Inside Track: Louth a force in the early years of the Minor Championship

A peep into the past as Louth under-age sides prepare for a couple of eagerly-awaited championship ties.

Having already secured provincial honours, the under-20s play Mayo in the All-Ireland semi-final on Friday evening in Longford, and three days later, the minors are out against Offaly in the final, at Newbridge.

Louth’s record in minor (now under-17 after being lowered by a year in 2018) was quite good in the first half the last century.

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The grade was introduced in 1929 and between then and 1953, eight titles came this way. In all, the red jersey was worn 16 times in deciders.

Eight of those appearances came in succession, from 1935 to 1942. Five titles were secured, including a three-in-row, and that run could have been extended had the competition not been mothballed for two years, due to World War 2.

And along with those provincial wins there was All-Ireland success. The win in 1936 was at the expense of Kerry, and had its origins in what was described at the time as “ground football”. Final score: 5-1 to 1-8.

Mayo were the losers when the title was regained four years later, Louth again finding goals easy to come by. The result: 5-5 to 2-7. The All-Ireland teams were strengthened by players from other counties who were boarders at the Marist College in Dundalk.

One of them, Cavan’s Donal Brady, was on the 1936 side. On his return to his native county he won a second All-Ireland, a feat which is probably unique in the game’s history. Donal’s son-in-law is well-known Drogheda-born sports journalist, Paul Lennon.

Peter Corr played on the 1940 team, along with Dunleer’s George Brennan, who, like Corr would later play with Dundalk FC.

Jack Regan also won a medal with that team, and two years later captained the county senior side to a first provincial win in 31 years. He repeated that feat a decade later.

There was a slow-down in Leinster final appearances after that – just six, two of them yielding success, the last of them in 1953.

Three of the four defeats were at the hands of Dublin, in 1958, ’71 and eight years ago, Wayne Kierans having charge of the 2017 team.

For the record, the 1953 winning side read: Seán Óg Flood (Young Irelands); Tom McArdle (Clan na Gael), Ken Smyth (Kilsaran), Paddy McEntee (St Dominic’s); Patsy Coleman (St Mary’s), John McArdle, captain (Clan Na Gael), Éamon McGrath (Cooley K); Paddy Hallinan (St Dominic’s), Oliver Judge (Cuchulains, Drogheda): Brendan Kierans (Cuchulainns), Jackie Reynolds (Lourdes Rangers), Jim ‘Blackie’ Judge (Cuchulainns); Frank Murphy (Lourdes Rngs), Pat McMahon (Dowdallshill), Brian McDonald (Young Irelands).

Four of the team would progress to win All-Ireland senior medals in 1957. One of them, Patsy Coleman, is grand-uncle of current county senior, Dylan McKeown.

Reel’s side bidding to make history

The under-20 grade (then under-21) was introduced in 1964. Louth have won four provincial titles, but have yet to contest an All-Ireland final. Hopes are high that this year’s Fergal Reel-coached side can make the breakthrough.

The first Leinster win came in 1970. There were wins over Dublin and Kildare along the way, before Offaly were faced in the final.

This was an exciting, high-scoring game with the result in doubt right until the finish. The sides were level when Louth were awarded a last-minute penalty.

Before stepping up to take it, Damien Reid got instructions from manager, Frank Lynch, on the line: tap it over. The Mattock Rangers player obliged to leave it 2-13 to 3-9.

Louth were strongly fancied to beat Fermanagh in the All-Ireland semi-final, but despite the game being played at St Brigid’s Park failed to match the Peter McGinnity-inspired mid-Ulster side.

That first Leinster-winning side was: Paddy Bird (Nh Mhuire); Paddy Oliver (St Patrick’s), Terry Lennon, captain (St Bride’s), Gerard Carroll St Patrick’s); Davy Byrne (Newtown Blues), Gerry Sheridan (Glyde Rngs), Jack Curran (Dowdallshill); John Boylan (St Kevin’s), Eugene Sheelan (St Patrick’s); Richie Barry (Dowdallshill), Denis Lynch (O Plunkets), Terry Doherty (Dlk Gaels): Damien Reid (Mattock Rngs), Richie Brennan (Glyde Rngs), Alo McGrath (Cooley K).

Larry Muckian (Clan Na Gael, Pat Murphy (St Patrick’s) and Pete Lennon (St Bride’s came in as subs.

It was another eight years before Louth were in the final, Offaly again in the other corner. And it was another close affair, a very late Jimmy McDonnell-pointed free giving Louth a 2-8 to 2-7 victory.

Kerry came through in Munster, backed by Jack O’Shea, who, along with others, was already a senior All-Ireland winner, and who would go on to become one of the game’s great midfielders.

O’Shea scored the deciding goal when Kerry came to Drogheda for the delayed semi-final, watched by upwards on 15,000.

Louth battled bravely but in the end were behind by two points, 2-10 to 0-14. The Louth team included Johnny McDonnell, Andy’s father.

When Louth next got to the All-Ireland semi-final in 1981, Galway provided the opposition. This was the most one-sided of the three semis, the Westerners winning by 3-8 to 1-6.

To get that far, Louth had to overcome Longford in the provincial final. They did it with ease, 2-8 to 0-6. Newtown Blues clubman, Richie Culhane was in the Longford side.

Louth were back in the Leinster final two years later, but were beaten by a Kildare side that had Shea Fahy and Larry Tomkins included. Both would later win two senior All-Irelands with Cork.

The most recent Louth appearance in the final came in 1996. Meath, who had senior All-Ireland winners of that year, Trevor Giles and Darren Fay, in their line-up for the Parnell Park game, were hard pressed to win by a goal, 1-8 to 0-8.