Inside Track: There’s never been a season like it

What a season it’s been for Louth county teams, supporters taken to places they’ve never been to before in one case and to others for the first time in years.

This story is not about venues, but achievements. All of them bracketed together make for a season never before experienced by followers of the red jersey.

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The seniors and under-20s each won a provincial title, with the latter going on to the give the county a place in the All-Ireland final for the first time.

Both would have been joined on the podium by the minors had the Jonny Clerkin-managed team been given a fair blow of the whistle, and final opponents, Offaly, not engaged in gamesmanship that did them no credit.

There are still many around who remember 1957. That year the All-Ireland came to the county for the third time, bringing with it a first Sam Maguire win. And while the seniors were blazing a trail, the juniors were doing enough to win the Leinster.

Junior, no longer featuring on the schedule, was the second most important grade at the time. Now it’s the under-20 (previously under-21), with minor still in place, but in a change from other years, contested by under-17s.

In making a comparison with this year and 1957, it should be noted that while the seniors and juniors got involved at All-Ireland level almost seven decades ago – the latter going out to Mayo in the semi-final – the under-18s failed in their first provincial outing, beaten 6-4 to 1-5 by Carlow in Navan.

All of this puts in perspective what’s been achieved this year. An historic season, surely, one littered with achievements that probably won’t be fully appreciated until it comes time to take a backward glance in years to come. But, then, who knows? – it might become the norm.

The flagship, the Ger Brennan-managed, Sam Mulroy-captained seniors, had plenty going for them before taking their place into the championship.

They had retained their Division Two league status over the spring months, and played in the two previous Leinster finals.

The draw was kind enough, a first round meeting with Laois, and if successful a repeat of last year’s semi-final, playing Kildare.

Both hurdles were cleared, but with a faltering leap. Not to worry, there’s a final to come – not against Dublin this time, but the team from the other side of the Boyne.

Commentaries were full of it, what happened when Louth and Meath had last met in a Leinster final. Only Andy McDonnell could tell his teammates what it was like to have been on the field that day in 2010, the Newtown Blues player having a bird’s eye view of the ball being thrown to the net for the goal that decided the issue.

It was like an All-Ireland day for the repeat, 15 years on. Almost 66,000 went through the Croke Park gates, the vast majority of them togged out in red.

All but neutrals would have had the hairs on the back of their heads standing as Sam Mulroy and Eoghan Frayne led their teams on a lap of Croker before the throw-in, fans rising to their feet as the chaps on the field passed by.

And the game itself? There were three Louth goals, Sam Mulroy’s bringing the sides level from the penalty spot, Ryan Burns’ putting the Wee County up three points, and Craig Lennon’s hauling Meath back to a single point after the Royals had hit a purple path. That all happened in the first half.

After the break, there was another goal, this one falling to Meath. It came close to the end, leaving Louth trailing by a point.

Cometh the hour, cometh the men, Mulroy and Lennon. A two-pointer, a single and then the referee’s last blow of the whistle. Fans cheered, hugged and shook hands, and quite a few welled up. At last, an antidote had been found for 68 years of near misses, but mostly a place in the wilderness.

You can only imagine what it would have been like had the bib-wears allowed Louth supporters on to the field. But there was a good enough view for everyone as Sam Mulroy took hold of the Delaney Cup. After that came another a lap of the field, this one watched by only Louth supporters.

One for the memory, never to be erased for those looking on. It hasn’t been great in the quest for All-Ireland honours in the meantime; but nothing can take from all that happened in Croker on May 11th.

When it comes time for the year’s story to be told by national commentators, Louth’s achievements are sure to be part of the narrative. And there might be a further prize or two to be handed out.