Louth county football team
 | ||
| Sport: | Football | |
|---|---|---|
| Irish: | Lughbhadh An Lú | |
| Nickname(s): | The Wee County[1] | |
| County board: | Louth GAA | |
| Manager: | Ger Brennan | |
| Home venue(s): | Gaelic Grounds, Drogheda | |
| Recent competitive record | ||
| Current All-Ireland status: | All-Ireland (QF) / Leinster (F) in 2024 | |
| Last championship title: | 1957 | |
| Current NFL Division: | 2 (6th in 2024) | |
| Last league title: | None | |
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The Louth county football team represents Louth in men's Gaelic football and is governed by Louth GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Leinster Senior Football Championship and the National Football League.
Louth's home ground is Drogheda Park, Drogheda. The team's manager is Ger Brennan.
The team last won the Leinster Senior Championship in 1957, the All-Ireland Senior Championship in 1957 and has never won the National League.
History
[edit]The earliest recorded inter-county football match took place in 1712 when Louth faced Meath at Slane. A fragment of a poem from 1806 records a football match between Louth and Fermanagh at Inniskeen, Co Monaghan.
Louth won their first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1910 under unusual circumstances when their opponents, Kerry, refused to travel to Dublin as the Great Southern and Western Railway would not sell tickets to their fans at reduced rates.
When Louth GAA sent the team into training in Dundalk for the 1913 Croke Memorial replay under a soccer trainer from Belfast, the move caused more than a ripple through the Association. For thirty years full-time training in bursts of a week or so before a big match were common. After that the two or three times a week gatherings became more popular.
Between 1945 and 1953 Louth and Meath met 13 times. The crowds got bigger and bigger each time as they played draw after draw in the Championship. The attendance of 42,858 at a thrilling 1951 replay remained a record for a provincial match other than a final for forty years the four match series between Meath and Dublin in 1991. The rivalry with Meath has never fizzled out, as witnessed by a stirring Leinster SFC semi-final in 1998. Nor has controversy, as witnessed by Graham Geraghty's "wide" 45th minute point.
In 1957 showband star Dermot O'Brien was late for the All-Ireland SFC final and joined the team when the parade was completed. Prior to the game O'Brien had captained the side in the semi-final success, when the regular captain Patsy Coleman had been injured very early in the season, leaving O'Brien to resume his previous role as captain. Coleman today still has the match ball. O'Brien played a key role as Louth beat Cork with the help of a goal from Sean Cunningham with five minutes to go. As both Cork and Louth wear Red and White, on that day Louth wore the green of Leinster, while Cork wore the blue of Munster. Dermot O'Brien died on 22 May 2007.
Eamonn McEneaney was manager from 2006 to 2009 and guided them to their most recent success, the O'Byrne Cup when they defeated DCU in the 2009 final played in the Gaelic Grounds in Drogheda.
On 27 June 2010, Louth reached their first Leinster SFC final in 50 years. During the decider, which was played on 11 July that year, anger and controversy erupted when, during the 74th minute of the match against Meath, a goal was awarded by the referee after brief consultation with only one of the match umpires (although close circuit camera evidence shown on RTÉ Two's coverage of the game proved that the ball was carried over the line by a Meath player). However, Meath received the 2010 Leinster Title and the cup. More on that below.
2010 Leinster SFC final
[edit]On 11 July 2010, Louth reached the Leinster SFC final, where they took on neighbours Meath. Meath won what was a highly controversial match. Deep into injury time in the 74th minute of the match, the referee awarded a highly contentious goal to Meath. He did so after a brief consultation with only one of the match umpires, although television coverage of the game showed that the ball had been carried over the line by Meath player Joe Sherdian. Prior to the referee's decision, Meath were trailing Louth by one point. The referee blew his whistle shortly afterwards. The "goal" proved to be the decisive score.
Irate Louth fans stormed the pitch and commenced a process of chasing and physically assaulting the referee,[2][3][4] who had to be led away by a Garda escort in scenes broadcast to a live television audience. Other scenes of violence saw bottles being hurled from a stand, one striking a steward who fell to the ground[2][5] and Meath substitute Mark Ward was hit by a Louth fan.[6]
The situation led to much media debate in the days that followed, the violence was condemned and there were many calls in the national media for the game to be replayed (including from former Meath players Trevor Giles and Bernard Flynn).[7] GAA President Christy Cooney said the events were a "watershed" and one where the "circumstances were bizarre. I have never seen circumstances like it as long as I have been a member of this Association".[8] He promised life bans for those who assaulted the referee.[9] The day after the match the GAA released a statement confirming that Sludden admitted he had made an error.[10] The GAA also stated that the rules left it powerless to offer a replay and that this would be decided by Meath.[10] Following a Meath County Board meeting it emerged that, in his match report, the referee had originally blown for a penalty for Meath but when the ball ended up in the net he decided to award the "goal" instead. The county board decided not to offer a replay and judged that that would be "the end of the matter".[11] This decision was met in some quarters with mixed feelings and commented upon in one national newspaper, the Evening Herald, by three times All-Ireland winning manager Mickey Harte who said the Meath county board was even more culpable because their officers had time to form a considered opinion.[12] In the statement, the Louth County Board spoke of the enormous sense of injustice which was being felt in Louth GAA. They also questioned the referee's official report saying it was contrary to Playing Rules where he indicated in his report that he blew the whistle for a penalty, but then changed his mind and awarded a goal instead. The referee also wrote that "he made a terrible mistake".
Louth County board referred to Rule 6.41 Award //facts of game: The award of the game rests with the committee / council in charge acting on the referees report.
In doing so the Louth County Board intimated that the committee/council in charge erred in leaving the matter to Meath County Board to offer a replay without seeking clarification from the referee in relation to his match report and his statement that "he made a terrible mistake".
The debate concerning which team were official winners of the game is now over, with Meath recorded in the annals of history as the victors. However, numerous TV replays show that the Meath "goal" was indisputably a technical foul with regard to the Playing Rules of Gaelic football, as quoted below and as outlined in the GAA Official Guide. Also Paddy Keenan (St Patrick's) is the only Louth All-Star. - Part 2.[13]
Rules of Foul Play
RULE 4 - TECHNICAL FOULS 4.12 For a player attacking a goal to carry the ball
over opponents’ goal-line.
2010 All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers
[edit]Louth exited the All-Ireland SFC on 24 July when defeated fairly convincingly by Dublin in the last qualifier round by 2-14 to 0-13.[14]
Since 2010
[edit]Fitzpatrick quit as Louth senior manager in 2012 after three years in the role.[15]
Aidan O'Rourke was appointed as Fitzpatrick's successor in October 2012.[16] O'Rourke left the role in mid-2014.[17]
Former player Colin Kelly then managed Louth for three years. He led Louth to successive promotions in the National Football League in 2016 and 2017, though Louth did not make any championship impact during his time in charge.[18]
Louth appointed former minor manager Wayne Kierans as senior team manager on a two-year term in October 2018.[19]
Louth was relegated to Division 4 in 2020.
Louth did not renew Kierans's contract.[20][21]
In November 2020, Mickey Harte was appointed manager for an expected three-year period.[22] Gavin Devlin was appointed assistant.[23]
During the 2021 season, Harte brought Louth up to Division 3. He then won Division 3 in the 2022 season. He brought Louth to a first Leinster final since 2010 in the 2023 season.
Harte resigned in September 2023 and subsequently took over as manager of the Derry senior footballers. County board chairman Peter Fitzpatrick announced former Dublin inter-county player Ger Brennan as Louth's new manager on 2 October.[24] In the 2024 season, Louth reached a second consecutive Leinster final for the first time since 1958 and defeated Meath in the championship for the first time since 1975.[25]
Current panel
[edit]as per Leinster SFC Final against Dublin, 12 May 2024
INJ Player has had an injury which has affected recent involvement with the county team.
RET Player has since retired from the county team.
WD Player has since withdrawn from the county team due to a non-injury issue.
Current management team
[edit]- Manager: Ger Brennan
- Selectors: Niall Moyna, James McCartan, David Whyte[26]
Managerial history
[edit]
| Year | Name | Club/County |
|---|---|---|
| 1968–72 | Stephen White | Dundalk Young Irelands |
| 1972–75 | Jimmy Mulroy | Newtown Blues |
| 1975–76 | Jack Smith | Newtown Blues |
| 1976–80 | Management committee | Louth |
| 1980–82 | Frank Lynch | Geraldines |
| 1982–84 | Jimmy Mulroy | Newtown Blues |
| 1984–85 | Frank Fagan | Dundalk Young Irelands |
| 1985 | Management committee | Louth |
| 1985–87 | Mickey Whelan | |
| 1987–91 | Frank Lynch | Geraldines |
| 1991–94 | Declan Smyth | |
| 1994–97 | Paul Kenny | Dundalk Gaels |
| 1997–2001 | Paddy Clarke | Mattock Rangers/Stabannon Parnells |
| 2001–03 | Paddy Carr | |
| 2003–05 | Val Andrews | |
| 2005–09 | Eamonn McEneaney | |
| 2009–12 | Peter Fitzpatrick | Clan na Gael |
| 2012–14 | Aidan O'Rourke | |
| 2014–17 | Colin Kelly | Dreadnots |
| 2017–18 | Pete McGrath | |
| 2018–20 | Wayne Kierans | O'Connells |
| 2020–23 | Mickey Harte | |
| 2023– | Ger Brennan |
Players
[edit]Notable players
[edit]2010: Paddy Keenan
Internationals
[edit]Two Louth players have represented Ireland versus Australia in the International Rules Series in recent years, Paddy Keenan and Ciarán Byrne.[27]
Team of the Millennium
[edit]The team below was chosen from a list of 75 nominees by the County Board in February 2000. Their aim was to select the best 15 players who had ever played for Louth in their respective positions, since the foundation of the GAA in 1884 up to the Millennium year, 2000.[28][29]
| Goalkeeper | |||
| Gerry Farrell (Cooley Kickhams) |
|||
| Right corner back | Full back | Left corner back | |
| Jack Bell (St Mary's) |
Eddie Boyle (Cooley Kickhams) |
Jim Tuft (Dundalk Young Irelands) | |
| Right half back | Centre back | Left half back | |
| Seán Boyle (Cooley Kickhams/St Mary's) |
Jim McArdle (Dundalk Young Irelands/Roche Emmets) |
Stephen White (Cooley Kickhams/Dundalk Young Irelands) | |
| Midfield | |||
| Jim Thornton Snr (Cooley Kickhams) |
Jack Regan (Dundalk Gaels) | ||
| Right half forward | Centre forward | Left half forward | |
| Kevin Beahan (St Mary's) |
Jim Quigley (Dundalk Young Irelands) |
Frank Lynch (Geraldines) | |
| Right corner forward | Full forward | Left corner forward | |
| Ollie Halpin (St Magdalene's) |
Jimmy McDonnell (Darver Volunteers) |
Frank Fagan (Dundalk Young Irelands) |
Captains
[edit]Below are the team captains (1948–):
|
|
Honours
[edit]National
[edit]- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
- National Football League
Runners-up (1): 1948–49
- National Football League Division 2
- National Football League Division 3
Winners (4): 1982–83,[citation needed] 1987–88,[citation needed] 2011,[30] 2022[30]
- National Football League Division 4
- Tommy Murphy Cup
- Winners (1): 2006
- All-Ireland 'B' Football Championship
- Winners (1): 1997
- All-Ireland Junior Football Championship
- All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
Provincial
[edit]- Leinster Senior Football Championship
- O'Byrne Cup
- O'Byrne Shield
- Winners (1): 2024
- Leinster Junior Football Championship
- Owen Treacy Cup
- Winners (1): 2006[31]
- Leinster Under-21 Football Championship
- Leinster Minor Football Championship
- Gerry Reilly Cup
- Winners (1): 2022
- Leinster Under-14 Football Championship
References
[edit]- ^ "Monaghan survive late Louth scare". RTÉ. 16 July 2005.
14-man Louth hit the last five scores of a tempestuous All-Ireland SFC qualifier clash with Monaghan tonight, but the Wee men were left cursing a poor opening at Breffni Park.
- ^ a b "Rough justice for heartbroken Louth". The Irish Times. 11 July 2010. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
- ^ "Referee is attacked in Croke Park". RTÉ. 11 July 2010. Archived from the original on 12 July 2010. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
- ^ Reid, Philip (12 July 2010). "Dark clouds cast over Louth's big day in the sun". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
- ^ Keys, Colm & McHale, Michael (13 July 2010). "Meath call for extra time over Louth replay bid". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 8 January 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
- ^ "10 Key questions after Sunday's chaotic scenes at Croker". Irish Independent. 13 July 2010. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
- ^ Irish Examiner (12 July 2010), Giles calls for replay, archived from the original on 20 October 2012, retrieved 12 July 2010
- ^ "Cooney - Leinster final a watershed for GAA". RTÉ. 16 July 2010. Archived from the original on 17 July 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
- ^ Foley, Cliona (17 July 2010). "We will impose life bans: Cooney". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ^ a b "Referee admits error in awarding Meath goal". RTÉ. 12 July 2010. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
- ^ "Meath decide against offering replay". The Irish Times. 13 July 2010. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
- ^ Mickey Harte-Evening Herald (16 July 2010), Harte ire with royal 'replay - Decision not to offer refixture the biggest error of all, retrieved 16 July 2010
- ^ GAA (16 July 2010), Gaelic Athletic Association. Official Guide- Part 2, archived from the original on 30 January 2020, retrieved 16 July 2010
- ^ Damian Lawlor - Irish Independent (26 July 2010), O'Gara crushes hope of Louth retribution, retrieved 26 July 2010
- ^ "Fitzpatrick quits as Louth manager". The Irish Times. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
- ^ "Aidan O'Rourke named as new Louth manager on a two-year term — Mick O'Dowd ratified as Meath boss". RTÉ. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ "Aidan O'Rourke steps down as Louth football manager". The42.ie. 4 July 2014.
- ^ "Colin Kelly appointed as new Wicklow manager". RTÉ. 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Louth announce Wayne Kierans as new football manager". RTÉ Sport.
- ^ "Louth 'will not be offering Wayne Kierans a third year' in charge as hunt for new manager begins". Irish Independent. 6 November 2020.
- ^ "Louth GAA end Wayne Kierans' reign as football manager". RTÉ Sport. 6 November 2020.
- ^ "Mickey Harte takes on role as Louth manager". The 42. 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ "Peter Fitzpatrick insists Mickey Harte can pump life into Wee County". RTÉ. 24 November 2020.
- ^ "Former Dublin star Ger Brennan assembles impressive backroom team after being confirmed as Louth manager". Irish Independent. 2 October 2023.
- ^ "Louth power past tragedy-hit Meath to earn first championship win over Royals since 1975". Irish Independent. 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Louth GAA chairman Peter Fitzpatrick denies 'taking a bit of a chance' by appointing Ger Brennan as senior team manager". The Argus. 3 October 2023.
- ^ Sportsfile. "Sportsfile - Ireland v Australia - Irish Daily Mail International Rules Series 1st Test - 467438". sportsfile.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Louth team of the Millennium". Drogheda Independent. 21 January 2000.
- ^ "Louth team of Millennium". Drogheda Independent. 18 February 2000.
- ^ a b Louth defeat Limerick to claim Division 3 honours in Allianz Football League
- ^ "American bossed on own soil by ace Reds". Irish Independent. 25 October 2006.
- ^ "Kieran Maguire and his family are Dundalk Young Irelands and Louth GAA to the core". Dundalk Democrat. 25 June 2020.
- ^ "Deserved recognition for a Louth Leinster Championship-winning team". Dundalk Democrat. 5 October 2024.
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