Louth captain Mulroy not resting on his laurels

For Louth senior football captain, Sam Mulroy, 2025 was the kind of season most footballers only dream about, winning county and club silverware, a Leinster breakthrough, and an All-Star to top it off.

But as the Wee County turns the page towards 2026, the Naomh Máirtín clubman doesn’t sound like a man living off highlights. If anything, he’s sharper, hungrier, and more focused on what still needs fixing than what has already been won.

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He said: “I suppose it's one of those things where you can't get caught up in the successes, and you have to go back to how did you get there in the first place?

“Why did you win X match, or why did you win X trophy? Focus on the things you were doing that got you there, not actually being there.

“So that's probably what I've been trying to do over the last couple of months is just stay in the day-to-day, stay in the week-to-week and get my body right and just try and improve on those little things that maybe even held me back last year a little bit as well.

“I don't feel like me or the teams that I play on are anywhere near the finished article.”

Captain's demands

Mulroy admits the captaincy role is about managing people, but also managing himself.

“I suppose you have to be careful with your energy and prioritise. 

“At the end of the day, I'm a person who plays football and a person who's trying to run a business and has a girlfriend and a family and friends, so you have to prioritise what's important, and sometimes on some days, some things have to be told no.

“And it's been one of those things, in fairness, I had a good chat with Paddy Keenan a few weeks ago, and he was kind of saying the same, you just have to look after yourself first because everyone sometimes will want a big piece of you.

“It's just about sometimes saying no, and that's been hard because you want to respect everyone's time and effort, but at the end of the day, as I said, I have a responsibility on myself to lead here at Louth at my club and at work, so those are the three important things.”

Built for pressure

He doesn’t try to pretend leadership comes without weight.

“There's an element of pressure, and I think it'd be weird if I said no to that.

“I think there is an element of pressure, but it's something you maybe get used to and something that, for me, I've learned to strive on, and it makes me get up in the morning. That's what makes me tick.”

Delaney Cup

Even Leinster success hasn’t softened his judgement of last season.

“When the lads were talking to me after, and you're downplaying it, I suppose that's maybe the competitor in me. When I look back on last year, you're probably saying, geez, we only maybe played well in a handful of games, if even.

“Yes, we got success, and we won what we had set out to do for the last number of years, but I think it's one of those things where, as a group now, it's about looking at overall last year, we weren't good enough.

“We barely stayed up in the league, only for our last game, and then we were way below par in the All-Ireland Series.

“I think as a group, we've got to look at that more so than look at what we won in a way. I suppose that's what I've been saying to the group, that we need to continue pushing on ourselves and ask more of ourselves because there's so much within us.”

Division Two

Mulroy is clear-eyed about where Louth stand, and what the next step looks like.

“There are steps between all the leagues, and it's one of those things that I think for Louth it was so important to get to Division Two.

“I think this is our third or fourth year now in succession in Two, and I think that's so important to stay there. That's where we're at currently.

“We've seen the difference in class and physicality, pace and power between us and the Division One teams last year. That's up to us now to try and close that gap.

“So, yes, I think where we're at in Division Twi now, that's where we're at, and that's where we've been the last number of years.

“It's now seeing how much better we can get as a team and try and close that gap between us, and as you said, Monaghan and Roscommon last year.

“When we played them, we maybe could have snuck a result, but they were a little bit better than us. It just shows the experience they have, the know-how, the quickness of the game goes up a level, and we learned harshly against Donegal.

“It's one of those things you have to, I think, experience those things and see it and feel it and to know that there's levels to this thing.

“I think that was one of the wake-ups for the group last year. We might have gone well in X, Y and Z, but there's still a level to go here. So, we need to keep pushing.

“Maybe it's one of those things. You always think the other teams are better than you until you go out and you play and you have this thing built up that they're better, they're fitter, they're stronger, they're faster.

“Then it comes down to it, they're all the same as us, you've just got to train as hard as them.”

Under-20s

With fresh talent arriving, Mulroy says the new generation are pushing standards already.

“They've added a freshness to it as well, I suppose. They're young, they're enthusiastic. And as you mentioned, I'm at a different stage than them lads now, and it takes me back to when I was coming in and that enthusiasm to learn and to want to be here.

“And just how lucky you are to be in the room. And you can see that off them. They're so, as I said, eager to learn. They're open to anything. They're not afraid of being challenged and questioned and pushing everyone. And I think that's great.

“And that's been one of the big things I think we've been trying to encourage on them is to not be afraid to say what you see and ask the question or call out someone that needs to be called out on the training pitch because that's how we all get better.

“And I suppose from when I was that age, maybe at 18, 19, you did hold back because you felt you hadn't earned the right yet.

“But it's not about that. If you're good enough, no matter what age you are, if you're here, you're good enough, and you've got to go take your spot.”

Gavin Devlin

The impact of new boss Gavin Devlin is being felt in the small details, according to his captain.

“There's no disrespect to any of our previous management team here, but I think the one thing, and I've always said this about Gavin, is his attention to detail on the training pitch is second to none.

“His energy that he brings to the training ground. I think he's, as I said, one of the best I've seen do it on the training pitch.

“I think our training, our standard of training, has gone up a little bit in terms of what we're doing and the detail we're looking at. So we're privileged to have someone that can look at the game clearly and coach it.”

Target

Mulroy’s personal target isn’t wrapped up in awards — it’s about being available and improving every week.
“I suppose personally, as I said, try to get better. You have to look at it like that. You have to look at it as an opportunity to play against seven other great teams.

“It's going to be competitive. You're going to be marked by some of the best defenders in the game. I suppose that's where I see my challenge.

“How fit can I be? How healthy can I be? I got injured in one of the training sessions before the Meath match last year, so I didn't get to finish out the full league campaign.

“Stuff like that, you're just trying to improve on. Staying fit and healthy is the main one. You're no good to anyone injured. So yeah, look after the body as best I can.

“I suppose, as clichéd as it is, the only show in town for us can be Offaly because it's so important to pick up points in those first few games, because if you don't, then it becomes a panic station.

“Then you start looking the other way, and that's where you don't want to be. So I think we have to go try and get points in Tullamore and then the week after as well. Any break where you have the weekend off and see where you're at then.”

Supporters

And he insists the fans remain a massive part of what is driving the county forward.

“Look, I think we couldn't question any Louth supporter over the last number of years. They've been so good. They've travelled up and down the country following us, and it's unreal to see. We ask them to keep it lit, and we're so thankful for it.

“There were many years where it would just be parents at the game, so it's been incredible to have so much support, and the players feed off it, so they mean the world, and it makes the game so much more special.”