Inside Track: Louth’s first match with Armagh was played almost a century ago

The first National League meeting of Louth and Armagh was in 1927, soon after the competition was inaugurated. Dundalk’s Athletic Grounds was the venue, and the visitors won by 3-2 to 1-3.

Mick McKeown, Muckle’s father, was at full-back for Louth, and Willie Lawless, then playing with the Con Colberts club, but who would later become a Dundalk Gaels founder-member, played at centre-field.

Three Garda members, Alfred Hayes, John Carroll and James Bergin were in the subs, along with “Up for your ball” Paddy Hoey, from Geraldines. Matt Hearty, one of Clan na Gael’s best known players at the time, lined out at left corner.

Louth recovered to win five of their next six games, but ten points weren’t enough to dislodge unbeaten Kildare from the top spot in the Northern Division. Kildare went on to be beaten by Kerry in the final.

There have been over 20 meetings of the counties in the points competition since, but none in the championship.

The closest there’s been to one in the knock-out was in 1953. Both won their provincial titles, but whereas Armagh accounted for Roscommon in the All-Ireland semi-finals, Louth went down to Kerry, a game often recalled for the near successful Fr Kevin Connolly-inspired Louth comeback.

Kerry won the final played before an attendance of 86,134. That’s the official figure, but it doesn’t take into the account the hundreds, maybe thousands, who got free admission after a gate had been knocked down.

You can only wonder how there weren’t fatalities. Armagh, beaten by four points, missed a penalty at a crucial stage.

Aidan O’Rourke provides one of many links between the borderside counties.

He was an All-Ireland winner with Armagh in 2002, but a little over a decade later came over to Louth as manager.
He was in his second year when Louth took on his native county in the 2013/’14 league. This was a good result for the Dromintee man, his side winning the away match by 1-12 to 1-10.

It wasn’t so good for him, however, for the next head-to-head twelve months later.

Having outplayed Armagh for over three-quarters of the match, at Drogheda, Louth held what appeared to be a very safe nine-point lead.

Perhaps feeling his men were home, fed and watered, O’Rourke made three substitutions. The outcome was disastrous; Armagh got back on terms, and but for a missed 40-yard free in the dying minutes would have taken both points.

This was a first round match and the result had a profound effect. Louth lost five of their remaining six matches, picking up just one point from a draw with Galway, and as a consequence were relegated to Division Three.

The championship followed, and after a win over Westmeath, there was a heavy defeat by Kildare in the Leinster, and an even heavier one by Tyrone in the All-Ireland qualifiers.

O’Rourke resigned after that, to be replaced in the hot seat by Colin Kelly.

Gareth O’Neill provides another connection.

After a good career with Armagh, he transferred to Louth, lining out with Cooley Kickhams at club level. His first game in the red was against none other than the Applemen, in Lurgan, and he starred in his new county’s win.

O’Neill returned to Armagh, getting involved at managerial level with Crossmaglen Rangers. His son, Rian, scored that memorable late equalising point from a long-distance free in Armagh’s 2022 All-Ireland semi-final with Galway.

It wasn’t enough, however, to secure victory.

Galway went on to win, benefiting from the hugely controversial penalty shoot-out rule.