It all happens in the space of two months

Louth’s league games come thick and fast after Sunday. Overall, there’ll be seven of them in an eight-week period, the last on March 23.

First home game is in Ardee on Sunday week, and this will be a first clash with Roscommon in quite a few years. In a division that includes arguably much stronger teams than the Reds have encountered since winning promotion, Roscommon will, as they used to say, be a hard nut to crack.

It doesn’t get any easier. The third round match with Cavan, a fortnight later, is at Breffni Park, and having won last year’s meeting of the sides at Ardee, the home side will fancy a repeat.

Last year’s Tailteann Cup winners and newly promoted Down are next up, the game going ahead at Páirc Mhuire on February 23.

Though in the shadow of neighbours, Armagh, for a number of years, Down are showing signs of a major revival. They had an almost faultless 2024 campaign, winning 13 of their sixteen matches.

One of their defeats was in the Ulster Championship meeting with the eventual All-Ireland title-winners, and it was only by the narrowest of margins that they missed out. Another loss was in the league Division Three final, Louth’s opponents on Sunday next doing the damage.

It doesn’t get any easier for Louth. Fifth round opponents, Monaghan, were Division One regulars for years, only losing their status at the end of last year’s competition.

Next up are Cork, on the day before St Patrick’s Day. Louth have beaten the Rebels three times in the past couple of years, twice in Ardee league matches, and once in the championship in Inniskeen.

This time Louth do the travelling, and the size of the crowd they have behind them at Pairc Uí Chaoimh could depend on how previous matches have resulted.

The finish-line will be in sight when Meath return to Inniskeen. The Royals won’t have happy memories of their last visit there; for Louth, the hope will be that the prize is as big as the one on offer going into the final game in 2023.

That year, a win over Dublin at Croke Park would have been embellished with promotion to the top tier; but good as the Mickey Harte-coached side’s effort was, it had no bells or whistles attached.

It’s sure to be a tough campaign, despite three games being at home, and another just inside the Monaghan border.