Louth draw line under last season as focus turns to Westmeath

The countdown is on for the opening game of Louth's GAA senior football season and there is a real sense of excitement for fans.

After an impressive 2024 campaign supporters are keen to see if Ger Brennan’s side can continue their upward trajectory.

The Wee County made big strides last year, and while expectations are high, Brennan and his players are keeping their feet firmly on the ground.

Reflecting on how the team approaches the season, Brennan stressed the importance of focus and staying grounded. He said: “In terms of internally within the group, we have always had high expectations.

“When I began with the lads last year, they were playing under high expectations, and that is something that we try and add to and build on.”

Brennan is aware of the dangers of getting swept up in external excitement, highlighting the need for a week-by-week approach.

“You have to take it week-by-week because if you get caught up in the grandeur of what the season might look like. As a supporter or local media, it's great to raise expectations and have those debates.

“But as a group of elite amateurs, if you go down that bit of a rabbit hole, you get lost,” he explained. The manager made it clear that last year’s achievements are now consigned to history.

“We have drawn a line in the sand under 2024. Yes, it was a good year, a great year, but it is done now,” he said.

“It won’t mean a whole lot if we can’t continue to meet our own standards, and the team needs to move forward going into the 2025 season.”

Louth’s new campaign gets up and running with a trip to Mullingar on Sunday where they’ll face Westmeath. Brennan is under no illusions about the difficulty of the task.

He said: “We have started to focus in on Westmeath now in our preparation for that first game. Danny and Sam McCartan were hugely impressive for St. Loman’s.

“Sam is a big player for them at number 11. So is Ronan Wallace at number 6, a lot of what’s good about Westmeath in terms of their attacks comes through him.”

Brennan pointed to the influence of Westmeath manager Dermot McCabe and the energy his players are likely to bring to their home ground.

He said: “It’s going to be on home soil for Westmeath, and it is Dermot’s first match. He is going to have them riled up, and if we aren’t tuned in, then we will be leaving Mullingar with our tails between our legs.”

This season sees several changes to the Louth panel with new additions coming into the 35-man squad. While cutting players is never easy, Brennan underlined the opportunities available for those left out.

He said: “They are all big boys. Anybody who didn’t make the league panel for 2025 has had direct communication with myself on parts of the game they need to improve upon to push back in.”

The introduction of a development squad is a key to nurturing talent. “What we have been able to do this year is set up an actual development squad, which is now up and running,” Brennan explained.

“We have games organised against Kildare and a Dublin selection that will continue to develop these players.

“It also ensures that those lads who are on the league panel but mightn’t necessarily be getting league time at the moment have been given an opportunity to continue to develop.”

The Dublin native is committed to keeping players engaged in the system. He said: “You are trying to cast the net wide and keep as many players in the system as possible.

“Will they all make it? They won’t. But you can sit there and say, I gave it a good go,” he said. The new season brings with it a number of rule changes.

Brennan sees these changes as both a challenge and an opportunity. He said, “It’s about understanding and communicating with the officials as they get to grips with a lot of new enhancements.

“You have to hang on until the end of the National League or certainly a couple of games in where there may be unintended consequences.”

The manager believes these rule changes could ultimately enhance the game’s entertainment value, but their full impact will only become clear as competitive matches unfold.

“Some rules will certainly come to the fore but when there is nothing at stake in some of the challenge games, the effect of the new rules mightn’t hit home.”

When speaking about the lessons learned last year to bring into this season, Brennan said: “On a day-to-day basis, it’s about how I try to live, and the group as a whole try to represent Louth GAA on and off the pitch.

“It’s those values that you uphold yourself to, whether you are winning or losing. If you leave it until the end of the season, it’s probably too late at that stage.

“We are always keeping ourselves honest, asking tough questions of each other, and making sure we have prepared as best as we can for every game.”

As Louths reputation grows so too does their fanbase. When discussing the supporters, Brennan said, “I am looking at the crowds and the buses that came to the Leinster final and they were poor.

“You’re looking at then the number of buses and the crowds that went to Inniskeen for Meath and the crowds that went to Inniskeen for Cork. 

“Then the lads in Anchor Tours, who work with the County Board, had most of their buses out of the yard for the All-Ireland quarter-final against Donegal.

“So, it shows that interest is growing in Louth senior football team. I think the lads are conscious that you are competing with two soccer-orientated towns in Dundalk and Drogheda.

“Maybe we were able to borrow a couple of those soccer supporters going into those Inniskeen games or the Donegal quarter-final.

“If we are playing good football and we are winning you will attract a few bodies, if we are not, sure why would they come if they are not going to be served something that is particularly entertaining.”