver Plunketts at half time earlier in

The U10 team

the year. I don’t think too many would have thought that was possible but it shows us what we are capable of. We have a core of players here – the likes of John Horan, Ivor Kelly, Keith Farrell and a few others – who are really good footballers and who can perform with the best of them. These are the leaders in the team and they are the lads who can bring the club forward. “It also shows how quickly things can go wrong when you’re working off a small panel. We have a few lads coming towards the ends of their careers now but we can’t afford to let them go. We need them to keep going. The average age of the team is around 24 and we need to hold onto all the more experienced lads.” Looking to 2014, Patrick believes the key for Wolfe Tones is to become more competitive so that they can regain a

foothold: “I wouldn’t be aiming too high after the way this year went,” he concludes. “I suppose we’d like to set the foundations in place again for the following year. “Just get interest levels up again and get lads back up to training. We are under no illusions; we were way off the pace in 2013 and our points difference was shocking. We have to improve on that and get closer to the other teams again. “But the club is moving in the right direction. We are definitely stronger now and more experienced than when I joined the first team five years ago.” As Wolfe Tones continue to push forward in 2014, hopefully with a full complement of players at their disposal, 2013 could well be remembered as nothing more than a slight blip.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

RICE REMEMBERS HIS YOUNG IRELANDS DAYS

ewry-based businessman Joe Rice made his senior championship debut for Young Irelands as a 15-year-old. But his GAA career proved to be shortlived – something he has regretted to this day. Joe Rice remembers it as if it was only yesterday. Young Irelands, who had captured their 11th Louth SFC title in 1979, were gearing up for their first defence of the Joe Ward Cup against Cooley Kickhams. Regarded as one of the club’s brightest prospects at the time, Joe was told he would be starting in the Irelands attack. And what a baptism of fire it proved to be! “I was only 15, so I wasn’t expecting it,” he recalls of his surprise call-up. “Mickey McArdle, Cathal McCartan and Tommy Carroll were the selectors and they decided to throw me in at the deep end. I was a cocky young fella at the time, but I can tell you that was quickly knocked out of me when I came up against Harry McCarthy! “He was the oldest player on the pitch and I was the youngest. Anyway, the first ball I went for, I was taken out of it with a belt in the ribs. Harry told me afterwards that he had to do it and we shook hands. It was all part of the game at the time and I accepted it. But I doubt if it would be allowed nowadays!” The Dundalk outfit went on to reach the county final that year, only to lose their crown to Roche Emmets at Ardee. Sadly, they haven’t appeared in a senior final since, but progress was made off the pitch and by the end of the 1980s, the Irelanders had moved into their grounds at Upper Marches which have continued to serve them well. “There has been fantastic work done since my time as a player. And a lot of the same lads are still involved. The clubhouse and facilities

are second to none,” enthuses Joe. In 2010, Young Irelands won the IFC, while last year’s U16 success points to a bright future for Louth’s oldest GAA club. Founded within a month of the GAA’s formation in Thurles in 1884, Young Irelands won the first ever Louth SFC in 1887 at Dowdallhill’s expense. This entitled them to represent the Wee County in the augural All-Ireland SFC and, following wins over Ballyduff of Waterford and Castlebridge of Wexford, they lost the All-Ireland final to Limerick’s Commercials on a 1-4 to 0-3 scoreline. “There is a lot of history in the club. They mightn’t have won a senior championship since 1979, but they’re still up there as one of Louth’s most successful clubs. Only Newtown Blues have won more championships than them,” Joe points out. Along with his brothers Declan, Brendan and Denis, Joe started his GAA career with the Sea Town juveniles before moving on to play for Young Irelands. “Sea Town was the feeder club for the Irelanders, but I actually played for the Gaels first,” he explains. “Myself and Hughie Cooney played for the Gaels for a year after discovering that the late Joe McNally had a snooker table. We would have done anything for a few games of

Former Young Irelands player Joe Rice

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snooker in those days! But as Sea Town men, we soon realised that we should be playing for the Irelanders and we joined them the following year.” Rice enjoyed success at U14, U16 and minor level with the green and blacks, and also played U14 football for Louth. But his promising GAA career petered out after he moved to Newry to take up a job with Larry Goodman’s ABP Food Group. “Mickey McArdle, who was a selector with the Young Irelands senior team, got me a job with ABP in their Newry factory when I was 17. As it turned out, it was the beginning of the end for my GAA career because once I moved to Newry, I was busy at work and started playing soccer with Newry Town. I had played for Key Celtic and the Dundalk Youths before that, so I was fairly good at it. “I continued playing for Newry until the age of 20 when I suffered a cruciate ligament injury. After two operations, I went back at it when I was about 26, but I didn’t feel 100 per cent right and decided to stop playing before I got injured again.” He adds: “I regret not having had a longer GAA career. When I was with the Louth U14s, I was dropped for a game against Dublin in Castlebellingham for being ‘too small’, and I got the hump over it. I was asked to go back a couple of years later, but I decided not to and I still regret that. “You could say that I was young and foolish at the time. I was playing sport seven days a week between the Gaelic, soccer and kung fu. I didn’t know what I wanted.” In 1988, Joe left ABP to set up his own company, JR Contract Boning Ltd, which supplies skilled butchers and boners to meat factories all over Ireland. Employing 100 staff, the company also buys and sells meat and manufacturing products. Joe is married to Janette, who runs Madden’s Bar in

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Newry. They have three grown-up children – Tiernan (26), Sinead (24) and Conal (16). Joe is credited with reviving the fortunes of Newry Town during his seven years as chairman from 1997 to 2004. In what was the most successful period in the border club’s history, the Town won the Irish League First Division in 1997/98 and the following year finished fourth in the Premier League. This led to them qualifying for the Inter Toto Cup. During this tournament, the Town beat Croation side Hrvatski Dragovoljac 2-1 on aggregate following a 2-0 win at The Showgrounds. In the next round, Newry were unlucky to lose 2-1 on aggregate against Bundesliga side Duisburg. Newry remained in the top flight in the years that followed, but struggled to reach the same heights and finished bottom of the Irish Premier League in 2002/03. However, thanks to the restructuring of the Irish Football League they were given the chance to avoid relegation, with a playoff against Bangor over two legs. A 0–0 away draw and a 2–1 home win kept the club in the top flight. But the club

Derek Maguire looks for the score

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remained on a downward spiral and was wound up in September 2012, when it was replaced by a new club called Newry City Athletic Football Club. “I’m still involved behind-the-scenes, but it’ll be hard to get back up to the level we were 15 years ago. We had some great days in Europe. No Newry

Dessie Finnegan up against Laois’ Donie Kingston

supporter will ever forget the wins we had over Hrvatski Dragovoljac and Duisburg (1-0) at The Showgrounds.” Joe continues to follow Louth’s fortunes closely and yearns for the day when they win major honours at Croke Park. “It’s a mystery to me why Louth haven’t won a Leinster title since 1957.

We all know what happened in 2010 and how we were cheated out of a Leinster title that year. But with the players and clubs we have, we should be up there challenging most years. “A new season is almost upon us and we live in hope. I wish Louth GAA every success in 2014,” the affable company director concludes.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

MAN OF STEEL

s well as lining out for Naomh Malachi for the best part of the last two decades, Sean Gogarty is also the managing director of G&S Stainless Services Ltd. It’s certainly not getting any easier but the Mals stalwart – who’ll turn 37 next year - says he intends to stick around for at least one more season.

Never mind playing county football. Even the demands of club fare are increasing all the time and it’s becoming more and more difficult for any footballer to pull on the club colours on a regular basis. Especially when work commitments also intensify … and it doesn’t come any more daunting than running your own business! To this end, Sean Gogarty has been the driving force behind G&S Stainless Services since its inception in 2001 and he has managed to keep pulling on the Naomh Malachi jersey week in, week out. How does he do it? More importantly, why does he do it? It’s called love of the club and love of the game! Operating nationwide and across the UK out of Hackballscross, G&S Stainless Services was established by Sean in conjunction with his business partner Robert Stafford and the pair have been what could accurately be described as hands-on directors for the past twelve years. Alan Woods and Jamie Ferguson are the two chief engineers on a team of 16 full-time staff. “Earlier this year, we had 43 staff,” Sean notes. “However, due to a combination of companies closing and relocating to China, we’ve unfortunately had to cut our staff numbers.” G&S Stainless Services Ltd. offers design,

G&S Stainless offer bespoke products

fabrication and installation of bespoke stainless and mild steel products including process pipework installations and vessel manufacture for the food, brewing, dairy, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. They also manufacture products such as

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platforms, handrails and balustrades in both stainless and mild steel as well as - working in conjunction with electrical contractors - installing stainless conduit, trunking, cable tray and associated works. G&S is ISO 9001:2008 accredited and some of its bestknown clients would include Diageo, Heinz, Ecolab, Glanbia, Intel, Pollock Lifts, Nalco, Lonza and Arch Chemicals. Maintenance contracts have been provided on a 24/7 basis to some of these companies. Anyone who has had any experience of running their own business - and taking responsibility for ensuring that others are kept in a wage - will appreciate only too well how commendable an achievement it has been for Sean to also manage to keep his gaelic football career going, collecting three intermediate championship medals in the process … all since the genesis of G&S! Sean is quick to admit that it hasn’t always been a stroll in the park: “I’ve played with the Malachis all my life and it has been tough by times,” he says. “It’s getting semi-professional at this stage, with the amount of time that other teams are putting in. If you don’t keep up with them and match that, you will get left behind. “We were lucky enough to win three intermediate championships during what they call the ‘noughties but, while we were a good intermediate team, we didn’t do it at senior level. The closest we came was in 2007, when got to the Cardinal O’Donnell Cup final and drew with Cooley before losing the replay by one point. It was a real shame that we lost that final because it would have been a great achievement for such a small club from a small area of two-miles square – with Crossmaglen,

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G&S Stainless in Hackballscross

Culloville, Inniskeen, Kilkerley and Roche all within five minutes – to have won a senior trophy. We should have beaten Cooley the first day, but it wasn’t to be…” Naomh Malachi are no long trading punches with the big boys in the Wee County. That great team has run its course and there’s a transition period in the club again. They defeated Glen Emmets in a relegation play-off this year to preserve their intermediate status but have slipped down to the Division Three league, which is a source of great disappointment to Sean Gogarty. “There was tremendous success there for a few years but we are struggling now. We’re down to junior league for the first time since 1979 and I suppose that’s not where any club wants to be, but at least we are still in the intermediate championship.”

The IFC victories of 2002, ’06 and ’09 were unprecedented in the history of this small border club… “It was a golden era for Naomh Malachi,” Sean agrees. “It was a big disappointment for me from a personal point of view that I didn’t actually play in any of the intermediate final wins, however. “In 2002, for the first intermediate championship, I did my cruciate in the semi-final replay against Kilkerley. We had another good year in 2005 but unfortunately we were beaten in the final by Geraldines. I was playing that day but was injured again for the 2006 and 2009 finals,” the Mals centre back reflects. Those injuries were very much behind him in 2013 as Sean defied his advancing years to pull on the Naomh Malachi colours with distinction once more. He’s typically modest about his contribution, though, pointing out that it was a case of all hands on deck: “I was drafted back in with numbers dwindling due to injuries and emigration. Numbers are very tight in the club at the moment and they genuinely need all the players they can get, so I agreed to play and I plan on making myself available again next year if they want me.” It’s unlikely considering the demographic of the team that the Courtbane men will be challenging for the Seamus Flood Cup in 2014 but they’ll be displaying the spirit and grit for which they are renowned and at least Sean still has his memories of those fantastic successes of the last twelve years to look back on: “We had a lot of good players at the same

time and then unfortunately they all started to quit at around the same time as well. Emigration has also been a big factor and we have lost some key men, like Liam McCann, who’s in Australia and Gerry Hamill, who is in America. Gerry was Player of the Year with his new club in New York and we clearly can’t afford to be without players of that calibre. “We had some good times but the 2007 Cardinal O’Donnell Cup final is a big regret. If we’d just have clinched that…”

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oxigen designed_Layout 1 17/12/2013 16:47 Page 1

SPECIAL FEATURE

OXIGEN PROUD OF ITS GAA LINKS

hen it comes to the vital task of promoting environmental awareness in Louth, nobody is doing more than Oxigen Environmental. A local success story, the national service provider offers a full range of recycling and waste management services throughout the Wee County. It is also proud of its GAA links, as Project Manager and Naomh Fionnbarra midfielder John Doyle explains. Founded in 1988 by Sean Doyle as Wheel Bin Services, and rebranded in 2000 as Oxigen Environmental, the company has established itself as one of the leading recycling and waste management companies in the country. Providing a cost effective and efficient service for the management of waste streams countrywide, Oxigen is dedicated to the diversion of waste from landfill by recycling valuable resources to create closed material life cycles. Oxigen produce secondary raw materials from waste streams and these are reprocessed into new products. This promotes resource efficiency and is an environmental necessity. Oxigen Environmental segregate and recover recyclables such as paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, aluminium & steel cans, wood, textiles, aggregates. Oxigen also produces Solid Recovered Fuels for the Power and Cement industries. The Oxigen Group continues to go from strength to strength by offering a wide range of domestic and commercial waste collection and processing services. The success of the Group is based on the solid foundations and values of a family-run business. Domestic collection services commenced close to home in County Louth and the company has since grown to provide a nationwide service.

Oxigen Environmental currently manages the waste streams of 100,000 customers, operates from 20 locations and employs over 380 people. Oxigen provides waste and recycling collections to all parts of Co. Louth and the North East covering an area from Clones in Co. Monaghan to North County Dublin. This is a two-bin service comprising a black bin for general waste and a green bin for recyclable materials. While domestic collections account

Naomh Fionnbarra midfielder John Doyle

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for a large part of Oxigen’s business, the company also offers commercial bin and skip hire, street cleaning, composting, septic tank cleaning, shredding and data destruction, plastics reprocessing, hazardous waste management, renewable energy generation and WEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) services. In addition, Oxigen operates civic amenity sites throughout the country. These facilities allow the general public to bring their general waste and recyclables to a centrally located site. Civic amenity sites promote recycling and help to increase the amount of waste recycled in Ireland each year. Oxigen has also expanded its online services and is currently offering new customers one free month on their waste collection service when they pay for one year online. That means you are getting 12 months for the price of 11. By booking a skip online, customers will also save 5 per cent. For more details, log onto www.oxigen.ie or Call 1890 694436 for the best prices in your area. Oxigen has strong links with the GAA, having provided sponsorship to a number of clubs over the years. The company’s logo was emblazoned on the Naomh Fionnbarra jersey this year as the mid-Louth outfit qualified for the Junior Football Championship final, only to lose heavily to an impressive Hunterstown Rovers team who subsequently contested the Leinster club final. Managed by former player Martin Crosbie in 2013, the Togher parish side also narrowly missed out on promotion to the Intermediate League but, according to John Doyle, they are focused on making amends in 2014. “Our aim is to bounce back,” the former county player and son of Oxigen founder Sean explains. “Finishing runner-up in the

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oxigen designed_Layout 1 17/12/2013 16:47 Page 3

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Championship Final and placing second in League and League promotion play-off highlights how close we were to a very different season. It’s disappointing not to have gained promotion in either competition.” “Unfortunately, we didn’t do ourselves justice in the Championship Final against Hunterstown and St. Mochta’s beat us in a playoff for promotion to the Intermediate League. We won the Junior Championship in 2010 and the Junior League in 2011, and were unlucky to be relegated last year. We didn’t get back up in our first attempt, but hopefully we’ll learn from this year’s mistakes and go a step further in 2014.” Last March, John married Louth ladies footballer and centre-back Marie O’Connell. A vet by profession, Marie transferred to Naomh Fionnbarra and Louth two years ago after joining the Bridge House Veterinary Clinic practice in Dundalk. She is a native of Killererin and won All-Ireland Junior and Senior medals with the Tribeswomen in 2002 and 2004 respectively. “I captained Galway when we won the All-Ireland Junior title in 2002 and was corner back when we won the Senior two years later. There was no intermediate championship in those days,” Marie recalls. “We beat our great rivals Mayo twice – in the Connacht final and after a replay in the All-Ireland semi-final – before going on to defeat Dublin in the All-Ireland Senior Final. I played my

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first game for Galway as a 14-year-old in 1996 and continued playing until 2010. “Since moving to Louth, I’ve won a Junior Championship in 2011 and a Junior League in 2012 with the ‘Barr’s. We held our own in intermediate this year. I made my debut for Louth in 2012. We won the Leinster Junior championship but unfortunately we lost the All-Ireland Junior Final to Antrim. This year, Wexford beat us in the All-Ireland semi-final which was disappointing as we hoped to make amends for defeat in Croke Park last year.” Marie sees many similarities between the current Louth ladies football set-up and that of Galway when she was starting her playing career. “The club scene in Louth is the same as it was when I was starting out in Galway. There are new clubs being formed every year. It’s just a matter of Louth’s talented young players fulfilling their potential. I see a great future for ladies football in the Wee county,” she adds. In summary, Oxigen Environmental is fully committed to providing a reliable competitively priced service, while maximising recycling and recovery of all materials collected. Homeowners should remember to place all recyclable items loose into the recycling bin (paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, aluminium and steel cans). There should not be any plastic bags in the recycling bin. Non-recyclable wastes should be placed in the waste bin. The benefits of recycling include; replacing raw materials with recovered resources in the manufacture of new products, minimising the amount of waste going to landfill, while creating sustainable employment. Oxigen strongly promotes recycling and all of the associated benefits.

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ST. KEVINS

ithout quite managing to achieve either of their main objectives for the year, St Kevins still made some steady progress during 2013 and the signs are encouraging that they will have an even stronger side in ‘14, which will hopefully be able to mount a decent challenge in both league and championship. Twentythirteen captain Aidan Carter is confident that the Philipstown club is moving in the right direction. It would be fair to say that 2013 wasn’t St Kevins’ greatest-ever year. Nor was it a disaster. As the season came to an end, they found themselves in middle ground, having achieved a mid-table finish in Division Three while bowing out of the junior football championship at the group stage. The Philipstown men culled eight points from eleven outings in the ACFL and were pipped in both their Group Four JFC outings against Dowdallshill and Sean McDermotts (losing both matches by two points). The group opener against the

Dowdallers was at Ardee in mid-July and the Dundalk side led by four at the break before prevailing by 2-11 to 112. Corner forward Aidan Craven was the Kevins’ goalscorer while centre forward Seanie Crosbie weighed in with eight points. Sean McDermotts were next up and St Kevins produced a battling display at Stabannon before suffering another two-point defeat, 0-13 to 1-8, with young Crosbie this time accumulating 1-3. But it wasn’t enough in a year when narrow defeats were the order of the day for the Red & Blacks… Reflecting on how the season as a whole panned out, captain Aidan Carter has mixed emotions, feeling both disappointed with the results and at the same time encouraged by the attitude and application of the players: “I suppose I’d have to say I was disappointed with the way we finished out. We were hoping to do a bit better. I thought we made a promising start to the year; we had good numbers out at training and all the lads were enthusiastic. “For example, we were training at 8 o’clock on Sunday mornings, with 20-

odd lads out, so the outlook from the start of the season was very good.” Noel Litchfield took charge of the team and he oversaw all management duties himself, acting as manager, coach and selector. Everybody bought into his philosophy and the mood in the camp was top notch. What was the goal for the year? “We felt that we were good enough to get promotion in the league,” says Aidan. “Then, in the junior football championship, the aim was to get as far as we could. We felt there were signs there that progress was being made, with a couple of very good young lads coming into the team. We believed we could challenge for promotion and that we had the quality to get to a semi-final at least in the championship.” In the league, there were a number of close games where the result went against the Kevins. The theme became a familiar one and eventually they were out of contention. “We started okay and had a couple of good results but when we came up against the top sides in the division – Tullyallen, Sean McDermotts, the

PROMISING SIGNS IN ST. KEVINS

The U13 Division 4 winners, front l/r: Dermot Logue (coach), Matthew Downes, Ronan Sands, Danny Crosbie, Shane Meade, Jake Campbell, Shane Roche, Jack Callan, Noel Farrelly (coach). Back: Fintan Logue, Patrick Kennedy, Mark Carroll, Adam Khan (captain), Eoin McKenna, Joseph Taaffe, Cian McGuffin, Tadgh Cassidy

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ST KEVINS 2013

The senior squad, front l/r: Alan Gregory, Stephen Matthews, Patrick Gregory, Patrick Duff, Emmet Callan, Jamie Osbourne, Seanie Crosbie, Mark McGahon, Andrew Hynes, Conor McCullough, Gareth Boylan. Back: Paudie Boylan, Mark Boylan, Andrew Campbell, David Stokes, Matthew Boylan, Howard Treadwell, James Boylan, Aiden Craven, Sean Callan, Liam Boylan, Aiden Carter. Missing from photo: Michael Grogan, Iain Wogan, Jeffrey Meehan, Paul Brennan

St Kevins designed_Layout 1 19/12/2013 17:53 Page 3

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The U8's had a very enjoyable day at the Og Sport Lu Blitz in Darver

Finbarrs and Roche – we didn’t take our chances and got punished. In a lot of games, we pushed them all the way and there wasn’t a lot in it, but the results weren’t going our way. “We kept thinking that the next game would be the one where we got the result, but it was the same again. We had drawn with the Finbarrs in the winter league, too, but couldn’t finish them off. We let teams off the hook a lot but there were a lot of positives to take from the performances. “We were also hampered by injury and didn’t have the same team out twice in the first ten games, which never helps. It was a stop-start season for me personally, while Liam and Mark Boylan were also hampered a lot by

injury. On top of that, Seanie Crosbie was down the country working and a lot of things like that were going against us. “Having said that, I suppose we still had 15 men out for each game and perhaps you could argue that those lads could have kicked on a bit more. But it’s hard for a small club when you are down key men. There was one game where we had five definite firstteamers on the line and that’s hard to overcome. “But there’s a good blend of experience there and youth coming through, so the signs are definitely good for the future.” As captain of the team, Aidan didn’t quite have his eye on the Christy Bellew Cup – but he was still hoping for a Best Wishes To St. Kevins GAA, From better run in the championship: “When we saw the draw, we thought it was doable. We thought we could get out of the group. “We were confident Dundalk-Drogheda-Dublin Daily of getting a result Full & Part Loads Nationwide against Dowdallshill Special Express Delivery Nationwide but they really put it www.grogantransport.ie | info@grogantransport.ie up to us on the day and came out on top T: 041-6851438 F: 041-6851438| Lismanus, Dunleer, Co. Louth

in the end. We were always within touching distance and it was in the balance going into the closing minutes. We had put the work in at training so fitness wasn’t going to be an issue, but unfortunately it just didn’t happen. “Against the Seans, I thought we

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Sean Crosbie

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Aidan Craven

controlled the game but we couldn’t get the scores on the board the way we’d have liked. There wasn’t much in it in the end but I think we were lacking in the final third, which was a problem for much of the season. We hit the post and the crossbar and we were unlucky in a way, but that was as far as we got.” Looking to 2014 and beyond, Aidan is confident that St Kevins can kick on with this new-look team: “As I’ve said, the signs are good. There are some good young lads there and the next batch of four or five young lads are starting to come through, too, while the U16s behind them are very good as well. There’s a very good group of players there and I think we can challenge for a junior championship soon. “The club is also moving in the right direction with its underage structure. It might take a year or two for all the

Liam Boylan

talent to come through, but I think there’s the makings of a good team there. “Next year, we want to keep the lads we have already and get a few more young lads in. If we can steer clear of injury and have the full complement available, then we can build on what we did in 2013. I’m convinced that we’d have finished higher in the league if we’d had everyone available last year, so we’ll definitely hope to push for promotion this time.” St Kevins (2013 Louth JFC V Dowdallshill): Paul Brennan; Mark McGahon, Iain

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OLIVER PLUNKETTS

or the second successive year, a highly-fancied Oliver Plunketts side bowed out of the junior football championship race at the semi-final stage. Having fallen to a shock defeat to Glen Emmets twelve months earlier, the Plunketts this time succumbed to Naomh Fionnbarra by 2-8 to 1-10 at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday, September 1st. Reflecting on the season as a whole, midfielder Sean Brassil says the team paid the ultimate price for not being ruthless enough. Oliver Plunketts’ goal for 2013 wasn’t exactly Louth GAA’s best-kept secret. If they failed to achieve that rather-obvious prime objective, everyone was going to know about it! Alas, their quest to claim the Christy Bellew Cup - and promotion to intermediate championship ranks - once more unravelled at the semi-final stage and the Slane Road outfit were left to rue another ultimately disappointing campaign. After trailing by 1-6 to 0-3 at the break, the Mell men hit 1-7 without reply at the start of the second half to lead by 1-10 to 1-6 with twelve minutes remaining. But there was a sting in the tail as the 2010 champions registered 12 to prevail by a point and therefore end Plunketts’ season on a real bum note. The fact that they also relinquished their top-flight league status added insult to injury… Plunketts were ante-post favourites to win the Louth JFC in 2013 – hardly surprising seeing as they had the advantage of playing their bread-and-

butter football in the lofty heights of Division One! They kicked off their campaign in fantastic style with a stunning 0-26 to 0-5 Group 2 victory over John Mitchells at Dunleer on Sunday, July 14th and followed up with a 0-16 to 0-7 defeat of Lannleire in Drogheda six days later to finish top of the group. Dowdallshill provided the quarter-final opposition at Dromiskin on Friday, wherein a 1-18 to 0-7 victory saw the Drogheda club through to the last four. But the train was derailed on the first day of the ninth month by a Togher side inspired by William Woods and managed by former Plunketts stalwart Martin Crosbie. To compound matters, Oliver Plunketts also suffered relegation from Division One at the end of the season, which means 2013 was a year of double disappointment: “The fact that we were competing in both the senior league and the junior championship, we were hoping to push on and win the junior and get up to intermediate,” midfielder Sean Brassil notes. “We had lacked focus and had let it slip in 2012 against Glen Emmets, so I didn’t think we’d allow any complacency into our play this year.” Was it complacency that cost Plunketts a place in the 2013 junior final? “The players can only really look at themselves. We have to take full responsibility. We just didn’t have that ruthless streak. We are a fairly young side with an average age of 23 or 24. Some of the lads are lacking experience, but I feel we have to be more ruthless and learn how to close games out.

“Those lads can only learn from what happened in 2013. Hopefully next year as a team we can take the lessons of this year and put them into practice and drive on.” Is there a mental barrier, perhaps? A psychological issue that needs to be addressed? “I’m not sure – I’ve never looked too much into that side of things. But I do think there are certain scenarios which can play out in matches that will have to be looked at in training. When it comes down to the crunch, in big games like a championship semi-final, in the intensity of the moment, little doubts can creep in. If we had that little bit of mental strength, we might have been able to come up with the answers.” Considering that Oliver Plunketts were almost expected by some onlookers to canter to the Christy Bellew Cup – almost as if it was theirs to lose! - were the players under added pressure? “Externally, expectations were high alright. We would have known that we were hot favourites – and we expect that we probably will be again next year. Because we were playing in Division One and we are a good team and can get results up on our day. “But we have no control over that and it doesn’t really affect us … we were targeting the junior championship ourselves anyway. We were just lacking that vital bit of experience and ruthlessness to see is over the line.” What was the mood in the camp like following the semi-final defeat to the Finbarrs? “It was different to last year because last year we had raced into an early lead and just weren’t able to match

SEMI DETACHED

The Louth Division 2B Championship winners, front l/r: Brian O’Neill, David Campbell, Brian Carrig, Ricky Bateson, Fiachra O’Doherty, Tadgh O’Brien, Ken Hurley, Daragh Matthews, David Lambe, Michael McDonald, Conor Early. Back: Craig O’Connor, Sean Campbell, Justin Byrne, Adam O’Connor, Conor Papp, Colm Duffy, Andy Hickey, Ben Donnelly, Andy Morgan, Jeff Finnegan, Seamus Quigley, Andrew Ward

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Brian Fitzpatrick

Cian Matthews

Gary Keogh

the intensity that Glen Emmets brought to the game,” says Sean. “This year, we got off to a slow start and were six down at half time but we didn’t panic and we were comfortable enough with that because we knew there was a strong enough wind out there and that we’d have it at our backs in the second half. The penalty – which I thought was harsh enough – didn’t do us any favours. But we had got ourselves back into the game and then let it slip at the end, which was disappointing. “It was a more disappointing way to lose than the 2012 semi-final. I know from my own point of view, afterwards, it was a feeling of anger that we botched it.” So it was a game Plunketts should have won? “They were two games that we should have won. I suppose last year we were missing Emmett Kelleher and a few of the big lads around the middle were missing. This year, it came down to a lack of ruthlessness and cuteness. When we got ourselves into the driving seat and were ahead coming towards the end of the match, we should have slowed the game down in the last five or ten minutes and closed it out.” Did the change of manager mid-season affect the players or cause any disharmony in the camp? “Not at all. Diarmuid McCarthy did a great job the previous year but it was a good idea to freshen things up and he would have been in the stand cheering us on against Naomh Fionnbarra. We just felt there was a need for change and, in fairness, the three lads that came in – Brian Carrig, Robbie Brady and Michael Matthews – did a great job and revitalised the squad.” What will be the goal for Oliver Plunketts in 2014? “I wouldn’t be getting too carried away. All the talk again will be that we are favourites for the junior championship – but we only got to a

Best Wishes To Oliver Plunketts GAA In 2014, From

semi-final this year so the target next year should be to go a step further, to the final, and then to take it from there. “As far as the league goes, I would hope that we can call upon our experience of playing in Division One for the past three years and push for a place in the top three or four in Division Two. People will have different views on it, but we should be challenging for a promotion place.” Certainly, the Plunketts have demonstrated over the last few years in the league that on their day they can be a match for most clubs in the Wee County… “Obviously, there are three or four teams in Louth that you will always be hard-pushed against,” Sean concludes. “But, having said that, we drew with the Pats this year – in a game where we were disappointed just to get a point! – so we know we are capable of putting it up to teams. “I suppose we have to get the mental challenge right. It’s all fine and well raising your game against the big teams but that’s no good if you can’t perform day in, day out against the teams around you. We tend to struggle against teams that we shouldn’t be struggling against. You can’t switch off like that; you have to remain tuned in at all times.” The Oliver Plunketts side that kickstarted their 2013 JFC campaign in terrific style with a 21-point success against John Mitchels at Dunleer in midJuly was: Nathan Murray; Cillian Matthews, Davy McTaggart, Karl Tuite; Frank Daly (0-1), Darragh Matthews, Brian Fitzpatrick (0-1); Sean Brassil, Emmett Kelleher (0-1); Stephen Keeley (0-2), Sean Callaghan (0-3), Cian Matthews (0-2); Trevor Walsh (0-3), Aaron Kirwan (0-3), Rory Taaffe (0-5). Subs: Pat Murtagh (0-3), John Moroney (0-1), Gary Keogh (0-2), Josh Cormican, Luke Haggins.

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OLIVER PLUNKETTS 2013

The senior squad, front l/r: Josh Cormican, Aaron Kirwan, Sean Callaghan, Andy Hickey, Adam Brodigan, Gary Keogh, Aonghus O hEochaidh, Daragh Matthews, Karl Tuite, Cillian Matthews, Rory Taaffe, Colm Duffy, Nathan Murray, Andrew Morgan. Back: Emmet Kelleher, John Moroney, Jeff Finnegan, Dean Carolan, Keith Boyle, Luke Haggins, Conor Papp, David Lambe, Francis Daly, Pat Murtagh, Cian Matthews, Sean Brassil, David McTaggart, Brian Fitzpatrick, Trevor Walsh, Collie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hanlon

knockbridge designed_Layout 1 12/12/2013 11:39 Page 1

KNOCKBRIDGE

nockbridge hurlers went into the 2013 season hoping to continue a proud record that has seen them collect silverware in each year since the senior team was established in 1999. The main aim was undoubtedly to recapture the Senior Championship title they lost to Pearse Og in 2012 and restore their position as the top team in Louth Hurling. Unfortunately for Knockbridge, their early season ambitions were not realised as despite the club being among the challengers for all the competitions they contested, it proved to be the first barren season in their 14year history at this level. The squad returned to training at the start of the year with high hopes under the senior management team of Adrian Cummins, Gerry Dunne and Tony Teefy while club captain was Conor Kerrigan. One familiar face missing from the backroom team was Aidan Kerrigan who decided to step down at the start of the year. This was the first time since the senior team was

established and Aidan’s absence would have been a huge loss with his experience of bringing trophies into the club. According to team captain, Conor Kerrigan, it was a frustrating year with the biggest disappointment undoubtedly being their defeat in the Senior Championship Final to Pearse Og. “I felt we were unlucky in the championship final itself, the breaks didn't go for us on the day and getting a man sent off in the second half when we were a point up put us on the back foot. “Everybody in the club has different feelings and opinions about what went wrong on the day, but Pearse Og lifted their second title in two years so maybe there is no excuse,” explained Conor who feels that despite the setback there is still plenty to come from his team. “I don’t think there is any sense of doom and gloom and I would personally still feel that the Knockbridge hurlers are good enough to bounce back from the disappointment of 2013. There is no

reason why we can’t make the necessary adjustments to bring back the successful times the club in 2014,” he continued. The season began in encouraging fashion with Knockbridge getting the season underway by competing in the Tain League where they stepped up to Division 2B as a reward for winning Division 3 the previous season. The challenge of performing at the higher level didn’t faze the village side as they began with a 2-13 to 0-13 win over Dungannon Eoghan Rua in early February, before defeating Setanta by 4-13 to 3-14 in their next outing. Tir Na nOg of Randalstown inflicted a first defeat but a win over Patrick Sarsfields confirmed a place in the semi-final for Knockbridge. However, it was at that stage that their campaign came to an end when they lost out to Lisbellaw St Patricks by 4-15 to 3-9. Despite missing out on the place in the final, Knockbridge can be relatively happy with their performances and they hoped to take that form into the Louth Senior League, but as the team captain reflects, they fell below the standards they had set for themselves.

A NEW CHALLENGE TO MEET

Special Hurling League finalists, front l/r: Sean Byrne, Ronan Molloy, Eddie, Quigley, Robert Wallace, Oisin Quigley, Adrian Wallace, Gavin Keane, Emmet McEneaney, Michael Lundon, Diarmuid Duffy, Rickey McKeown. Back: David Deane, Paddy Mone, Alan Dunne, Stephen Kettle, Shane Murphy, Brian Dunne, Conor Kerrigan, Paul Dunne, Conor Deane, Paul Tynan, Tony Teefy, Shane D'Arcy, Gareth Corcoran

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KNOCKBRIDGE 2013

The senior hurling championship finalists, front l/r: Ronan Mulholland, Robert Wallace, Alan Dunne, Sean Byrne, Conor Kerrigan, Gavin Keane, Colm Teefy, Brendan McNally, Rickey McKeown, Mark Wallace, Diarmuid Duffy, Shane Murphy. Back: Eddie Quigley, Ronan Byrne, Brian Dunne, Shane Fennell, Shane D'Arcy, James Costelloe, David Kettle, Daire McKiernan, Gavin Kerrigan, Paul Tynan, David Dunne, James Quigley, Michael Lundon, Stephen Hoey, Gareth Corcoran, Stephen Kettle

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“The senior league was a big disappointment as this was the first time in our existence as a Senior club that we did not reach the final,” explained the captain whose side defeated Mattock Rangers and Naomh Moninne but drew with St Fechins and lost to Pearse Og. The focus then switched to the Senior Championship with the Mid Louth side setting their sights on reclaiming the Paddy Kelly Cup. Although they were on course to achieve that for much of the campaign, in the end they fell just short and ended the season empty-handed. They started off the championship out in Dowdallshill in Mid July against a very determined and fit Termonfeckin side in July. The match was very hard fought throughout but Knockbridge managed to come out on the winning side on a scoreline of 0-13 to 0-10. Next up for the Village men were Naomh Moninne in Darver. Moninne battled hard throughout and got two goals but Knockbridge ran out worthy Adrian Cummins

winners in end with 15 points to spare. The shadow boxing for the final between Knockbridge and Pearse Og took place at the end of July. Knockbidge actually played a lovely brand of hurling throughout the whole game which certainly lifted the mood in the camp. Knockbridge finally ran out winners with eight points to spare. The last game of the round for Knockbridge was the men from Collon where they scored another victory and having won all four games in the round robin and were through to play Pearse Og in the decider on Sunday 15th September. That game began with Knockbridge having the advantage of the elements but after the opening two points were shared, it was the champions who struck the first major blow as Brian Hassett got in for a goal on six minutes. They extended the lead with a point before Knockbridge got back a grip of the game and a Colm Teefy goal had the teams level at the end of the first Conor Kerrigan

David Kettle

quarter. The village side were unable to push on from there and at the break held a slender 1-5 to 1-4 lead. Scorers were at a premium in the third quarter which ended with the teams level at 1-6 apiece. However, Knockbridge suffered a setback with Teefy receiving his marching orders and the challenge became greater when Pearse Og added the next two points. The game was still in the melting pot when the arrears were reduced to one point with six minutes to play. However, Pearse Og produced the decisive goal from Mulholland to retain the Paddy Kelly Cup on a 2-9 to 1-7 scoreline. The Knockbridge team that contested the final was: Brendan McNally; Mark Wallace, James Quigley, Rickie McKeown; Conor Kerrigan (capt) 0-2, Ronan Byrne 0-2, Daire McKiernan; David Dunne, Brian Dunne; Shane Fennell 0-2, Shane Darcy, Gavin Kerrigan; Gavin Kane, David Kettle, Colm Teefy 1-0. Subs: Sean Byrne 0Conor Dean

Senior captain Gavin Kane

Representing the club at Under 12 level

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1 for S Fennell, Stephen Kettle for B Dunne, James Costello for G Kerrigan. Finishing runners-up meant that Knockbridge would play in the Leinster Junior Special Championship. After defeating Clonguish of Longford, the Louth side lost to Mountmellick of Laois in the semi-final to bring the season to an end.

Knockbridge Hurling Club continue to be very active at juvenile level with a number of promising players coming through the ranks. Once again they enjoyed plenty of success over the year with the following teams providing some of the highlights. Darver was the venue on Saturday September 14 for a very successful U12 O Broin Shield (A+B) hurling blitz which saw over 100 boys and girls representing the six clubs who took part. O Broin Shield 'A' group results: Knockbridge 4-2 Naomh Moninne 0-1; St Fechins 5-5 Knockbridge 0-1; St Kevins 2-2 Knockbridge 1-3 Knockbridge: Adam Plunkett, Ciaran Brennan, Daniel McArdle, Michael Belton, Conor Quigley, Ewan McEntaggert, Ross Murnaghan, Dara Toner, Neil Thornton, Ben Goss Kieran, Cathal McElroy, Jake McNamara, Jack McCaughey. O Broin Shield 'B' group results: Mattock/Glen Emmets 6-0 Knockbridge 'B' 0-1; Pearse Og 6-5 Knockbridge 'B' 1-0 Knockbride 'B': Brendan Molloy, James Kieran, Colin Marry, Conor Brennan, Niall Quigley, Mark Brady, Robert Gray, Gerard Carmody, Cormac McArdle. Meanwhile, the U-14 hurlers of Knockbridge/Geraldines lost out to a strong Naomh Moninne team at Dowdallshill April 30 on a scoreline of 5-8 to 1-1. Padraig Cunningham struck over a free and got a goal for Knockbridge/Geraldines from close range but it wasn’t enough to kick start a rally. Knockbridge/Geraldines: Conor Quigley; David Lait, Darren Bailey, Ciaran Brennan; Ben Goss McTiernan, Padaig Cunningham (1-1), David

The U14's that reached the Feile na nGael final

Hayes; Thomas McDonagh, Liam Rooney; Niall Thornton, Philip Tynan, Bernard Lafferty; Michael Belton, Tiernan O’Malley, Adam Plunkett. Subs used - Cathal McElroy, Brendan Molloy, Mark Hilliard. Knockbridge also competed well at U-16 and Minor level only to lose out to St Fechins in both championship finals.

KNOCKBRIDGE UNDERAGE

Feile finals to a strong Naomh Moninne side but five of our team had the honour of winning All-Ireland C medals with the victorious Louth squad. The Club were represented in Feile by Ronan Murphy who travelled to Limerick to take part in the Skills competition. Ronan faced the cream of Irish hurlers but did the club proud, Finishing nineteenth out of thirty two participants. Ronan also won the club U.14 skills competition with Adam Plunkett winning the U.12 event. Our minor hurlers suffered defeat at the final hurdle to St.Fechin’s while our U.16’s are due to face the same opposition in the county decider. A new addition this year was the inclusion of players from the neighbouring Geraldines club at U.14 and U.16 level. This was a boost to both squads as well as keeping more lads involved in hurling. All this activity could not take place without the help of mentors, parents and friends of the club. A big thank you also goes out to St. Bride’s for the use of the field and to Colm Smyth for facilitating matches. Roll on 2014.

The juvenile section of the club had a very busy year fielding teams from as young as Under 6 all the way up to minor level. The Bride’s field was a hive of activity every Friday evening, filled with the sounds of ash clashing and of boys enjoying our wonderful sport. Our U.8’s had an eventful year playing in many regional blitzes throughout the county while our U.10 hurlers participated in the Louth league. This team improved all summer long, culminating in victory in the U.11 McCreesh Shield. The final of this competition was a real thriller with the boys coming from five points down to defeat Pearse Og by a single point. A very happy captain Best Wishes To Knockbridge GAA, From Danial McArdle received the shield from a Knockbridge local, Peggy McCreesh. Little Ash, Carrick Road, Dundalk (Just 10 mins from Dundalk Town Centre) Our U.12’s were Telephone: 042 -9374223 | www.cluskeys.ie very successful in winning six out of LUNCH SERVED Mon- Friday 12.30 - 3pm seven league SUNDAY LUNCH SERVED 12 Noon - 4pm matches and losing BAR MENU AVAILABLE From 4.30pm to 9pm Monday-Thursday narrowly in the Friday & Saturday 5.00pm to 9.30pm Sunday 5.00pm to 8.45pm O’Broin Shield. The U.14’s were unlucky ALSO CATERING FOR BIRTHDAY in losing both the PARTIES, CHRISTENINGS ETC Championship and

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NA PIARSAIGH

fter what could be described as a difficult 2012, Na Piarsaigh were back to themselves in 2013, reaching the latter stages of the intermediate football championship and mounting a strong finish to the league, which almost squeezed them into a Division Two play-off place. Goalkeeper Paul O’Hare feels that the team’s storming finale to the season augurs well for next year. Having been perennial challengers for the Louth IFC, Na Piarsaigh registered a blip in 2012. From there, they could go one of two ways – into interminable decline or they could steady the ship. After a shaky start to the 2013 campaign, they finally found their feet once more and, even though they didn’t plunder any silverware, it would be fair to say the Black &

Ambers have turned the corner again and will be in the shake-up in 2014. At one point during the season, it looked as if Na Piarsaigh might get sucked into a relegation dogfight in the ACFL. But any such fears were put to bed emphatically as they won three games out of four to comfortably retain their Division Two status. In the championship, Michael Woods and David Boyle netted in injury time as the Dundalk club battled their way to a dramatic 2-11 to 0-17 draw with St Josephs in their Group A opener. The following weekend, the Rock Road men were up against town rivals Clan na Gael in a do-or-die group decider and this time – with returned-to-action midfielder John Garvey in superb form – it was veteran attacker Cormac Malone who hammered home a late, late goal to give Na Piarsaigh a dramatic 1-11 to 2-6 win. And a place in the quarter-finals.

Roche Emmets provided the opposition in the last eight at Haggardstown and roles were reversed as Roche attacker Padraig Callaghan fisted a dropping ball to the net in stoppage time to send Na Piarsaigh packing on a 3-8 to 2-10 scoreline. It was a case of so near and yet so far for the Rock Road club, who had been just seconds away from a semi-final meeting with Geraldines. Reflecting on the year in general, netminder Paul O’Hare says Na Piarsaigh were reasonably content in the end: “I think we were happy with how we finished the year in the league, winning three of our last four matches, having got off to a slow start. “We’d had a very bad year the previous year and it took us a while to get that out of our system. It took time for us to get used to the new management team and for them to get used to us, but once that was sorted

CORNER TURNED

Gary O'Hare

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NA PIARSAIGH 2013

The senior squad, front, l/r: Daniel Berry, Alan McCartney, Alan McAuley, Conall Shields, Michael Woods, Gary O’Hare, Niall Franklin, Damian McCrink, Damian McGeeney, Sean McAuley, Stephen McGuinness, Gerard Smyth, Brian McCartney. Back, l/r: John Garvey, Aidan Marks, John Galligan, Donal Greene, Mark Larkin, Paul O’Hare, Ronan McCartney, Joseph Woods, Eamon McAuley, David Boyle, Chris Cotter, Gavin McGee, Cormac Malone, Paul Mallon, Sean Dawson, David Halpenny.

na piarsaigh designed_Layout 1 12/12/2013 15:02 Page 3

Joseph Woods

Gerard Smyth gets in his pass

David Boyle

we had a good year and played some nice football. “We had a good run in the group in the championship and, while we were obviously disappointed to lose the quarter-final, we have definitely picked it up again after the lows of 2012. “To be honest, we didn’t really know what was going to happen this year and we were maybe doubting ourselves a bit. But the managers got those doubts out of our minds. John O’Connor from Dunleer and David Thornton from Cooley are two young managers who aren’t that long retired from playing football themselves. They brought a different approach to things and everyone bought into it. They reenergised the club and brought a new dynamic to things. All the lads were looking forward to training and it brought life back into the club. Not that last year was a complete disaster…” Looking back at the championship run, Paul observes that it was a tale of three close matches. Any of those games could have gone either way, but what certainly was evident was Na Piarsaigh’s famous fighting spirit. “Even though it didn’t produce a finalist, we thought we were in the most competitive group of all, against the Joes and the Clans. We thought we were good enough to win every game and went into the competition full of confidence. There was a break before the start of the championship and we were flying in challenge matches, so we had no doubts in our mind that we could match any team in the intermediate championship. “As it turned out, we drew one, won one by two points and lost one by one point. It was very tight and we did well, but the manner of the quarter-final defeat was disappointing. It was a tight game the whole way through and we got a point in the last minute to go ahead and we were within touching distance of the last four. Then a long ball came in and I came off my line and their forward got to it first and nicked it to the back of the net. It was a tough way to lose but Roche had a great year, in fairness to them, and we weren’t treating them lightly They went on to rattle Geraldines in the semi-final so it’s a very tight championship and any one of a number of teams could win it.” At times during the year, the league table didn’t flatter Na Piarsaigh. They eventually secured their Division Two status with victory over in-form Hunterstown Rovers, but was there

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Senior captain Mark Larkin

Eamon McAuley

Cormack Malone about to send over another point

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Gary O'Hare

Keeper Paul O'Hare is put under pressure

home from Singapore, which is a ever any anxiety in the clubhouse that perhaps they were destined for the massive boost because Jarlath is good third tier? enough to get into any team in the “Up to the last few games, we were county. We’d also hope to get a few down there near the bottom but it was lads back from injury, like Des probably more to do with the way the McCann. Between the players coming fixtures fell. We had a very tough start back, the fact that we have the same against the Marys and the Joes, and management in place again, and the then the Brides, and that left us playing good form we showed in the latter catch-up. It was a tough start and it left stages of 2013, we have plenty of us in a bad spot, but we knew there reason for optimism.” were easier games to come in the Aged 23, Paul O’Hare has been Na second half of the league and we were Piarsaigh’s first-choice goalkeeper for comfortable in the end, getting three the past four seasons. He hails from a wins in our last four games. family that’s synonymous with the local “At it turned out, we ended up only GAA club. Father Gerry is chairman three points off a play-off spot, so and brother Gary is a key component things could have been a lot different. in the Na Piarsaigh side, as well as The Marys and the Joes both beat us featuring on the Louth squad. by a point and we also drew with the Seventeen-year-old Mark is following Fechins. If we had managed to pick up in their footsteps and could be pushing a few more points, it could have been for a jersey next year. an entirely different picture.” “I also do a bit of powerlifting and I All in all, it was an encouraging end was half thinking of giving up the to the season and the Na Piarsaigh football and focussing on that at one custodian is confident they can carry stage,” Paul concludes. “But, once the that momentum into 2014. “John and football starts it’s impossible to stay David have confirmed that they’ll be away from it. The whole family is into back at the helm again next year so it’s the GAA and you are brought up with good to have that sorted out nice and it. I won’t be getting away from it at this early,” Paul notes. “We can get straight stage!” into it this time and hopefully we’ll hit the ground running. We know them and Best Wishes To Na Piarsaigh GAA In 2014, From they know us now, so we’d expect to start well. Now “We’re all looking Shipping forward to it already. Our name carries a lot of weight! Around the World We’re hoping to Tel: +353(0)42 93 28111 Web: www.moriartytransport.com have a big season Fax:+353 (0)42 93 28202 E: freight@moriartytransport.com and the players have been talking Coes Road Industrial Estate, Dundalk, Co. Louth a m o n g s t themselves quite a Overnight 32 County Distribution ~ Ireland -UK Daily bit about next year. European Imports & Exports We’ll also have Global Transport Solutions Jarlath Lyons back

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Alan McCartney breaks out of defence

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Míle Buíochas agus Ádh Mór do Na Piarsaigh do 2014

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here can be no arguing with the merit of Hunterstown Rovers’ scintillating 2013 Louth junior football championship success. Five devastating knockout blows were delivered, leaving Naomh Fionnbarra (twice), Stabannon Parnells, Westerns and Sean McDermotts all lying motionless on the canvas. In the end, it was more prime Mike Tyson than Rocky Balboa as the ruthless Rovers romped to glory with little or no drama; just insatiable determination, power and efficiency. Has a championship in Louth ever been won more convincingly? Hunterstown went into the 2013 Louth JFC as one of the competition favourites, but nobody could have foreseen the consummate ease with which Tony Finn’s well-drilled charges – who made the most of the advantage they gained from playing their league football in Division Two - would capture the Christy Bellew Cup. Without a junior championship title to their name since 1987 and 14 years after they had claimed the intermediate crown, Rovers sealed the silverware

HUNTERSTOWN ROVERS with five resounding victories. First up, in the opening Group Three assignment, Naomh Fionnbarra were despatched by seven points at Ardee on Friday, July 12th: 0-16 to 2-3. Seven days later, Stabannon were downed by six points in Ardee: 0-15 to 0-9. Those two victories meant Hunterstown topped the group and they duly edged Westerns out at the quarter-final stage in Ardee on the second weekend of August: 3-7 to 011 – that five-point winning margin was their smallest of the campaign… Twenty–three points separated Hunterstown and Sean McDermotts in the semi-final at Haggardstown on Saturday, August 31st: 4-17 to 0-6. And the final in Dunleer on Sunday, September 15th was another one-sided affair, with Rovers this time prevailing with 17 points to spare against the Finnbarrs: 3-16 to 1-5. Surely no team in the Wee County has ever before won a championship semifinal and final by a combined total of 40 points! Over the course of the entire JFC, Hunterstown scored 10-71 and conceded 3-34. That’s an aggregate winning margin of 7-37 – or 58 points – from five games. An average winning margin of 11.6. Impressive!

(Now, count up all the tallies and see if I’m right. That’s what I’d do…) It would be fair to say the county final itself was won at a canter. At Dunleer in mid-September, opponents Naomh Fionnbarra – who had seen off the competition favourites Oliver Plunketts at the penultimate stage – never recovered from the loss through injury of their talisman William Woods after 20 minutes and Hunterstown took full advantage as they roared to an emphatic 17-point victory. But it would be inaccurate to cite the loss of Woods as the reason why the Finbarrs were beaten (they had coped with him adequately in the first round). A seventeen-point margin speaks for itself and Rovers were ravenous on the day as they repeated their opening-round group stage win. Early points of the decider were shared before Ryan Burns calmly slotted an eleventh-minute goal for the winners, having collected a pass from substitute Brendan Lennon. Alan Fedigan made a stunning block to deny the Togher men a goal but Fionnbarra came back to draw level by the 20th minute (1-2 to 05). Woods hurt himself in notching that levelling score and was forced out of the

A UNANIMOUS VERDICT

Padraig and Brian Mathews raise the Christy Bellew Cup

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HUNTERSTOWN ROVERS 2013

The junior championship winners, front l/r: James McSwiney, Nial Taaffe, Martin Lennon, Brian Mathews, Padraig Mathews, Paul Carrie, Alan Landy, Paddy Mathews, Stuart Callan, David Fedigan, Glen Mathews, Peter Taaffe, Richie Cunningham, Cieran Carrie. Back: Paddy Mooney, Brendan Lennon, Ronan McQuillan, Keith Brennan, Niall Carrie, Shane Carroll, Colm McKenna, Morris O'Sullivan, Conor Mathews, Alan Fedigan, Tony McKenna, Richie Taaffe, Robbie McNeice, Ryan Burns, Danny McKenna, David Finn, Robbie Clarke, Donal Forde

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action and the ‘Barrs wouldn’t register again until stoppage time at the end of the second half. In the meantime, Hunterstown ran riot! Lennon netted after Alan Landy’s effort rebounded off a post and a seven-point lead (2-6 to 0-5) was secured by the time the short whistle sounded. Muiris O’Sullivan and Lennon added to the winning total after the restart and full forward Burns slammed the ball to the roof of the net to make it 3-10 to 0-5. Burns (2), Landy, Lennon and David Fedigan piled on the pain as Hunterstown Rovers won the 2013 Louth JFC final with plenty to spare. The fact that Noamh Fionnbarra netted an injury-time penalty is hardly worth mentioning. Hunterstown Rovers, 2013 Louth junior football champions: Alan Fedigan; Brian Matthews, Ciaran Carrie, Patrick Matthews; Martin Lennon, Keith Tony McKenna

The U10's

Brennan, David Finn; Tony McKenna (01), Conor Matthews; Muiris O'Sullivan (0-2), Paul Carrie, Robbie McNeice; Alan Landy (0-4), Ryan Burns (2-5), Padraig Matthews. Subs: Brendan Lennon (1-3) for C Carrie; David Fedigan (0-1) for Padraig Matthews; Robert Clarke for P Carrie; Danny McKenna for M Lennon; Niall Taaffe for Paddy Mooney

Martin Lennon

M O'Sullivan. The opening-round Group Three victory over the same opposition was almost as straightforward. Ryan Burns and Paul Carrie led the way up front – striking four points each - and Hunterstown had the luxury of being able to ease up long before the final whistle. Rovers floated over the first four points and led by five at the break, 0-7 to 0-2. Upon the restart, Carrie, Burns and Lennon raised flags as the lead rose to an insurmountable nine points with 25 minutes still left to play. The Togher / Annagassan men had been held scoreless for 17 minutes and – with William Woods expertly marshalled – could not gain a foothold in the match. The second group outing against Stabannon culminated in another routine win, 0-15 to 0-9. With the sun shining down hard on a scorching hot evening, Rovers flew out of the blocks with points from the outstanding Ryan David Finn

Ciaran Carrie On duty against St Brides in the league, front l/r: Richie Cunningham, Glen Mathews, Paul Carrie, David Fedigan, Paddy Mooney, Stuart Callan, Brian Mathews, David Finn, Danny McKenna. Back: Niall Carrie, Colm McKenna, Paul Taaffe, Brendan Lennon, Alan Landy, Martin Lennon, Alan Fedigan, Conor Mathews, Keith Brennan, Tony McKenna, Donal Forde, Robbie McNeice

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Burns (0-2), Brendan Lennon and Alan Landy. Centre back David Finn tagged on a fifth consecutive Rovers score and further overs from Landy and Burns ensured that the lead stayed at five at the short whistle. Hunterstown might have started to suspect that their name was on the Christy Bellew Cup when Stabannon twice rattled their crossbar in the second half; in the end, they won by six and advanced to the last eight as table toppers. Westerns, who were on a great run in Division Three of the league at the time, gave Hunterstown their sternest examination of the championship at the quarter-final stage, The would-be champions didn’t get a score until the 15th minute and they trailed by 0-7 to 12 at the interval. But Hunterstown bossed the second half and added two more majors to prevail despite scoring on fewer occasions that their opponents. If ever proof was needed that goals win matches, this was it: 3-7 to 0-11. Padraig Matthews drilled home the vital opening goal towards the end of a lacklustre first half; Paul Carrie fired the second major after the restart; and Brendan Lennon grabbed the clinching third three-pointer in injury time. Hunterstown also held their opponents scoreless for the first 21 minutes of the second half. The semi-final win had been even more emphatic: 4-17 to 0-6 against the Seans. Most of the damage was done in the first half as Hunterstown hit the net four times to lead at half time by 4-7 to 0-3. Padraig Matthews and Alan Landy netted in quick succession and Paul Carrie weighed in with the third. After three successive points from 17-year-old Ryan Burns – who notched 0-6 in total and had a fabulous year –Matthews bagged his second major and there was simply no way back for the Seans, who were down to 14 men before the short

Brendan Lennon accepts the junior final Man of the Match award from Padraic O’Connor

It’s celebration time with the Louth Junior Championship Cup

whistle sounded. The second half was a formality for a slick and assured Hunterstown side who progressed effortlessly to the JFC decider, with the last three scores provided by Tony McKenna, Burns and Lennon. In the final, Hunterstown Rovers would put the icing on a fairytale campaign.

Having conquered Louth, Hunterstown then embarked on a bold provincial campaign – which would lead them all the way to the Leinster junior club championship final. Two Mile House of Kildare provided opposition in the decider at Newbridge on Sunday, December 1st and Hunterstown gave as good as they got before falling to a narrow 2-15 to 1-12 defeat. The concession of 1-3 inside the opening ten minutes proved to be the Louth champions’ downfall, ultimately, while the loss of captain Padraig Matthews to injury certainly didn’t help their cause. Hunterstown dominated the opening ten minutes of the second period and outscored their opponents by 0-5 to 0-1 to force their way into a 1-9 to 1-8 lead after 40 minutes but it was the Kildare representatives who finished strongest

to bring an end to Rovers’ magnificent season. The Reds had opened their Leinster campaign in Mountmellick, Laois where they recorded an emphatic 3-8 to 0-4 victory over Kilcavan, with the irrepressible Ryan Burns notching a brilliant 2-5 personal tally. Carrickedmond of Longford were next in the firing line and Rovers were in devastating form again as they prevailed by 0-14 to 1-3 at Ardee on Sunday, November 3rd. Ryan Burns and Padraig Matthews hit ten points between them as the Christy Bellew Cup winners booked a provincial semi-final date with Birr. And, on November 17th, Hunterstown made little of the fact that they were again playing away from home as they recorded yet another thumping success in the midlands – 2-15 to 0-6, with Ryan Burns and Adam Landy firing the goals. They may have come up short in the Leinster final but, with those three crushing victories in the provincial club competition, Hunterstown Rovers showed some true quality. As they did all year. They did themselves proud in Louth and they did the county proud in Leinster!

Brendan Lennon

Alan Landy gets the better of Naomh Fionnbarra's Conor Osborne

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CLAN NA GAEL

he excitement of reaching a championship final that was so much part of the Clan na Gael club experience over the previous two seasons may not have been repeated in 2013, but that is not to suggest that the campaign will be viewed as anything other than successful by the Dundalk side.

On the whole, the club is continuing on an upward curve with great work being carried out from juvenile to adult football along with the rapidly expanding Ladies section, while off the field of play the Clans remain very much at the heart of the Castletown community. Although the Intermediate team missed out narrowly in reaching the knock-out stages of both championship and league, the Clans enjoyed a lot of success at other levels with Junior and underage teams claiming a healthy share of silverware and contesting a number of finals. Club stalwart and former goalkeeping star, Niall O’Donnell, admits there was

County PRO Stephen O’Connor presents the Division 4D league cup to Ciaran Campbell

some sense of disappointment that the team didn’t manage to get back to the Intermediate Final but overall he views the year as another success. With a bit more fortune on their side he feels they could have progressed in the championship and made the league

play-offs, but points to a vibrant club at all levels as an indication of the continuing progress being made. “This was our third year under the management of Cathal O’Hanlon and after losing two finals in a row his team of Brian Duffy, Jim Brady and Gerry Smith had the difficult task of trying to get back for a third time. “There is no doubt that the same effort was put into the team this year but unfortunately it just didn’t work out for us,” explained Niall. “Missing out for a second year was hard to take and everyone was very disappointed. It is never easy to bounce back from losing a final so to lose two was a blow. However, I think Cathal did a great job in trying to rally the troops and at a team meeting before the season started all the lads got on board and bought into the idea of giving it another shot. “As a result, there was a good buzz around the place when the season started and there was a great amount of work put into preparing for the battles

CLANS RALLY THEIR TROOPS

The celebrations begin with the Junior B league cup, front l/r: S. Smyth, D. Moran, I. Carr, K. Campbell, P. Browne, K. Carroll, G. Gaffey. Back: B. O'Carroll, K. O'Connor, D. Boyle, D. O'Hanlon, R. Curran, G. McEnteggart, P. McKeever, C. McKeever, S. Hutchinson, A.McCabe, C. Cooney, S. Cooney. Mentors: Paddy McKeever and Gerry McKeever

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CLAN NA GAEL 2013

The Clanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest, front l/r: B. Smith, K. Cunningham, D. Duffy, M. McGeown, G. Hoey, JJ. Quigley, R. Curran, P. Gore, S. Fitzpatrick, C. McKeever, A. Lynch, P. Martin. Back: C. Cooney, P. Staunton, B. Begley, C. Noonan, G. Neary, P. Gartland, L. Martin, R. McCabe, A. McGlynn, O. Olajabu, C. Long, M. Newell

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ahead, particularly the championship,” added Niall. Despite being drawn in a difficult group that contained Na Piarsaigh and St Josephs, there was a good degree of optimism around Clan na Gael Park as teams prepared to battle for the Seamus Flood Cup. However, as Niall explains, the team just fell short and were only a kick of the ball away from reaching the last eight. “We started well against Na Piarsaigh but were on the receiving end of a sucker punch in the closing stages and lost narrowly. That meant we had a winner-takes-all clash with the Joes but again a late lapse meant that we missed out on the quarter-finals on score difference. “It was disappointing for everyone as there was only a kick of a ball in it and I felt that if we had got through we would have been on a roll and with the experience of the last two years, all the other teams would have been very wary of us,” continued the former Louth goalkeeper. Tony Curran receives a framed portrait from Liam O'Neill for his service to the club

The talented under 8's

There was further disappointment in the Division 2 League as a slow start to the campaign ultimately cost the club as the failed to make the play-offs on score difference. “Overall we have to look at the year in Paul Gore

terms of being a success as there are a lot of positives. The commitment of the players and management couldn’t be questioned while we were able to introduce a number of young players who now have a year’s experience

Daryl O'Hanlon

The senior side, front l/r: D. Duffy, K. Cunningham, M. McGeown, JJ. Quigley, S. Fitzpatrick, A. McGlynn, P. Gore. Back: M. Newell, B. Begley, R. McCabe, D. O'Hanlon, G. Neary, P. Gartland, B. Smith, R. Curran

153

Drew Duffy

Liam O'Neill presents a scroll to Johnny Duffy on his becoming an Honorary President of the Clan Na Gael club

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Peter Brannigan becomes an Honorary President of the Clan Na Gael Club and is presented with the honour by Liam O’Neill

under their belts. “The squad is still relatively young with the oldest being around the 29 or 30 mark so I think this team has a lot to offer and as a result there is a great deal of optimism around the club,” continued Niall who pointed to a victory in the Junior B League final and reaching the Junior Championship final as further evidence of progress being made. That confidence for the future of the Clans is boosted by a thriving underage section which is continuing to develop quality players and teams. As chairman of that section, Niall is fully aware of the potential within the club. “One of the great successes of the club at the minute is the thriving nursery under Kevin Brannigan and we have over 50 kids every Thursday. There is great support particularly from the likes of Niall Weldon, Anthony Lee, Colin Hoey, Andrew O’Carroll, Sean Kirk and Aidan Kirk along with

Paul Gore

Mark McGeown

plenty of parents and grandparents,” explained Niall who pointed out that work done at this level over the years is paying dividends. “We won the U14 Championship under Fra Byrne and Gerry Curran, while the U15 team qualified for the league final. Meanwhile the U16 team managed by Gerry Curran, Leslie Toal and Declan McCabe won the Minor B League and reached the championship final.

GAA President Liam O’Neill presents Alice Kirk with her scroll on becoming an Honorary President of the club

“That success is a reward for the great efforts being put in at underage level and a lot of work is being put in to develop players for the coming years,” Niall explained. Ladies football remains in integral part of the Clan na Gael club and this year the adult team was managed by Peter Fitzpatrick along with Brenda Clinton and Tina Long who guided them to a Junior Shield Final win, while the U-12 team won their shield final. Off the field, the Clans continue to be as active as ever with a number of successful events organised over the year. “One of the big social events was the Honourary Presidents’ Night when we honoured Johnny Duffy, Mary Curran, Peter Brannigan and Alice Kirk for all they have done for the club at a function attended by GAA President Liam O’Neill. “We also honoured Tony Curran who at 83 years of age works tirelessly for the

The Under 8's and mentors that took part in a blitz at Croke Park

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Raymond McCabe

Mary Curran, the latest Honorary President of the Clan Na Gael club, receives her scroll from Liam O'Neill

club, whether it is washing jerseys, marking the pitch, organising the kit bag, or basically doing anything that needs to be done. He really is one of the unsung heroes of the club,” added Niall. The members of the 1988 Minor Championship winning team had a reunion this year to mark the 25th anniversary of their victory. The event saw the players honour the efforts of the surviving selectors, Maurice Harrison snr and Willie Dixon, while remembering the late Paddy Dixon (selector) and Andrew McAllister (player) who were a big part of that success. The fundraising committee under Gerry Hoey took charge of organising two major

Billy Smyth

JJ. Quigley

The ladies Junior 4 squad

events again this year. The Patsy Kelly 5k was held for a second year with Maurice Harrison and Paul Gray the driving forces for what proved to be another great occasion. The annual Golf Classic at the end of June remains one of the highlights and the efforts of Seamus O’Hanlon, Gerry Hoey, Leslie Toal, Cormac Woods and Niall O’Donnell continues to bring in vital funds. 2013 will also be tinged with some sadness after the Clans lost one of their great supporters and former player, Tommy McConville. “We remember all members of the Clans family who passed away this year and among them was Tommy who was a great Clans man. He may be known for his soccer career but he was great supporter of the club and a regular at games and around the club, while he won a Senior Championship medal in 1985,” added Niall.

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hen the footballers of Stabannon Parnells begin their preparations for the 2014 season they are certain to do so with a spring in their step. Based on some encouraging displays in the past year and the introduction of a number of young players, the famous Mid Louth club have every reason to believe that their fortunes have taken a turn for the better. The Parnells may not have enjoyed

STABANNON PARNELLS the best of times over the past few years, but the indications are that they are now moving in the right direction, and they will be hoping to build on some strong foundations when the prepare for battle in 2014. According to 2013 captain, Aonghus Giggins, it hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been the easiest of times on the playing front for Stabannon, but he admits that for the first time in a while there is a sense of optimism going into the new year. Following some good performances

and results, the Mid Louth men managed to establish themselves in the top half of the league, and as a result the captain feels that the 2013 season has to been seen in positive terms. For Aonghus and his team mates, the challenge now is to build on that form, and he reveals that there is a determination to do just that. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we got together at the start of the season we were conscious of the fact that our performances in the league over the past number of years had been

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Ken Lynch

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STABANNON PARNELLS 2013

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Senior team captain Aongus Giggins

poor and we wanted to improve on that. “We had finished in the bottom half of the league in recent seasons and we didn’t want to find ourselves in that position again. Overall it has to be viewed as relatively successful given that our performances improved and we finished just outside the play-offs,” added Aonghus who pointed out that such form will give the squad huge encouragement for the 2014 campaign. “The good thing about this year is that it gives us hope for the coming season and it will make preparations easier for next year. After a poor season it can be a long winter and hard to motivate yourself to get back into training, but when you make progress you start to look forward to getting back into action and that is certainly the case for us at the moment,” explained Giggins. Under the guidance of

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158

Brendan McConnon and Kevin Donnelly, the team got off to a great start and although they went through a difficult spell in mid season, they showed great character to turn in a strong finish to the campaign. The Division 3 league began with a victory over John Mitchels before the trip to Glen Emmets resulted in an impressive win that gave the team great confidence. That was evident in a fine display and narrow defeat to eventual winners, Roche Emmets in the next outing. Although three defeats followed in their next four games, Stabannon ended on a high with victories over Lannleire, Wolfe Tones and St Kevins. That left them with six wins from their ten outings, and just two points off qualifying for the promotion play-offs. Having found it difficult to get results in previous seasons, Aonghus is in no doubt that the introduction of young players into the

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team was one of the main reasons behind the upturn in fortunes. “There is no question that one of the big factors this year was the group of players who came through from the minor team. We had four or five lads who were involved on the team that reached the Minor Championship Final and their presence was a huge bonus for us,” added Aonghus. The likes of Thomas Campbell, Daniel Bannon, Sean Halpenny, Peter Lynch and Colm Giggins made the successful transition from the underage ranks and the experience of this year will certainly stand to them in the coming seasons. “We don’t have a huge selection so to get that many players in is great and we have one or two more to come so that will also help to improve things for us. “The challenge for us is now to build on that and ensure the players and the team continues to improve. “We haven’t enjoyed a great deal of success of late but we hope that this year will signal that we have hit the bottom and are bouncing back in the right direction,” added the captain who feels that the club are looking towards continuing steady progress rather than hoping for instant success. “The challenge for us next year has to be to make sure we continue on the upward curve. We just missed out on the playoffs this year, so getting in to the top five has to be our target. “It is great to be in a situation

where we are really looking forward to the new season and already we have been discussing plans. When you put in a good campaign it shows there is something to build on and that will encourage lads to make a bigger effort. With that extra bit of hunger and the continued development of young players, I think we can make progress.” While the league will be the ultimate judge of the team next year, Aonghus is hoping to make a mark on the championship in 2014 after failing to

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make the knock-out stages over the last two years. However, he will be looking for a more favourable draw than the last two years, which really didn’t help their cause. “In 2012 we were drawn against Lannleire and Glen Emmets who both went on to reach the final, while this year Hunterstown Rovers and Naomh Fionnbarra also came out of our group before meeting in the decider,” explained Giggins. Despite going into the competition as underdogs, Stabannon gave a good account of themselves in both games. They opened up with a 4-9 to 2-9 defeat before losing by 0-15 to 0-9 against Hunterstown. The impressive displays from Rovers as they went on to win the Christy Bellew Cup puts the Stabannon performance in perspective and provides encouragement for next year. “We knew we were going to be up against it this year but you go into the games hoping to cause an upset. It didn’t work out for us but with the assistance of a better draw it would be nice to make an impression on the championship in 2014. Although it will not be our main priority, we wouldn’t say no to a good championship run and it would be nice to get to the knock-out stages,” he continued. There is no doubt that the new season will see a renewed sense of optimism in Stabannon and that the desire is there to see the club back challenging for honours in the near future.

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PEARSE OG

fter winning the Louth Senior Hurling Championship in 2012 for the first time in eight years, the Pearse Og club probably would have been forgiven if they had rested somewhat on their laurels and didn’t show the same hunger and desire in the following year. However, nothing could have been further from the case as the Dundalk club immediately set their sights on successfully defending their title for the first time. Following a season where players put in a huge effort, they earned their reward by claiming the Paddy Kelly Cup in September. While it is difficult to replicate the thrill of winning a championship for the first time, this year’s victory tasted just as sweet as the breakthrough success in 2002 and it was seen as hugely significant by all in the club. According to Club Secretary and midfielder, Donnach Callan, the successful defence underlines the fact that Pearse Og are the top team in the county and sets the record straight for some who didn’t give them the credit they deserved in 2012. “Winning back-to-back titles was

something we wanted to achieve this year as we felt in previous years we didn’t return to the standards required. They always say that it takes a good team to win a championship but a great team to win two and it was our aim to retain the trophy this year. “Sometimes it can be difficult to motivate players after winning the championship as the same hunger might not be there, but we felt we had a motivating factor right from the start. “There seemed to be a suggestion from some quarters that 2012 was a one-off and that we had caught Knockbridge on the hop or that we were lucky on the day. That hurt a lot of people considering all the effort we put in and it was a great motivation tool for us from the start of the season,” explained Donnach. Any extra bit of motivation was certainly welcome as all in Pearse Og were fully aware of the task they were facing but it was a challenge they undertook with great determination according to the Secretary. “When you are defending champions everybody wants to beat you but we had a definite plan as to how to come out on top. We based our approach on the Sky cycling team of marginal gain and

everything we did was geared towards the championship. We looked closely at everything in terms of training and tactics and went into all our games with a definite game plan. “Thankfully it all worked out for us and that is a testament to the management team of Brendan Mulholland, Martin Myles, and trainer Barry Teather along with the effort of the players. “Not everything went according to plan as we were very disappointed to lose the League Final to St Fechins. However, in the long run I think we learned a lot from that outing that nothing was going to come easy and we would have to work for everything. “When it came to the Championship Final we had a great respect for Knockbridge and we knew they would be hurting after last year and as a result we felt we had to raise our game. In the end our efforts were rewarded and it was great to get our hands on the trophy and put the idea of being one-hit wonders to bed,” revealed Donnach. The taste of victory feels considerably sweeter to a team who had to endure five successive final defeats in recent times. Not surprisingly, that was something that was hard to endure but Callan points out

TWO-IN-A-ROW FOR PEARSE OG

Pearse Og celebrate their Louth SHC win

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PEARSE OG 2013

The SHC winners, front l/r: Kenneth O’Hagan, Donal McArdle, Shane Callan, Gerard Smyth, Kevin Brady, Brian Hassett, David Kenna, Stephen O'Brien, David Mulholland, Gerard Hoey. Back: Paul Grimes, Noel Callan, Richie Scanlon, Gary O'Brien, Aidan Callan, Brian McCabe, Andrew McCrave, David Mahony, Matthew Myles, Donnach Callan, Barry Myles, Gareth Myles, Philip McFaul

pearse og designed_Layout 1 11/12/2013 17:27 Page 3

Damian Callan presents the Clubman of the Year award to Aidan Callan

Senior manager Brendan Mullholand

Noel Callan proudly displays the Paddy Kelly Cup

The Pearse Og U11 squad and management

doubt that close-knit nature of Pearse Og that from those dark days came the inspiration to put in a plan for the future is a significant factor in that. of the club at all levels. “I think we are probably unique in the fact that the whole club is basically run by “Those defeats were hard to take and it senior players along with a small group had its effect over the following two others. An example of this is the fact that years. We felt that as a club we were on the day of the senior final we could losing focus so we really had a good look have had a committee meeting on the at the club as a whole and managed to pitch. The chairman was full-forward, the put ourselves into a position where we secretary at midfield, the PRO at wing were ready to challenge.” forward and the treasurer playing fullWhile winning senior titles was a back, so that really sums it up. significant part of that plan, of equal “All the fundraising, coaching and importance was an increased effort at organising is done by the players along juvenile level to ensure success at the with the likes of Owenie Grimes, Damien club for future generations. Callan, Paul Callan and Olive Callan. It One of the main initiatives will be the means that when you are doing all those launch of Little Pocs which is being driven things together there is a great bond and by David Mulholland and will see the start that is a huge factor when we get on the of a hurling academy for players from five pitch. You need that when you have a years up in the club from January. small panel. I won’t say that there are This is certain to supplement an already never any disagreements but to make it successful juvenile section which is work you have to get over them and continuing to make progress under the move on,” explained Donnach. guidance of Aidan Callan. An indication The Secretary points out that they have of the strides being made is that Pearse been helped by their Tipperary Og were able to compete this year at Uconnections in having Brian Hassett and 8, U-10, U-12, U-14 and U-16 levels David Mahony play a very significant part which is something they were not always in their success and to have family able to do in the past. Some of the highlights included winning the U12 O Broinn Shield and reaching the final of the U-11 McCreesh Shield. With success at senior level being complemented by the great efforts at underage level, there is no doubt that there is a very positive atmosphere around the Holy Family parish club Pearse Og players taking part in the club’s and Donnach is in no Annual Poc Fada event

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Oisin Marrow receives the O Broin Shield from Maurice Murphy

Mathew Myles receives his Senior Player of the Year trophy from Donnach Callan

members coming up from Tipp to see the senior final is something they are proud of. Not surprisingly given their success in recent years, Pearse Og continue to form a significant part of the Louth senior team and with seven players on the county panel this year, it is something the club is very proud of. “We are also very proud of the fact that Shane Callan, who was Louth captain last year, won his third Nicky Rackard All-

Senior hurling final Man of the Match Brian Hassett with his wife Caroline

Stars for the future

Star this season and it is a deserving honour for all he as done. “Another club member who is making an impact on the national stage is referee Kevin Brady who has taken charge of a couple of Leinster Minor championship matches this year. He is earning himself a big reputation and hopefully we will see him getting some of the major finals over the coming seasons,” continued Donnach who complimented the County Board on the way which they ran the fixtures programme for hurling this year. Others who deserve a mention is Paddy Larkin who was honoured at the club’s awards night for serving 20 years as County Board

Delegate, Donnach also expressed the club’s gratitude to long-term sponsors, The Spirit Store. There is no doubt that Pearse Og will start 2014 with equal but with standards improving throughout the county, the Secretary knows that it will be a huge task, but he insists that already there is a huge determination to retain their Senior Championship crown. “It is not going to be easy because the standards in hurling are increasing all the time and while that might make it harder to win, I think it is great for Louth hurling in general. In time it will be good to see the new teams making the breakthrough, but we will put a big effort into next season and we are determined not to give up our title too easy,” Donnach added.

The U12's and management celebrate with the O Broin Shield

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JOHN MITCHELS

ne of the great things about sport in general, and the GAA in particular, is that no matter how difficult the challenges facing you, there is always the hope that with hard work and commitment, things will eventually turn your way. For some the transition from the lower levels to challenging for silverware takes longer than others,

but the dream of getting back on top is something that continually drives players and clubs on to overcome obstacles. For the smaller clubs, the wait for the good times can at times feel like an eternity, but in most cases that longing helps make success all the sweeter. John Mitchels are a prime example of such a club where the memory of their days in the sun at Junior level mixed with the undying optimism that they will

see the good times return, helps maintain the club as the heartbeat of the local community. In recent years, the Ballybailie men havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enjoyed the best of fortunes on the field of play, but behind the scenes they are working as hard as ever to ensure that their fortunes will change in the not too distant future. The 2013 season is not one that will live long in the memory at the club but according to club secretary, Brendan

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ABOUT THE NEW GENERATION AT BALLYBAILIE

Stephen Coyle gets this ball away from Donal Sheridan of Dowdallshill

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JOHN MITCHELS 2013

The senior squad, front l/r: Darren Henry, Ryan Carroll, Gary Aylward, Mikey Nulty, Ben O'Brien, Robert Coyle, Kieran McCormack, David Coyle, John Devitt, Connell Keenan. Back: Brendan McMahon, Anthony Coyle, Aaron Keely, Steven Coyle, Connor Reilly, Brendan McDonnell, Adrian Black, Kevin Gallagher, Robert Durnin, Brian Coyle, Alan Mackin, Rory Durnin

john mitchels designed_Layout 1 13/12/2013 14:38 Page 3

McMahon, they have reasons to believe that there is a bright future ahead for those who wear the red-andwhite of the proud Mid Louth club. While Brendan points out that optimism abounds at Pairc Sean Misteal, there is an equal amount of realism that success is not immediately on the horizon but will only come as the result of continued hard work by all involved. The fact that the club have been able to field a minor team on their own over the past two seasons has been a huge positive and the gradual integration of those players to the adult team along with further work at underage level is clearly the key to success. “This year we struggled with numbers and at times were unable to field but we hope that will change next year. Although there are strong teams in Junior football we feel that if we could build up a bit of momentum we could certainly show an improvement. “We are realistic to know that we are not going to be ready to challenge but we believe that we can make progress over the coming seasons,” explained Brendan. The secretary continues to point out that this level of optimism is based largely on the current minor team which has been the jewel in the Mitchels’ crown for the past few years. “This is our second year going on our own and that really is a big thing for the club. They had a good run in the league and competed well in the B Championship which represented a successful season. “We realised from an early stage that

Senior team captain Robert Coyle

Keeper Adrian Black clears his lines under pressure from Cian Matthews of Oliver Plunketts

this was going to be a special bunch of players and from U-10 up, there was a lot of work done which has paid dividends. “They put up a good showing all year which was great considering that our numbers are tight. When you are low in numbers it takes a great level of commitment and our boys certainly had that,” added McMahon who was loud in his praise of the team manager,

Brian Coyle

Conor Reilly

166

Robert Durnin. “Bob has done great work with the help of some of the parents and he has shown great passion for the club. The boys have responded really well and rarely miss training while some have benefited from stepping up to adult training and games during the season. “It shows the progress they have made by the fact that 10 minor players were involved in one of the Division 3

Michael Nulty

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making and as a result we are continuing to work hard to develop players at all levels. “Seeing the minor team over the past two years is the incentive to continue the work as they really have been the success story for the club in recent times. “We were boosted by having Conor Reilly playing with Louth minors while there are a number of players involved with the Louth Development Squad so that is a big deal for the club and shows the other lads what can be done. It offers great encouragement for everyone to continue the hard work.” Brendan and his colleagues are hopeful that over the coming years all this effort will be translated into success at adult level after the club endured what was at times a difficult season. “It was a bit of a struggle for numbers and the loss of Stephen Campbell to Australia at the start of the season was a big blow, but a lot of clubs are in that position at the moment with players leaving to look for work. “We actually started the league well with a win and a draw but numbers were tight all along. We then picked up a few injuries and started to struggle and it was hard to get the same team out every week,” added the secretary. “It was disappointing that we weren’t able to field on a couple of occasions but we still believe that despite their being strong teams in Junior, we can make progress. “We know we have to keep building for the future by continuing to develop the young lads. We are realistic enough to know that we won’t go from last to first over night, but the determination exists to bring the good times back to the club over the coming years,” concluded Brendan.

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games this year. That is a great reflection on the work that has been done but has its disadvantages in terms of having too many inexperienced players with the adult team. “We realise that it is important to keep them going as we know we need to see the majority of players make the step up in time. We are optimistic that they will as they know there is football there for them if they want it,” explained Brendan. The success of this group of players has illustrated the rewards that can be gained by investing in the young players and this has resulted in a great effort at all levels of the juvenile structure. “We know that the success of the minor team didn’t just happen by accident and that it really was ten years in the

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NEWTOWN BLUES

wenty-thirteen belonged to Newtown Blues as the Newfoundwell club landed the Joe Ward Cup for a recordbreaking 20th time. An eight-point victory over Cooley Kickhams in the decider at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday, September 29th was the perfect climax to a fantastic campaign that also included victories over Dundalk Gaels, Mattock Rangers, St Patricks (after a replay) and a draw with 2012 finalists Dreadnots. Newtown Blues has traditionally been the glamour club of the Wee County. But for a while there, we had a so-called ‘Big Four’, comprising the Blues, the Pats, Cooley and 2009/10 champions Mattock. However, in 2013, Pat McDonagh’s charges saw off all three of their rivals from that fictitious club to capture the senior championship in emphatic style. St Patricks went into the competition as holders, bidding for a third successive title. They were also red-hot favourites to go all the way again. But the Newfoundwell men accounted for

them after a replay at the semi-final stage and then repeated the dose against their peninsula neighbours on the biggest day in the Louth GAA calendar. As a blue sea descended upon the O’Raghallaighs and Stephen Moonan accepted the coveted silverware on behalf of his team-mates, it was hard to believe that Louth’s most successive club hadn’t been in the winner’s enclosure since 2008. It was just like old times on county final day when the Blues stepped up through the gears in the second half to romp to a 2-15 to 0-13 victory over Cooley Kickhams. Their opponents (second behind the Blues on the Roll of Honour, with nine SFCs to their name) were certainly not lacking motivation as they were seeking a first title since 1990 and were also hoping to atone for four final defeats in the previous nine years. Blues started tentatively but Man of the Match Andy McDonnell’s goal at the midway stage in the first half gave them a vital foothold in the match and they never really looked back thereafter. The sides shared just two points in the opening ten minutes, with top scorer

Hugh McGinn on target for the winners, but Cooley reeled off the next four points to seemingly take control. Cometh the hour, cometh the man: McDonnell stormed single-handedly through the Cooley rearguard to plant an unstoppable shot past county teammate Neil Gallagher and reduce the arrears to the minimum. What was all the panic about?! Colm Judge, Derek Kierans, McDonnell and John Kermode followed up with a devastating run of points and the most famous club in the county led by 1-5 o 0-5 at the short whistle. The game wasn’t over yet but, in hindsight, that unanswered salvo of 1-4 in the second quarter had left Cooley on the ropes… The peninsula side rallied upon the resumption to draw level but the Blues management then pulled off a tactical masterstroke by throwing Conor Branagan into the fray – the substitute would end up being the main challenger to McDonnell for the Man of the Match accolade when the final whistle sounded! Branagan found the net almost immediately and McGinn and the long-

TAKE TWENTY

The Blues and supporters celebrate with the Joe Ward Cup

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NEWTOWN BLUES 2013

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serving Keith Lynch tagged on a couple of points to stretch the gap to five. The winners were utterly rampant going into the closing ten minutes and the only matter left to be resolved was how much they would win by! Cooley pulled back a couple of late consolation points from placed balls but it was left to McDonnell to clip over the last point of what was – despite even starts to both halves - ultimately a fairly one-sided 2013 Louth SFC final. Newtown Blues: 2013 Louth senior football champions: Conor Barton; Niall Costello, Thomas Costello, Andrew Tinley; Eoghan Judge, Stephen Moonan, Jimmy Murray; Keith Lynch (0-1), John Kermode (0-1); Barry Sharkey, Hugh McGinn (0-3), Andy McDonnell (1-3); Derek Kierans (0-1), Colm Judge (0-3), Robbie Carr. Subs: Jamie Carr for B Sharkey; Conor Branagan (1-3) for R Carr; Brian Kermode for J Murray. Newtown Blues played six games in total (including the semi-final replay against the holders) to win the Joe Conor Farrell and Caolan McKenny raise the Dermot O'Brien Cup (U16 Championship)

Ward Cup in 2013. The journey began back in late July, at The Grove in Castlebellingham, when Dundalk Gaels were beaten by four points, 0-11 to 0-7, in a difficult Group Three assignment. The Dundalk side had accounted for 2012 finalists Dreadnots in the group opener, so their challenge could not be taken lightly… The Blues had no Andy McDonnell or Colm Judge at their disposal on Friday, July 26th (both county men were in the States), but they still came to the fore in the second half of a dour contest to prevail, making the most of seeing their opponents reduced to 14 men in the 40th minute when Eamonn Kenny picked up the second of two quick yellows. The Newfoundwell men led by the odd point from eleven at the interval and Hugh McGinn’s free doubled their advantage after the restart, 0-7 to 0-5. A Derek Kierans brace and another point from leading marksman McGinn (0-5) stretched the gap out to five and effectively finished the game as a Eoghan Judge

Colin Judge

contest. While it was by no means a vintage Blues performance, they did what they had to do and victories like this are absolutely vital in a SFCwinning campaign. On Saturday August 10th, at again Castlebellingham, the Blues challenge was to avoid defeat by five points or more. Anything better than a five-point defeat against Dreadnots would see them progress to the quarter-finals. In the end, they advanced comfortably enough after a closely-contested encounter finished all-square, 0-13 each. Brian Kermode, Hugh McGinn, Derek Kierans and James Murray clipped over the first four points of the match but Dreadnots stormed back to take the lead before Conor Barton made a brilliant save between the Blues posts. A Stephen Moonan ‘45’ ensured parity at the break and the second half was similarly nip-and-tuck. With time almost up, the Clogherhead men seemed to have done enough to remain in the championship as they led by 0-13 to 0Hugh McGinn with his sister Vicky and The Joe Ward Cup

Robert Carr The talented U16 league and championship winners, front l/r: Ronan Levins, Evan McGinn, Jamie Doherty, Ryan Levins, James Moore, Declan McKenna, Oisin Doherty. Middle: Ross Nally, Aaron Kierans, Reece Gary, Daire Nally, Adam McGinn, Ross Guildea, Emmett Carolan, Ian Connor, Cieran Crowe, Donal Carr. Back: Caolan McKenna, Conor Ayson, Cian Lynch, Fergal Donohoe, Kieran Downey, Johnny McDonnell, Ciaran Walsh, Conor Farrell, Jamie Kelly, Sean Kavanagh Kevin Carr, Dean Martin

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The Blues SFC winning team of 1988 were honoured before this year’s county final, front l/r: Davy Byrne, Danny Nugent, Colin Kelly, Jackie Hanratty, Johnny Doherty, Bosco Judge, Peter Judge, David McEntaggart. Back: Gerard Judge, Damian Martin, Keith Lynch, Martin Carr, Sean Matthews, John O’Rourke, Padraig Judge, Richie Culhane, Dessie Callaghan, Eugene Judge

Andy McDonnell receives the senior final Man of the Match award from Martin Kerley

James Murray celebrates with his dad Dessie, former Blues and Louth star, after the county final win over Cooley

12, but a last-gasp McGinn point sent them crashing out and confirmed that the Blues would progress as Group C winners with three points from a possible four. Kierans notched five of their 13 points, while McGinn fired 0-3. No other forwards got their names on the scoresheet with defenders Moonan (02) and Murray and midfielders Keith Lynch and Brian Kermode accounting for the remaining five scores. It would be fair to say that the Blues didn’t look like title contenders just yet, but the main objective during the group stage is just to stay in the race… From here on, the Blues would have to do it the hard way. Mattock, the Pats and Cooley all stood between them and a 20th SFC crown. At the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday, September 1st, the Newfoundwell men finally announced themselves as genuine contenders as they romped to an astonishing 6-15 to 2-9 quarter-final annihilation of Mattock Rangers. While the Collon men had only just about

Derek Kierans

Paul Moore

Ciaran Downey receives the U16 Championship final Man of the Match Award from Simon Finn of John Laverty Auto Factors

had marched emphatically into their stumbled through the group phase, semi-final date with St Patricks, the nobody could have seen a result like defending champions had struggled to this coming. see off St Marys in their quarter-final. The return to the team of Andy The stage was set for a fascinating McDonnell (1-4) gave the Blues a semi-final duel. And so it proved as two timely fillip and early goals from Barry matches were required to separate Sharkey and Hugh McGinn saw them these two giants of Louth football… lead by 2-3 to 0-2 after 14 minutes – At The Grove on Saturday, September Game Over! By the time the short 14th, Stephen Moonan drilled home a whistle sounded, there were ten points magnificent long-range injury-time free between the teams: 2-9 to 0-5. Sharkey netted his second major within 30 seconds of the restart to confirm what we already knew – that the Blues would be in the last four. McDonnell and Derek Kierans also found the back of the net and Man of the Match McGinn (2-6) won and converted a late penalty to put the icing on the cake. In recent times, a kick of the ball was usually all that separated these teams, yet here were the Blues beating Mattock by 18 points. A marker if ever there was a marker! Keith Lynch celebrates with his niece after Kickhams Interestingly, while the Blues are dispatched in the county final

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The celebrations begin as The Blues are crowned U16 championship winners

to rescue a 0-9 apiece draw with threein-a-row-seeking St Patricks in the drawn semi-final. Under incredible pressure, the wing back made a sweet connection to split the posts and give his team a deserved second bite at the cherry. The Blues had probably had the better of play in general but registered too many wides over the course of the hour and were hanging on for dear life when county captain Paddy Keenan fired the Pats into a late, late lead. In the end, a draw was a fair result in this battle of the heavyweights of the Wee County. Two Hugh McGinn points were all the

Happy McDonnell's - Andy with his dad Johnny who collected a senior medal with St Fechins

champions-elect could muster inside the opening 22 minutes and they trailed by 0-5 to 0-2. Substitute Colm Judge and his Louth team-mate Andy McDonnell pointed either side of the interval to close the gap to the minimum before Barry Sharkey and McGinn both landed levellers, 0-6 each after 40 minutes.

Judge and McGinn made it threein-a-row for the Blues, who led by 08 to 0-6 with ten minutes left but, in the end, Pat McDonagh’s team needed Moonan’s dramatic intervention to save their bacon. The replay was in Haggardstown the following Friday and things were looking ominous when the Pats chalked up 1-3 without reply inside the first ten minutes. But the Blues responded like true champions as they reeled off five points inside six minute courtesy of Colm Judge (2), Stephen Moonan and Hugh McGinn. Trailing the 14 men of Lordship (who had Shane Hynes dismissed after 22 minutes) by 1-4 to 0-6 at the break (with McGinn notching a free), the Blues eventually went in front eight minutes into the second half when McGinn’s penalty (after a foul on Derek Kierans) made it 1-6 to 1-4. Andy McDonnell and Moonan (free) pointed to make it 1-8 to 1-5 and further scores from John Kermode and Judge left the winners four points clear, 1-10 to 1-6. Despite a late red card for Colm Judge (0-2), the Blues held on and booked a final date with Cooley, who had seen off O’Connells in the other semi-final. An hour of football later, Joe was coming home!

Blues Captain Stephen Moonan raises the Joe Ward Cup

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NAOMH MONINNE

ver the past number of years a huge emphasis has been put on the underage section of Naomh Moninne and 2013 saw that hard work continue to pay off, with plenty of success being achieved at various levels over the course of the year. The Dundalk club’s ambitions at adult level may be more modest than in previous years, but according to manager, Joe Kennedy, the focus is very much on building for the future. “We had hoped to compete well in the championship but it didn’t really work out for us, while in the league we were never in contention but there were some encouraging displays towards the end of the year. “However, there is no sense of doom and gloom as for us it is all about building for the future. We have introduced a lot of minors into the team so it is going to take three or four years for us to get back to where we want to be,” explained Joe. With that philosophy at the core of everything Monnine are about at

present, it is no surprise that they will look back on 2013 with great satisfaction given the performances of the juvenile teams. The highlight of the year was the achievement of the U14 team in capturing the U14 Feile na nGael title as the team managed by John Murphy, Charlie Geoghegan and Kevin Joyce qualified from the group phase of the competition to take on the Knockbridge/Geraldines combination in the final in April. The reward for the team was to represent Louth at the Feile na nGael festival of hurling in July in Limerick. The travelling party of players, mentors and parents set out on Friday July 5 to play in Division 6 where they recorded four wins to progress to the semi-final. The final itself took place at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Sunday morning July 7 in the presence of Uachtaran CLG Liam O’Neill, where they came up against St Patricks from Limerick. Moninne trailed at the break by 1-3 to 1-2 with Ultan McEneaney grabbing their goal.

A further brace of goals from the young Kilkerley man had the Dundalk boys leading by 3-4 to 2-4 but their dreams of lifting the trophy were dashed by two goals from one of the St Patricks midfielders as the Limerick boys took the title on a final scoreline of 4-4 to 3-4. The team also won through to the County U14 Championship Final which was held in Clan na Gael Park on Tuesday October 22 and the team produced another good performance to add this title to the earlier Feile title with a comprehensive 7-6 to 0-5 victory over the Knockbridge/Geraldines combination. The Moninne scorers in this final were Ultan McEneaney (3-3), Eoghan Smith (2-0), Oisin Murtagh (1-2), Eoin Murphy (1-0) and Feidhlim Joyce (0-1). U14 Panel: Oisin Murtagh, Eoin O Hora, Padraig Fallon, James Prendergast, Matthew Fee (captain), Eoin Murphy, James Shevlin, Feidhlim Joyce, Tadhg Litchfield, Daniel Corcoran, Darren Geoghegan, James Murphy, Ultan McEneaney, Sean Bellew, Ben Walsh, Eoghan Smith,

A HIVE OF ACTIVITY IN MONINNE

The minor squad, front l/r: Cian Kelly, Aidan McAuley, Tadhg McEneaney, Ronan O’Reilly, Shane McBride, Michael Lambert, Eoghan Lafferty, Stephen Bellew. Back: Daire Flanagan, Eoin Farrell, Dean O’Donnell, Joe McCann, Shane Connolly, Donal Connolly, Darren Whyte, Aaron Kelly, Conal McEneaney

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Gene Murtagh, Kyle Rafferty, Paul Hamill, Caoilte Curran O Rourke, Alan Carr, Ryan Conophy, James Cushnahan, Ciaran McGlynn, Luke Murray, Oisin Conroy, Reece O Hanlon, Jordan Byrne, Sean Laverty. The club’s minor team saw very little action in 2013 taking the field on only two occasions throughout the year, where the first of these saw them recording a comprehensive 7-10 to 01 league victory over Knockbridge on Thursday April 4 with Daire Flanagan top scoring with 4-4. The championship draw saw them pitted against holders St Fechins with the game going ahead on Saturday September 21 at the Point Road. The Termonfeckin outfit proved too strong on the day recording a 5-17 to 1-8 victory. Minor Panel 2013: Donal Connolly, Shane McBride (captain), Shane Connolly, Aaron Kelly, Conal McEneaney, Eoghan Lafferty, Eoin Farrell, Joe McCann, Stephen Bellew, Ronan O Reilly, Daire Flanagan, Tadhg McEneaney, Aidan McAuley, Dean O Donnell, Cian Kelly, Michael Lambert, Darren Whyte. Moninne’s U16 outfit fared a little

The U12 team, front l/r: Stephen Yore, Aaron McGuinness Smyth, Shane Shields, Brian Brady, Luke Murray, Kyle Rafferty, Ben Walsh. Back: David Duffy (selector), Liam Gordon, Cara McKeever, Conor Murphy, Sean McGill, Brendan McCann, Reece O Hanlon

better in 2013 playing three games in the Louth league as well as taking in a semi final in the Championship. The recorded two defeats and a draw before losing out to St Fechins in the championship semi-final by 3-11 to 22, with Tadhg McEneaney and Eoin Murphy accounting for the team’s goals.

U16 Panel: Darren Geoghegan, Eoin Murphy, Shane Connolly, Michael Lambert, James Shevlin, Matthew Fee, Colin O’Connor, Aaron Kelly, Tadhg McEneaney, Ultan McEneaney, Graham Cairns, John Byrne, Stephen Woods, Feidhlim Joyce, Dean O’Donnell, Daniel Corcoran, Adam Woods Enright, Eoghan Smith, Tadhg

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NAOMH MONINNE 2013

The Moninne senior squad, front l/r: Mark McDonnell, Liam Blundell, Diarmuid Murphy, Ronan O’Reilly, Daire Flanagan, Joe McCann, Oisin Drumm, Joe Kennedy (manager). Back: Darren O’Hanrahan, Ronan Geoghegan, Chris Lennon, Donal Connolly, David Yore, Dean Carolan, Stephen Ryan, Kieran Somers, Padraig Mulholland, Sharon O’Donoghue (physio)

naomh moninne designed_Layout 1 20/12/2013 13:36 Page 4

The McCreesh Shield (U11) winners, front l/r: Dylan Keenan, David Brennan, Aaron McGuinness Smyth, Eddie Finnegan, Ben Walsh, Foinn Cumiskey, Diarmuid McEneaney, Shane Shields, Alex Murphy, Conor Whyte. Back: Daire Reilly, Cara McKeever, Sean McGill, Cian Walsh, Conor Murphy, Cormac Brannigan, Brendan Prendergast, Stephen Yore, Dillon Conophy

The strong U10 squad, front l/r: Liam O’Connor, Alex Gough, Cormac Brannigan, Eddie Finegan, Diarmuid McEneaney, Dylan Keenan, Alex Murphy, Shane McGuinness Smyth. Back (included are): Jack Mulvihill, Aaron McGuinness Smyth, Cian Walsh, Conor Whyte, David Brennan, Shane Shields, Daire Reilly, Foinn Cumiskey

Litchfield, Oisin Murtagh, Eoghan O’Hora, Sean Bellew, Padraig Fallon, James Prendergast. The club’s U12 team were active throughout the year competing in the all county league as well as the U12 O Broin Shield and the U11 McCreesh Shield blitzes late on in the year. They had five outings in the league winning two of these to finish mid table in the league standings. This year’s U12 O Broin Shield blitz took place in Darver on Saturday September 14 with the team taking part in the ‘A’ competition. The team under performed on the day losing all three of their games by the following results: Knockbridge 4-2 Naomh Moninne 0-1; St Kevins 2-0 Naomh Moninne 1-0; Knockbridge 7-6 Naomh Moninne 1-1. Four weeks later Termonfeckin was the venue for the U11 McCreesh Shield blitz on Saturday October 12. Once again Moninne competed in the ‘A’ competition and it once again proved to be a lucky venue for the club as they captured the title having last won it in 2011 at the same venue. Captain Ben Walsh scored what turned out to by only goal of the game to the delight of their supporters and afterwards he was presented with the McCreesh Shield by Peggy McCreesh. U12 Panel: Conor Murphy, Shane Shields, Stephen Yore, Dillon

The U14 Feile na nGael winners, front l/r: James Shevlin, Ben Walsh, Gene Murtagh, Eoghan O’Hora, Ciaran McGlynn, James Murphy, Feidhlim Joyce, Oisin Conroy, Kyle Rafferty, Luke Murray. Back: Gene Murtagh, Padraig Fallon, Ryan Conophy, Eoin Murphy, Matthew Fee, Ultan McEneaney, Sean Bellew, Darren Geoghegan, Tadhg Litchfield, James Prendergast, James Cushnahan, Eoghan Smith

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Conophy, Cathal Purcell, Luke Murray, Jamie Wynne, Cara McKeever, Reece O Hanlon, Sean McGill, Ciaran Johnson, Kyle Rafferty, Brian Brady, Brendan McCann, Brendan Prendergast, Thomas Fogarty, Aaron McGuinness Smyth, Cormac Brannigan, Fintan Brady, Ben Walsh, Liam Gordon, Fionn Cumiskey, Daire Reilly, Eddie Finegan, Diarmuid McEneaney, Cian Walsh, David Brennan. The U10 team played eight games in the League performing very well throughout the season winning five and losing only three of their games. The following were the results in the

Ben Walsh receives the U11 McCreesh Shield from Peggy McCreesh

Maurice Murphy presents Matthew Fee with the Feile na nGael U14 trophy

A group of young members that took part in a sponsored cycle at the Marist Grounds in Dundalk to raise funds for the trip to the Feile na nGael finals

league: Naomh Moninne 3-2 St Kevins 4-2; Naomh Moninne 3-1 St Fechins 1-0; Naomh Moninne 1-1 Knockbridge 0-1; Naomh Moninne 1-0 St Kevins 3-2; Naomh Moninne 3-7 Knockbridge 3-1; Naomh Moninne 3-2 Cooley/Pearse Og 1-2; Naomh Moninne 5-5 Knockbridge 2-2; Naomh Moninne 5-3 St Fechins 0-1. The team also travelled to Inniskeen on Saturday May 11 to take part in a blitz where they recorded victories over both Carrick and Castleblayney. U10 Panel: Cormac Brannigan, Conor Murphy, Kerri Connolly, Eoin McKenna, David Brennan, Aaron McGuinness Smyth, Shane Shields, Fionn Cumiskey, Jack Mulvihill, Thomas Fogarty, Cian Walsh, Jake Fee Collins, Tadhg Kearney, Alex Murphy, Alex Gough, Eddie Finegan, Daire Reilly, Conor Whyte, Diarmuid McEneaney, Dylan Keenan, Stephen Mullen, Shane McGuinness Smyth. The young boy and girls who made up the clubs U8 team took part in six regional blitzes throughout 2013 where they took in games against Knockbridge, St Kevins, G e r a l d i n e s , Cooley/Pearse Og, Glen Emmets and St Fechins. U8 Panel: Liam

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Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, Cian Walsh, Aaron Heeney, Ryan Heeney, Luke Haughey, Grainne Cumiskey, Shane McGuinness Smyth, Sarah Mulholland, Niall Hickey, Conor McGlynn, Craig McDowell, Harry Valentine, Matthew Maloney, James Maloney, James Byrne, Mark Byrne. The Committee of Naomh Moninne would like to thank the following clubs for the use of their grounds in 2013 to play some of our home games, Dowdallshill, St Patricks, Sean Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Mahonys, Dundalk Gaels and Clan na Gael. They also extend their appreciation to the Board of Management of the Marist College for the continued use of their grounds for the training of all our teams.

Chris Lennon

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ST BRIDES LADIES

BRIDES LADIES FOOTBALLERS THRIVING

n their eighth season competing in ladies football St Brides Ladies U10's started their season with their home blitz in which eight U10's teams from six clubs took part.

The U10's continued their season by attending blitz's in local clubs, Geraldine's, Cooley, St Pats and Kilkerley. Due to the volume of registered players at U10's level we were able to field two or three teams at every blitz. The highlight of our season for the girls was attending the tournament hosted by Fingallian's GFC in Dublin. The bus was full for the second year running to attend this summer tournament. Our U10's team came third in the overall competition and were delighted to be bringing a trophy back to Knockbridge. The U10's management for 2013 was Declan Lambe, Kieran Carey and Antoinette Tinnelly. Other parents who helped us at blitzes included Fra Fagan, Benny O’Mara, Deirdre Muckian, Stephaine Staunton, Neil and Martina Murphy and Seán McCaffrey. St Brides Ladies U12's had a great football season. Our U12's girls finished fourth in the North County League and progressed to the quarter finals of the Championship. We were unfortunately knocked out at this stage by the Dreadnots team. The squad consisted of two U12's players with the remaining players U11's and U10's. Our squad had

The promising U12 crew

Louth County Player last year Kodie McEneaney. The squad hope to improve on their achievements this season. The U12's management team for 2013 was David and Rosemary Reilly, Gary and Antoinette Tinnelly. St Bride’s u14 girls had a very successful year in 2013. Despite having a small squad they qualified for the Division 1 league semi-final and the final of the U14 championship. They defeated the Glen Emmet’s / Mattock Rangers combination in the quarter final of the championship before

The St Brides U14 girls squad

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having an epic tussle with the Newtown Blues in the semi-final. The first game finished in a draw but they came out on top in the replay with a last minute goal from Emma McArdle. Unfortunately they came up against a very strong Geraldine’s team in the final and were defeated Brides Ladies GFC accepted an invitation to attend ‘Culbert - Brennan Cup and Shield Football Competition’ in Naomh Gall, The Falls Road, Belfast on Saturday 26th October. St Brides fielded two teams, U15 team entering the Cup Competition and U14's entering the Shield Competition. In the Shield competition a very young St. Brides team progressed successfully through group stages in which they played St. Brigids, Belfast and Lamh Dhearg, Belfast. St Brides U14's were beaten in the quarter final play off against a very strong Dundrum LGFC from Co Down. In the U15 Cup competition, St Brides Ladies won every game which secured them a place in the final. They were successful against home team Naomh Gall, Clonduff GFC, Co Down, Coatsbridge Davitts from Scotland and St Brigid's Belfast. In the final they faced a very skilled and experienced U15 team from Carryduff GAC (who won this year's under 14 All Ireland

st brides ladies designed_Layout 1 13/12/2013 12:39 Page 2

Our intermediate/Division Feile division 4). The girls from Knockbridge gave 2, team under the 100% in dismal weather management of David Hoey conditions to achieve 1-1 and captained by Marie to 0-4 draw at full time. Brennan, reached the The game continued to league semi-final, the 9-aextra time which saw side final and the Carryduff GAC been intermediate championship victorious with a one point final. win. St Brides Ladies In the Div. 2 league semiU15's were complimented final, the Brides girls played by management of the without a number of key successful team Caryduff players, due to illness and GAC for their sheer injury, and ran Stabannon determination until the final very close. They were very whistle was blown as unlucky to finish on the Jimmy Quigley Heating and Plumbing presenting a new set of jerseys to St Brides Carryduff GAC have an ladies players Niamh Sweeney, Marie Brennan and Sheila Tobin losing side by two points. unbeaten record in league The 9-a-side final was a and championship this going to be the team that was able to use real see-saw affair against Newtown year. A full bus of cold, wet and tired the strong breeze to their advantage that Blues, the same pairing as last year’s 9players left Belfast with a great sense of was going to win this one. Unfortunately a-side final. But this year the result was achievement to return to Knockbridge, a it was the combined forces of Cooley and reversed. Newtown Blues managed to great day was had by all. Dowdallshill that got the advantage here. snatch victory with an injury time goal. U14's team; Rachel Muckian, Ciara Spectators at this final were treated to a Lambe, Shauna King, Lily Fagan, Kodie 2013 was the club’s first year playing fantastic match where there was never McEneaney, Amy McGeough, Alanna intermediate championship and it was more than a few points separating the Tinnelly, Sarah Brennan, Caoimhe indeed an amazing feat getting to the sides at any time. Staunton, Deárbhla Tinnelly, Grace final of this competition, beating the Mentors: Fra Fagan, Caroline Dunne, Conroy, N Mentors were Linda Mc Ardle, mighty St. Pat’s in the semi-final. Caroline McGee, Dolores McNally, Philip Mc Ardle, and TJ Meegan & The 2013 football season saw St. Dowdallshill were the opposition in the Thomas Mc Geough” Niamh Belton, Brides enter two ladies teams in league final and while both teams served up Libby Turnbull, Nell Meegan and Orla and championship competitions-one some great skill and teamwork, it was the Conway. team in Division 4 and another team in experience of the Dowdallshill girls that U15's team; Ciara Marry, Megan Division 2. proved the difference in the end. McEneaney, Emma Fagan, Caitlyn Both teams acquitted themselves While these two Brides Ladies teams McNally, Bebhinn O Brien, Mairead extremely well. Our Division 4 team, brought home no silverware this season, Fitzpatrick, Emma McArdle, Kate captained by Sheila Tobin, finished top of they can be very proud of the fact that Keenan, Sarah McArdle, Aoife the league and played Newtown Blues in they got to three finals and will no doubt McGeough, Bronagh McArdle, Dairne the final. This was an enthralling match learn a huge amount from these White and Sarah Lavery. in which the Knockbridge girls led for experiences for the coming football Our U16 team did very well in both most of the two halves but a goal and a season. league and championship and were very few unanswered points in the second St. Brides GFC chaired by Micheal unlucky not to have captured a title this half by the Newtown Blues side made McNally in 2013 has given great help, season. A number of players on this very difficult for the Brides to hold on to support and encouragement to St. team played on the division 4 ladies victory and they lost by a mere two Brides Ladies GFC since its foundation team and were a great asset to that points. in 2006. team. The committee would to The St. Brides Ladies thank all those who have in club can take great heart any way given sponsorship to from the tremendous our club throughout the year, performances of our U18 team in the minor our very successful jersey championship this year. sponsorship draw enabled us This team had victories to purchase three sets of new over Mattock jerseys for the club. To those Rangers/Glen Emmets, who supported our church Naomh Martin/Dreadnots gate collection, to Brodigans and St. Mochtas on their Daybreak, Knockbridge way to the final, in which Vintage Club and anyone else they played the who contributed in any way. Cooley/Dowdallshill A final word of thanks to the combination. This final parents and supporters for was played in conditions their continued encouragenot exactly conducive to ment and support throughout Taking part in a juvenile blitz football and it was always the year.

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ST. BRIDES

t Brides made a fantastic effort in the 2013 Louth intermediate football championship but their brave run was ended by a determined Geraldines outfit on county final day. In the league, meanwhile, a promotion play-off defeat to St Marys consigned the Knockbridge men to another season in Division Two. However, the club did have something to cheer about when claiming the junior 2A crown to collect their first piece of championship silverware in 46 years. They added the Division 4B league and U21 FC to complete a memorable year! Had St Brides managed to eke out one more win in the IFC, then midfielder Shane Kerrigan would have been the man entrusted with the honour of collecting the Seamus Flood Cup. Four

impressive victories had left the villagers within an hour of glory – and a return to senior football – but, in the intermediate final at Dowdallshill, Geraldines never gave the Brides a sniff as they roared to a nine-point victory. Reflecting on that defeat at St Brigid’s Park on the first Sunday of October, team captain Kerrigan doesn’t even try to mask his disappointment: “We were very disappointed,” he concedes. “When we got to the final, we thought we would have been able to push on from there, especially considering the fight we had shown in the semi-final against the Joes.” It’s one thing to lose; but to lose when playing badly is even worse… “We were disappointed with the performance in the final more than the result,” says Shane. “We were dead for the entire 60 minutes. We didn’t do ourselves justice. It was a big occasion

for Knockbridge and for the team and everyone from the village was there to cheer us on. You’d have thought all that positive energy would have driven you on, but the exact opposite happened.” What went wrong? Did the players freeze? “I think the Gers started at a higher tempo than us and, usually, you’d get a chance to come back into it. Normally, you’d rise to that tempo and come into the game but they never gave us a chance and they managed to stay on the front foot throughout the match. You’d have to give credit to them for not letting us get into it. But from our point of view, it’s hard to know what went wrong. “We had beaten them in the group stage and we were confident that we could beat them again. But the final was their best performance of the championship and our worst. We had played well in most of our other matches

A GREAT EFFORT

St Brides celebrate their U21 FC victory over Clan na Gael

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ST. BRIDES 2013

The intermediate championship finalists, front l/r: Donal McNally, Colin McNally, Ross Kehoe, Stephen Kettle, Greg Kehoe, Aaron Hoey, Senan Hoey (mascot), Ray Kelly, Paul Prendergast, Conaill Devin, Kevin Hearty, Andrew Smyth, Richard Halpenny, Emmet Kirk, Paraic Mackin, Aaron Devin, Niall Mackin, Aidan McNally, Gerard McKeown, Michael Keane, Sean Brennan, Ruairi Kelly, Pearse Murphy. Back: Gareth Corcoran, Sean McDonnell, Michael Mc Kenna, David Kettle, Alan Meegan, Paul Halpenny, Joseph Hanna, Shane Kerrigan (captain), Darren Breen, Patrick Reilly, Cillian Kirk, David Dunne, James Costello, Stephen Smyth, Ciaran Drumm, Conor Deane, Kevin Kirk, Paraic Marry, Mark Hoey

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The celebrations begin with the Junior 2A Championship Cup

but they came good on the day and had their golden period at just the right time. Playing well in the final is what it’s all about.” The Brides had booked their place in the knockout stage of the IFC two months earlier, with a routine 4-10 to 0-5 Group Four victory over Glen Emmets at Stabannon on Sunday, August 11th. Patrick Reilly clipped over the opening point and goals from Niall Mackin and Aaron Hoey ensured a 2-6 to 0-3 interval lead. Further majors from Ross Keogh and Conal Devin after the restart put the gloss on a fine hour’s work and confirmed their passage to the quarter-finals as table-toppers The villagers had opened their 2013 Louth IFC programme with a 2-8 to 1-6 defeat of competition favourites Geraldines in Dowdallshill on Friday, July 26th. Former county star Aaron Hoey plundered the decisive goal in the 43rd minute, while Conal Devin finished the match with 1-3 to his credit. St Fechins provided the opposition in the last eight and, at The Grove on Saturday, September 7th, a 1-11 to 1-7 success was secured, with Patrick Reilly notching 1-2 and Aaron Hoey and Kevin Hearty sharing eight points evenly. That win set up a mouth-watering semifinal meeting with neighbours St Josephs and a real thriller unfolded at St Brigid’s Park on Saturday afternoon, September 21st before the Brides advanced with four points to spare, 3-15 to 2-14. Ross Keogh, Kevin Hearty and substitute Richard Halpenny all contributed 1-2 apiece to the winning tally.

Just an hour’s football now stood between St Brides and the Seamus Flood Cup and hopes were high that major silverware was on its way to Pairc an Chuinnigh. They had already beaten their final opponents in their opening game but, alas, at Dowdallshill on Sunday, October 6th, the HaggardstownBlackrock men stormed to a 2-15 to 2-6 victory. A small measure of compensation was gleaned the following weekend when St Brides landed their first adult championship title in 46 years by beating Clan na Gael by 3-11 to 0-9 in the junior 2A championship decider at Pairc Emmiti. It was no mean feat as Ruairi Kelly became the first Brides clubman to collect a championship cup since his father Gerry did the honours in 1967 …

but, at the same time, there was no disguising the fact that the IFC was the one the club had really wanted. Even more encouragingly, the county U21 FC crown was annexed at Darver on Saturday night, December 7th, when Clan na Gael were ousted in a thrilling decider by 0-16 to 1-12. Beaten in the final of the 2012 U21 championship, the Knockbridge men took the silverware courtesy of two late points from Kevin Hearty. Scores from Patrick Reilly, Hearty, Emmet Kirk and Cathal McKenna gave the winners a 0-9 to 0-4 interval lead and they repelled a spirited Clans recovery before Gareth Hall was presented with the Under 21 championship cup by County Board chairman Padraic O’Connor. St Brides, 2013 Louth U21 football champions: Darren Breen; Sean Mc Donnell, Cillian Kirk, Aidan McNally; Paraic Marry, Andrew Smyth, Richard Halpenny; Gareth Hall, Patrick Reilly (02); Ross Kehoe, Emmet Kirk (0-4), Michael Keane; Kevin Hearty (0-5), Cathal McKenna (0-4), James Costello (0-1). Subs: Paul Halpenny for S Mc Donnell; Conor Deane for R Halpenny; Sean Brennan for P Marry; Aaron Devin. Subs not used: Alan Meegan, Stephen Kettle, Jarlath Cassidy, Paraic Mackin, James Collins. Having secured a top-five finish in the league, there was still a chance of the first team winning promotion to Division One. An injury-time goal from Kevin Hearty culminated in a stunning 2-11 to 1-13 play-off semi-final victory over St Josephs. But, unfortunately, a 0-15 to 110 defeat to St Marys in Kilcurly put paid to any hopes of promotion. Played over the second weekend of November, this was a bizarre match as the referee had

Declan Byrne presents the Junior 2A Championship Cup to Rory Kelly

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Ready for action as the Brides parade before the IFC final

originally abandoned the game with the sides level and time almost up but, following consultation with both managers and both captains, it was agreed to add five minutes of injury time. The Marys got the last two points to bring an end to an eventful season that had promised so much but delivered no silverware for David Reilly’s team. (The Marys subsequently lost the promotion/relegation ‘final’ to Naomh Mairtin.) Reflecting on the league campaign, 2013 Brides captain Shane Kerrigan says: “We did well to come back with a last-minute goal against the Joes but against the Marys we just couldn’t get the scores. I thought we were going to push on but unfortunately we didn’t. We could have won it in the end but the Marys deserved to win.” As the final whistle sounded on a season that almost brought double promotion but ultimately delivered neither, there was much time for reflection in the clubhouse: “We were very disappointed but at the start of the year we had set ourselves a target of getting into a final and I suppose you could argue that we got to two – the championship and the league play-off.

Ross Kehoe

The younger lads will learn a lot from the year … and hopefully the older lads will learn from it too! “When the season ends, you need a break and a chance to let it all settle. January to November was a very long year and the crucial moments only really come nine or ten months into it – the championship final in October and the league play-offs in November. All the work and effort you have put in to get to that point is on the line. “We have to go back to the hard months again and prepare for another sustained effort over a nine-month period. We’d be hopeful but it’s going to take a lot of determination to get back to training and to make ourselves champions.” While some of St Brides’ main men – like full back David Dunne (who won a Nicky Rackard Cup hurling All Star in 2013) and full forward Aaron Hoey, for example - have given incredible service to the club and have arguably passed the autumn of their careers at this stage, Shane is confident that they’ll all be back for one more tilt in 2014: “I’d say they’ll all stay on,” he predicts. “The winter months are long and Emmerdale and Coronation Street aren’t that good. I think they’d rather be down at the pitch keeping fit

Shane Kerrigan

Patrick Reilly

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Gareth Hall receives the Louth U21 FC trophy from Padraig O’Connor

and driving towards the goal of an intermediate championship than at home watching soap stars. “None of those lads will retire and it’s great to see the young lads with the legs coming through into the team and making their mark. You need that energy in the team and hopefully they will drive it on next year too. We weren’t too far away this year and I just hope we can get into a similar situation next year...” The St Brides team that contested the 2013 Louth IFC final was: Darren Breen; Andrew Smyth, David Dunne (1-0), Conor Deane; Greg Kehoe, Cillian Kirk, Niall Mackin; Paddy Reilly, Shane Kerrigan (0-1); Ross Kehoe, Ray Kelly, Joseph Hanna; Kevin Hearty (0-1), Aaron Hoey (0-2), Conal Devin. Subs: Aidan McNally for N Mackin, Richard Halpenny for K Hearty, Kevin Kirk (0-1) for C Devin, Padraig Marry for J Hanna, Paul Prendergast for C Kirk.

Mark Hoey

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NAOMH MALACHI

fter enduring what can only be described as a most frustrating season, it is no surprise that all at the Naomh Malachi club just can’t wait for the 2014 campaign to start. Despite the huge disappointment of suffering relegation from Division 2, there is already a great sense of determination within the club to set the record straight by mounting a serious challenge for promotion. In a year where the team was ravaged by injuries the writing was on the wall in terms of league prospects from the early stages. By September, the inevitability of relegation that had hung over the Mals for a number of months, was finally confirmed. However, despite the fact that Naomh Malachi are facing the prospect of Division 3 football, there are many who believe that there were enough positive signs to be taken from the season to begin the new season with

a sense of optimism. Towards the end of the season, when most of the injured players had returned to the fold, the Courtbane men turned in some good performances. Although it was too late to preserve their league status, they gave themselves a huge boost by retaining their place in the Intermediate Championship after winning the relegation play-off final. Jason Clarke is one of those players who believes that this year was not a true reflection of the team’s ability. As a result he is determined to see the Mals make an immediate return to Division 2, and he doesn’t have to look too far for inspiration. “We are under no illusions that it is going to be very difficult but we have to start with the aim of getting straight back up. There are a lot of very good teams in that grade but Roche Emmets were in a similar position and managed to get up. “A lot of people said it was going to

be hard for them, but they showed that with the right attitude and effort, it can be done,” explained Clarke who is hoping to follow the example set by their neighbours. Getting the club move back in the right direction would certainly be a positive step as the North Louth men haven’t been enjoying the best of fortune since their golden period of the 2000s. Three Intermediate Championship successes and a Cardinal O’Donnell Cup Final appearance, made it a memorable time for the Courtbane outfit during that period. Although there is a realisation that they may not be ready to recapture those highs, they are confident that they can hold their own in the middle tier of football over the coming years. Jason explains that the natural process of losing players to retirement followed the club’s last Intermediate title in 2009 but the small squad was stretched to the limit by the loss of key

MALACHI’S LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK

Kevin Rogers heads for the Roche goal

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players at the start of this year. “For the size of the parish, I suppose you could say that we were punching above our weight at times. The reality is that we don’t have a big panel and you will always lose one or two to retirement. “Every team gets injuries but the amount of players we had out this year made it very difficult for us to get a run Manager Mark Gogarty

in the league,” added Clarke who missed much of the season after having surgery on a hip problem at Christmas. “There is no doubt that we were very unfortunate in terms of injuries this year and at times it was a battle to get a team out. There were about five or six who had to have operations and to make it even worse, most of them

were key players. Without the spine of the team available, it was always going to be an uphill task. “When you only have a small panel, losing five or six is a massive blow and it is almost impossible to be competitive over the league season when at times you can only get 16 or 17 togged out. “With so many players unavailable at

Mark Meegan slips through the Roche defence

Ronan McElroy

Ronan Lynch

Jason Clarke

Ready to go in the 100km cycle from the clubgrounds in Shelagh

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NAOMH MALACHI 2013

The senior squad, front l/r: Jason Clarke, Jamie Kelly, Shane Rogers, Mark Meegan, Colin Rooney, Colin Hoey, Kevin Rogers, Stephen Burns, Brian Rogers. Back: Ronan Lynch, Micheal Woods, Ronan Greene, Niall Dowdall, Ronan McElroy, Niall Bird, Pierce Caherty, Padraig Moley, Eamonn Agnew, Anthony Martin, Tiernan Gonnelly, Conor Gonnelly, David Begley, Padraig McArdle

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the start of the year, we knew from the outset that it was going to be difficult. We got off to a bad start and once you don’t pick up points early in the season it is going to be tough. “While we are naturally disappointed to be relegated we have to accept the fact that results don’t lie and overall we just weren’t good enough,” added Jason who has been one of the club’s leading forwards in recent years. What makes it more difficult to accept is that fact that when the Malachis got players back in the latter stages of the season, they showed they had the ability to compete. “In the last six or seven weeks we probably had about 90 per cent of the squad available and although we started to perform a lot better, the damage was done at that stage in terms of the league. “Once we got players back we were much more competitive but we were just that bit short in terms of fitness and self belief needed to win tight games,” he revealed. However, they did manage to end the season with something to show for their efforts having managed to preserve their Intermediate Championship status for next year. Without doubt the win over Glen Emmets in the play-off final was the highlight of 2013. “In the Championship we had Roche in the first game and although we started well, I think we just ran out of steam in the end, but losing that game meant we had to beat the O’Mahonys. Once again we put in a good performance for about 40 minutes but couldn’t finish it off,” added Clarke, who revealed that those encouraging signs continued when it came to the play-offs. “We felt we were a bit unlucky to lose to the Clans in the semi-final but that display gave us hope going into the

final against Glen Emmets. That was played on a very wet and windy day but we showed great commitment to stay in contention and when needed we dug deep and got the crucial scores to come out on top by a point. “You would have to feel sorry for Glen Emmets as they are a good team but got relegated after just a year. However, it was definitely the highlight of our season and gives us a platform to build on next season. “We will go into next year determined to show what we can do and if we have everyone available I think we can challenge to get back up in the league. Roche have proved that with the right approach it can be done and it would be great to return to Division 2, either by winning the league or through the promotion play-offs. “We will be hoping to put in an improved showing in the Championship and look to getting through to the quarter-finals and avoiding having to face the play-offs again,” concluded Jason.

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he 2013 season will be remembered as the end of an era for St Fechins GFC after long-serving PRO Michael Mooney decided to hang up his pen and notebook. After 32 years of dedicated service, the popular committee member, who has become the face of St Fechins in the eyes of many opposition clubs throughout Louth, has called it a day. The Termonfeckin outfit has been blessed with some dedicated committee members over the years, but few can compare to Michael who has become one of the best-known figures in the club. In itself, the length of time that Michael has held the position would suggest that he has been excellent at his job and undoubtedly will be a hard act to follow. Michael is one of those workers who went about his task in a quiet but efficient way. He could always be trusted by both his own club, and the opposition, to produce a fair account of a game. Equally, from the local media perspective, Michael could always be depended upon to deliver prompt and accurate reports that always gave a

ST FECHINS balanced view of proceedings. Although he won’t be on official duty at games from the new season, Michael has every intention of remaining a regular face among the St Fechins support, both home and away. However, he is now looking forward to being able to relax and enjoy the games rather than having the responsibility of writing a match report when he gets home. Like many people who find themselves on committees for extended periods, Michael admits that he came into the role somewhat by accident. Before he knew it, he was a permanent fixture and ended up as the county’s longest serving PRO. Not surprisingly, Michael had a background steeped in the GAA. His father, Dermot – who played with the Newtown Blues – was a trustee of the original St Fechins field. His playing career was restricted by commitments on the family farm in his youth before an accident at 17 saw him lose parts of his fingers, and that effectively ended his playing days. It didn’t end his involvement with the Fechins and with his own son involved, he helped out with the underage training alongside Tony Flanagan. As those players progressed up the

ranks, Michael was approached by club PRO, Billy Hynes, and asked to take over those duties. Michael agreed to give it a go and the rest, as they say, is history. Overall it is something that Michael thoroughly enjoyed but never thought at the outset that he would serve for over three decades. “I suppose one of the big advantages I had was that my wife Jo was interested in football and liked going to matches, so that certainly made it easier to attend all the games. “I took over in 1982 at a time when St Fechins had been in Senior since 1977. I was just concentrating on the adult teams and taking notes for different newspapers as well as Shay Savage on Radio Carousel,” explained Michael. “1983 was a big year for us and even though we weren’t going that well in the league we got to the Senior Championship Final. Nobody gave us a chance against the Geraldines as they were reigning champions and top of the league. “My job that day was to video the game as there were enough reporters to write about the game, and thankfully we won it and went on to win the Centenary Final the following year.

FECHINS’ 32-YEAR MAN

The senior hurling squad

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ST FECHINS 2013

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Vincent Hynes receives the Paddy Rice Cup from county board chairman Padraig O'Connor

Fergal McNally

Conor Haughney

The celebrations begin as St Fechins are crowned senior hurling league winners

“They were really good times and it was great to be part of it, although I never got too involved with the teams,” added Michael. There was less success to report on over the following decade before the club dropped down to Intermediate in the mid 1990s, although that period did bring other responsibilities. “The one consolation about going down a grade was that we were winning matches on a more regular basis so from my point of view it was good to be reporting on victories rather than defeats. “The other part of the job at that time involved the new pitch at Beaulieu which was coming on board at that time so there was a good bit of press work to be done. “Our first game on the pitch was in 2001 with the official opening in 2003 and I was involved in a special publication to celebrate that day, but thankfully I got a lot of help from people in the local press with that. We had GAA President, Sean Kelly, down and the occasion

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involved getting a lot of information out to the public,” explained Michael. Having dropped down to Junior in 2005, St Fechins won promotion back to Intermediate in 2011 thanks to a Junior Championship win. It was a great year for the club but ultimately tinged with disappointment for Michael as the Termonfeckin side fell just short in the Leinster Final.

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“It was great for the club to get to the Leinster Final but it will always be remembered for the point that was awarded to Ballivor that shouldn’t have been. I think we would have held on but for that score and it would have been great to win a Leinster title,” continued Michael. The PRO is looking forward to more great days ahead but this time will have the comfort of not having to race home to get the laptop out and start putting together a report. “I will definitely still be at the matches – and any other games in the county I can get to – as I think watching football is great therapy. “The bit I found the hardest was going home from the game and having to sit down for an hour typing. Sometimes you would come in from a game soaking wet and hands frozen, and you just wanted to put your feet up. “In the end it was taking away from the enjoyment of the game for so I decided to retire this year. In actual fact, I thought I had started in 1983 but it was actually a year earlier so if I had known that I would have called it a day last year,” explained Michael was

The club U8s taking part in the Og Sport Lu Blitz in Darver

hard act to follow but few can deny that always determined to give his best in after 32 years of dedication, he is the job. entitled to a break. “My approach to the job was to try to be as balanced as possible and to get as much information into the report. I always thought of the person who wasn’t at the game who wanted as much detail as possible. “That’s why I would take down the scores as they happened and to make sure I got the opposition team beforehand so I knew exactly who was doing what. I was never a fan of reports that only had one side of the information so I set out to make it as fair as possible,” added Michael. Best Wishes to St. Fechins GAA There is no doubt that Michael will be a

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ST. JOSEPHS

he IFC semi-final between St Josephs and St Brides was probably the best game of football played in the Wee County in 2013. However, the fact that they’d contributed to such as awesome spectacle was of little consolation to the Joes when the final whistle sounded and their championship dreams went up in smoke for another year at least. A bitter pill to swallow, indeed, but full back Bernard Mulligan believes the Darver/Dromiskin men can put the disappointment of ’13 behind them and strike for championship glory in the coming season. As they took their place in the last four, St Josephs were genuine intermediate championship contenders. They had performed well in their previous three championship outings and had no reason to fear their neighbours from Knockbridge. But nobody could have predicted the surreal match that was to unfold at Dowdallshill on Saturday evening, September 21st – a topsy-turvy encounter full of drama, which could have gone either way but ultimately

finished in a 3-15 to 2-14 victory for the Brides. The Joes were rampant in the opening ten minutes and Alan Quigley’s goal left them in a commanding position, leading by 1-5 to 0-1, but their opponents battled back to trail by just two at the break. Derek Mulligan’s goal propelled the Joes back into a four-point lead in the third quarter, 2-10 to 1-9, but it was the Brides who finished strongest with two late goals. The St Josephs team on IFC semifinal duty was: Robbie Arthur; Philip Kinahan, Bernard Mulligan, Chris Brennan; Conal O’Hanlon (0-3), David Reilly, David Mernagh; Tomas Smyth, Peter Mulligan; Alan McKenna (0-5), Conall Smyth, Daire Smyth (0-1); Alan Quigley (1-1), Derek Mulligan (1-3), Robert Sansom. Subs: Sean McQuillan for D Mernagh, Jack Mulligan (0-1) for T Smyth, Mark Neary for D Reilly, Alan Lynch for A Quigley, Shane McQuillan for D Smyth. The Joes had opened their group campaign with a 0-17 to 2-11 draw with Na Piarsaigh, letting a point slip through their fingers as their opponents pounced for two injury-time goals.

However, by virtue of a thrilling 1-8 to 1-7 victory over 2011 and 2012 finalists Clan na Gael at The Grove on Saturday evening, August 10th, Joe Matthews’ charges advanced to the last eight. It was a battling performance from the Darver-Dromiskin men, who had trailed by three points in the closing stages only for Robert Samson to flick the ball to the net before Conal O’Hanlon fired over the winning point. The quarter-final was at St Brigid’s Park on Sunday, September 8th and, after trailing Sean O’Mahonys by 0-10 to 0-6 after 40 minutes, the Joes rallied brilliantly to prevail by 1-12 to 0-13. Substitute Alan Quigley netted the decisive goal as the tricolours took their place in the semi-finals. There was a real buzz in the clubhouse and a belief that this team could book its place at the top table. But it wasn’t to be… Looking back on the events of 2013, Joes full back Bernard ‘Ben’ Mulligan feels that the players didn’t do themselves justice: “I think we underachieved, if anything,” he notes. “When we set out at the start of the year, our goal was to win the intermediate championship. We decided to take the league as it came

ENCOURAGING SIGNS FOR THE JOES

JJ Quigley (Clan Na Gael) can only watch as Conal O'Hanlon delivers this ball in to his attackers

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Peter Brennan

John McGuinness

St Josephs coach Jim Matthews

… in hindsight, maybe we should put a bit more emphasis on the league because it would be in our interest to get up to Division One. We really wanted to win the championship, but we came up short.” Albeit after featuring in one of the games of the year… “It wasn’t long after the Dublin/Kerry All-Ireland semi-final and it was a similar kind of match but the bottom line was that we conceded too much. We got 2-14 and that should be enough to win you any game.” What was the mood like in the locality after the game? Was there an appreciation amongst supporters that the players had at least given of their all? “I think it was mostly disappointment. Everybody felt that we had missed the boat and most people were focussing on the negative side of it. At the end of the day, we lost the game and that’s what people remember. But there’s always next year and I think we are in with a real chance.” As for the semi-final against the Brides, Bernard recalls: “Looking back, we went seven or eight points ahead in the opening minutes and we were flying but we sat back, conceded a soft goal and let them back into it. They got the wind in their sails and we missed a couple of good goal chances, while they went straight up to the other end and banged in two goals. “On the day, they were a bit more clinical than we were and that’s what cost us. But hopefully it will toughen us up and we will be stronger next year. Jim had stayed on as manager for a third year and he obviously saw something in us. He recognised that the talent was there to win a championship but unfortunately we couldn’t deliver one for him.” Having won the county MFC as a sole club in both 2009 and 2010 and again contesting the final as an amalgamation with O’Connells and Stabannon in 2012, the Joes have more exciting young players coming through than ever before. Bernard Mulligan was on the impressive 2007 minor side that was edged out by Young Irelands at the semi-final stage and he is hopeful that those successful minors of recent vintage can become winners at adult level, too. “Sometimes the lads who don’t win at underage can be hungrier when they come through at adult level, but we have five or six lads there in the first team who have won one or two minor medals and they are all good enough footballers to push on.” An improved attitude has seen Bernard himself nail down the No.3 jersey in recent times and he is now very much a regular fixture in this Joes team. “I was a bit lazy in the past but I decided to put in a bit of effort and see where it took me,” he admits. “I’ve been a regular for the past two seasons and I’m enjoying my football. I decided to get fit and to really give it a go and it’s been working out so far anyway.” Having exited the championship in 2013, the Joes still had a chance of winning promotion to Division One. A top-five finish in the league meant a promotion play-off semi-final against familiar rivals – the Brides. But an injury-time Brides goal proved fatal as they fell to an unlucky 2-11 to 1-13 defeat. Season over. “When you get knocked out of the championship, it’s very difficult to get players motivated again for the league,” Ben states. “The difference between league

198

Alan McKenna

Conor Lynch

Dara Smyth

St Josephs desisgned_Layout 1 18/12/2013 12:42 Page 3

ST. JOSEPHS 2013

The Joes senior squad, front l/r: Eamon Neary, Mark Drumgoole, Gary Kinahan, David Reilly, Conal Smyth, Aaron Smyth, Cathal O'Brien, Chris Brennan, Alan Quigley, Aidan Shaw, Conor Mulligan, Johhny McGailey, Sean McQuillan, Daire Smyth, Derek Mulligan. Back: David Mernagh, Conor Lynch, Tomas Smyth, Bernard Mulligan, Daire McKiernan, Shane McQuillan, Philip Kinahan, Peter Brennan, Conal O'Hanlon, Liam O'Leary, Dara Smyth, John McGuinness, Conor Murtagh, Ciaran O'Hare, Jack Mulligan, Peter Mulligan, Dean Matthews, Alan McKenna, Robbie Arthur, Craig Doherty

St Josephs desisgned_Layout 1 18/12/2013 12:42 Page 4

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Bernard Mulligan

Conal Smyth

and championship is night and day. When it came to the playoff, the hunger wasn’t there and it showed. Having said that, we had it won again and were two points up going into injury time. “But we got caught again. We just need to tighten up a bit more at the back. I wouldn’t say we need to be more cynical, not with the black card coming in, but we have to be meaner when it comes to keeping teams out.” Ultimately, two narrow defeats cost the Joes promotion on the double. Can they at least win one of the two major titles on offer next year – the IFC or Division Two? “We have a very strong management team in place now. Ollie McDonnell has taken over and he has brought in Enda McKeown, Barney Campbell and the Litchfield brothers. That’s a statement of intent. If we put the hard work in, we can do it. To be honest, anything less than a championship would be a failure, in my eyes. “We are 100% behind the new management team. We wanted to push on and do it for Jim this year, who was a great manager, but we are confident we can finish the job next year. “I think the intermediate championship is more competitive than the senior one. It’s anybody’s guess who’s going to win it any given year. I know the Geraldines were favourites from the start this year but they floundered for a while, especially in their quarter-final against Young Irelands and could have gone out. “It’s very, very competitive and there are three or four clubs who will feel that they deserve to be favourites, as well as three or four more who could also win it. And football is a funny game on top of that – anything can happen.”

David Reilly gets the better of Ciaran Murray

With the new management team in place and a feel-good factor almost inevitable at training next year, the Joes could have two players for every position – how nice would that be? “The squad can range between 15 and 40 depending on how well we’re going,” Bernard concludes. “On average, we’d have 25 lads at training, which isn’t bad. Once we get going, we tend to get great support from around the place and, if we get on a roll and generate some momentum, we could have big numbers out training next year.” Sounds like it could be the beginning of something big for the Joes. They came close in 2013 and even a 10% improvement could see them over the line.

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