Mary’s make a big contribution to Louth’s improved standing

The tide keeps on rising, lifting several boats.

Louth footballers get to Division Two of the league and successfully defend their position two seasons running. They then reach a couple of Leinster finals, giving it a right good go in the second of them before qualifying for the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

The under-21 footballers give the county the best championship run it has had in years in this grade. They reach the final, but are beaten by Meath, having earlier accounted for Dublin.

And the individuals? Sam Mulroy is named on the 2023 league’s team of the year, and after that gets an All-Star nomination along with Craig Lennon, Tommy Durnin and Donal McKenny. Lennon is on stage on the presentation night, becoming only the second from the county to be so honoured.

After proving themselves the best in the county for a second successive year, St Mary’s fight Kilmacud Crokes every inch of the way before going down narrowly in the Leinster.

The Joe Ward Cup treble is achieved, giving The Ardee men another tilt at the provincial crown. A preliminary round win is followed by a defeat of Carlow’s Rathvilly in the second round, setting up a semi-final with Westmeath’s best, St Loman’s.

The game’s in Cusack Park, Mullingar, and the odds are firmly in the home team’s favour. It’s a cracker, Mary’s coming up with one of their year’s best performance to edge home by a point. Sean Callaghan gets the decider in time added on.

Coming up is a Croke Park final with Dublin champions, Cuala, today. Supporters and all connected with the club are in dreamland, looking forward to their team playing at this stage for the very first time.

Let’s lump all of the foregoing together, and can anyone say that Louth is not in its best place for quite some time? Yes, the tide is rising, and Mary’s are on the crest of the biggest wave.

It was good to win such a crucial tie on Saturday – when it’s quality football, it makes victory all the sweeter.

St Loman’s can claim Lady Luck deserted them after hitting the woodwork twice; but having been hauled back to level terms in the last few minutes after surrendering a two-point lead, Mary’s showed a resilience that made them fully deserving of their reward.

And early on they had to overcome a three-point deficit, halting a Loman’s gallop that looked as if it could develop into a runaway. In addition, Jonathon Commins was black-carded.

The Louth champions’ tally included three scores from frees and one more from a first-cousin of a free, the mark. That’s encouraging going into the final. In the other of the competition’s games, this was a concern.

This is Mary’s first provincial final. More than that, when they sprint on to Croker, they’ll be attempting to become the first Louth club to win the senior title. There have been four previous attempts to lift the Seán McCabe Cup – by Newtown Blues, Cooley Kickhams (twice) and Mattock Rangers.

It would be a nice feather in the St Mary’s cap if they were to end this losing sequence. One thing that won’t stop them is determination. The weather might be bleak, but Páirc Mhuire is buzzing like never before, not even on the lead up to a county final. Expect management and players to respond by giving it everything in the quest for a elusive title.

Nothing, however, can diminish the magnitude of the task facing them. No Dublin championship comes gift-wrapped. Kilmacud Crokes were in there defending two titles, the one at domestic level and the Leinster. They were pushed the whole way by Tullamore in the semi-final, prevailing by one goal.

One thing in Mary’s favour is that they have more recent year Leinster Championship experience than the South Dublin side.