Proud day for Louth and St. Mochtas

Louth ladies' football saw a big win this week as five players from the county’s team were honoured on the TG4 Junior Team of the Championship.

The Wee County star midfielder, Eimear Byrne, made the cut alongside her teammates Rebecca Lambe Fagan, Ceire Nolan, Aine Breen, and Niamh Rice.

The St. Mochtas club player shares this proud moment with her clubmate Craig Lennon, who won an All-Star award for his outstanding season representing the county.

It’s a bittersweet achievement for Louth ladies as their season took them all the way to the All-Ireland final where they narrowly lost by just two points to Fermanagh in a nail-biting final.

“At the end of the day you play with your county to win as a team and unfortunately this year we didn’t get over the line,” Byrne reflected.

“Thinking back in nearly gives you goosebumps thinking we left it behind on the day. But these individual accolades you have to be proud of yourself too.”

The honour highlights the sacrifices Byrne and her teammates have made throughout the season, facing tough conditions and long hours in training to get to this level.

She said: “Women’s football has come on in leaps and bounds in the last number of years. When you do get an award like this you think back to the cold winter nights in December and January.

“It is windy and raining. Hours and hours of work goes into something like this but when you do win then it all does be worth it.” 

Byrne’s success is a tribute to the long-standing support from family, friends, and mentors who’ve guided her along the way.

She credits those who shaped her career from the beginning, saying, “My own family between Casey, Decky, and my sister Aoife who is probably my biggest inspiration I owe this trophy to them – a few coaches like ‘Lefty’ McGahon, Eamonn O’Neill, and Paul Murtagh.”

This Team of the Year recognition may not replace the missed All-Ireland win but it fuels Byrne’s determination to lead Louth further.

She said: “This year we really wanted to win the junior to push on to intermediate. That’s the next step. We have the skillset in the group to push on and win an intermediate.”

For the St. Mochtas club, the achievements of Byrne and Lennon have brought great pride to the community.

Byrne reflected on the club’s overwhelming support, saying: “You can see out there today it is absolutely massive for everyone. “It’s amazing.

“To walk in beside Craig there was something very special... I’d love to be walking in next year with a cup, I think that is everyone’s dream.” 

As Byrne looks forward to next year, she’s driven to “give the next couple of years everything” to elevate Louth football.