Joe Carroll: A few questions on the year ahead

A CELEBRATION of the last time Louth beat Dublin in the Leinster senior championship?

It’s 50 years – or, to put it another way, a half-century – since it happened, a sad reflection on a county that was once one of the country’s leaders.

Two games, both played in Navan, were needed to decide the issue, and having been lucky to survive the first day, Louth improved significantly to win the replay. After that came a narrow defeat to Offaly, who were chasing a third All-Ireland on-the-trot.

Rather than have a celebration, it would be better if the current Louth side made enough progress in this year’s championship, qualifying for a meeting with the Dubs – and then beating them.

ANOTHER ENGLISHMAN leading an Ireland team to, just let’s say, pastures new?
We can’t say glory, because although Jack Charlton brought the national team to where it had never been before, qualifying for the finals of the European Championship and the World Cup (X 2), there was no prize at the end of it all.

Can Andy Farrell go that bit further? This man from across the water has the rugby team in a higher echelon that it’s been for a while. It would be a terrific start to the year if the Six-Nations campaign was to yield one of its three prizes, or maybe more.
But the World Cup is the big one, and Ireland has to get beyond the quarter-finals to improve on a previous best (from nine attempts.) Much more is expected this summer from the team currently ranked the world’s best, and boasting of some fine autumn results.

The tournament is back in France after an 18-year hiatus, and there should therefore be no complaints about the climate. First games take place on September 8th, and the schedule runs until the end of October.

THE TWO STEPHENS looking back on their season as soccer managers with satisfaction, come next December?

Kenny has a more difficult task than O’Donnell. His Republic of Ireland team had no luck in the draw for the European Championship, which gets under orders in late March. How could it be likened otherwise, with three former champions, France, Holland and Greece, in the same pool?

It mightn’t have been so bad if the minnows, Gibraltar, been first up, but they’re not. Come the opener on March 27, it will be France, Mbappe and co, who’ll be in the other corner, bulling, no doubt, to make up the loss of the narrowest of defeats to Argentina in the World Cup final.

One consolation is that the game is at The Aviva, with Kenny hoping that the once famous Dalymount Roar can be recreated from the off, and his players – Brighton boy-wonder Ferguson, among them? – coming up with something better than what was seen in pre-Christmas friendlies.

Whatever about new faces being out in the green jersey, Orielites are saying that if there are not some astute purchases, Dundalk won’t be a factor this season.

There was one huge elephant in the room at the start of last year – now there are two, Derry City taking their place alongside Shamrock Rovers. To have a chance of lowering the colours of either, Dundalk have to strengthen the team that finished off last November, notwithstanding its fine effort in wrapping up a place in Europe.

CARRICkMACROSS EMMETS making a significant advance in Monaghan intermediate football?

There’s a good chance it will happen. A Farney source says they have the players good enough to be in the senior ranks.
Calling the shots will be Fergal Reel, whose record in management in these parts stands up to the closest scrutiny. Three Louth senior championships with St Patrick’s and two with Naomh Mairtin, to go with the success he had in Monaghan with Doohamlet. As the fella says, not bad.

And to think he was passed over when showing an interest in taking over the Louth job.

THE NEW GAA PRESIDENT based a few miles down the road?

You’ve heard it often in reference to a team beaten in a championship final, having made a rare appearance at that stage: you have to lose one before you win one.

Jarlath Burns, former Armagh footballer whose career ended just before his county made the All-Ireland breakthrough, in 2002, is from Silverbridge, and since handing in his club and county jerseys has been involved at the administrative end of the game.

He contested the presidency in 2021, faced by just one opponent, New York–based Larry McCarthy. The odds appeared to be in his favour, but to the surprise of many, he got touched off.

The former midfielder, whose son, Jarley Og, is expected to figure prominently in Kieran McGeeney’s plans for the Armagh side this season, has thrown his hat in the ring once again.

If given the foundation of a strong Ulster backing, he could redeem for his narrow defeat the last time. Voting takes place at the Association’s Congress at Easter time.

There have been four Ulster-based presidents since an Armagh man, Alf Murray, last held the GAA’s highest office, in the mid-1960s – Paddy McFlynn (Down), Sean Quinn (Fermanagh), Sean McCague (Monaghan) and Aogan O Fearghail (Cavan).