Inside Track: Louth denied promotion after win over Monaghan

The National Football League structure has stabilised in recent times. There are four divisions, each with promotion going to all but the top one, and devil taking the hindmost – aka relegation – also in three of them.

When it wasn’t like that, there were alterations every few years, particularly in the second half of the 1990s. One of the changes deprived Louth of what would have been at the time a rare visit to Division One.

Paul Kenny was in charge of the team, assisted by Gerry Sheridan, Matt McDermott and Terry Lennon, who, like the gaffer, were all former county players.

They got a good run going in Division 2 of the 1996/’97 league, beginning with a win over Armagh. Clare were beaten next time out at Drogheda, before the run was stopped by Leitrim in an away match.

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But it was back on the horse when Mayo came to Drogheda. Next game, in the New Year, was against Dublin at Parnell Park, and on a day when Colin Kelly did a ‘Nicky Roe’, scoring all but one of his side’s total, Louth forged a splendid 1-7 to 0-8 victory.

A defeat by Laois at Drogheda followed, but with one match remaining, Louth were still in with a chance of making one of the two promotion spots. All that was needed was a win over Monaghan at Drogheda.

Kenny’s recruits delivered – and how! It ended 4-10 to 0-8, and star turn this time was Pat Butterly, the Stabannon Parnells sharpshooter ending the day with exactly half, 2-5, of his side’s total.

After that came a quarter-final, for which the top two teams in Divisions One and Two had qualified. Louth were out against Cork in Portlaoise, and while playing well still ended with a 1-12 to 0-11 defeat.

Compensation, however, would come with a place in Division One the following season, we thought. Not so. The powers that be decided on a new format. All 32 teams were to go into a hat, four eights would be drawn and each division would have equal status.

Having jousted with the very best, doing enough to win promotion, Louth, now under the care of Paddy Clarke, found themselves mixing it with Kilkenny and Carlow, among others, the following season.

Given the weekend that’s in it, Louth due to play Monaghan on Sunday, let’s name the team that beat the Farney 28 years ago.

Niall O’Donnell (Clan na Gael); Brendan Kerin (St Mary’s), Gareth O’Neill (Cooley K), Ray Rooney (Dlk Gaels); Gerry Curran (Clan na Gael), Nicky Malone (Lannleire), Stephen Melia (O’Dwyer’s, Dublin); Seamus O’Hanlon (Clan na Gael), Ken Reilly (Stabannon P); Alan Rooney (St Mary’s), David Reilly (Stabannon P), Colin Kelly (Newtown B); Stefan White (Clan na Gael), Ollie McDonnell (St Joseph’s), Pat Butterly (Stabannon P). Cathal O’Hanlon (Clan Na Gael) came in as a reserve.

In 2006, Éamonn Mc Eneaney, along with Seamus O’Hanlon, Pat Mulligan and Stephen Melia, guided Louth to Division One, beating Donegal in a replayed Division 2B final at Breffni Park. Donegal included a number of players who’d progress to an All-Ireland win in 2012.