There’s always been a strong Louth and Inniskeen connection

It was with tongue firmly in cheek – I think – that Jim McEneaney tweeted after Louth’s win over Meath: “Might be cheaper to invade and annex Inniskeen than build a new stadium in Dundalk.”

Like many others, Jim – a Geraldines player who didn’t get the fairest of deals in his days vying for a place on the Louth team – couldn’t have been but impressed with the Grattan Park set-up.

It set us thinking: Had those who drew up the county boundaries many years ago taken the line dividing Louth and Monaghan that little bit further south, Grattan Park would today be housing matches in the Cardinal O’Donnell Cup and not in the Dr Ward Cup, or any other Monaghan club competitions.

Travel the road from Dundalk to Carrickmacross and you’ll meet Ballykelly Cross. You’re still in County Louth, but turn right and head for Inniskeen and after a little over a mile you’ll arrive at Grattan Park. Another Louth townland, Rosslough, is even closer to the park.

On the other hand, had the cartographers pushed the boundary in another part of the divide that little bit eastwards, Séamus Kirk could have been Dr Rory O’Hanlon’s general election running-mate instead of Dermot Ahern’s.

Inniskeen would have been his club instead of St Bride’s, his county team colleagues Gerry McCarville and the likes and not Jimmy Mulroy, Frank Lynch, Leslie Toal and others in the red jersey. And it’s just possible the Darver project would not now be in place.

Born in Drumcah, which is only a matter of yards from the Monaghan border, Kirk went to the former Drumsinnott National School. This was in Louth but in the Parish of Inniskeen.

Among his classmates was the now-deceased Paddy Mulholland; together they used cycle to and from Dundalk CBS each day for their secondary school education.

Paddy played for Grattans and Monaghan, and was brother of another county player, Felix, also deceased. Others deeply involved in the GAA who attended Drumsinnot, which closed in 1970, were the Lennon brothers, Terry, Pete, John, Brendan, Pat and Donal – Pat and Brendan sadly no longer with us.

There were also the Naomh Malachi brothers, Miceál, Tony and Declan, Kilkerley Emmets stalwart, Willie Quigley, and Gerry Kelly, a St Bride’s man who won a Leinster JFC medal with Louth in 1966.

Louth’s greatest-ever cyclist, Nicky McArdle, along with his long-time contemporary, Tom Kirk, were others who names appeared on the roll.

There are other Inniskeen and Louth connections. Tommy Durnin’s is the one best known today. A Westerns clubman for years, the county midfielder transferred to Grattans a few years ago.

When Louth’s championship run ends, he’ll be taking instructions from former Armagh player, John McEntee, in a bid to win the Duffy Cup.

Two players who went the opposite direction are Gerry Hoey and the unfortunately-named Joe Carroll. A member of Monaghan’s National League-winning team of 1985, Hoey joined forces with Stabannon Parnells after a distinguished career with Grattans, and in 1997 played on the team that beat St Mary’s in the county final, lining out along with another of the 1985 Monaghan team, Bernie Murray.

Carroll was long-established in Louth by then, having linked with Seán O’Mahony’s on his move to Dundalk. In his time with Grattans he was a regular on the Monaghan team, and such was his performances in the white-and-blue, he won recognition from the Ulster selectors.

This was at the time when the Railway Cup was a premier competition, playing in it being the ambition of all inter-county players. Joe was on the winning 1965 Ulster team, coming in as a sub for Donegal’s Seán Ferriter in the final with Connacht.

Among his colleagues were Down greats, Seán O’Neill, Paddy Doherty and Dan McCartan, Derry’s Seán O’Connell and Jody O’Neill, one of Tyrone’s best at the time.

Old-timers around Inniskeen will tell you of Jack Crawley’s exploits. He, too, was a Railway Cup player, figuring on the beaten Ulster team in the 1939. That was the year after he helped Monaghan to an Ulster title, beating Armagh in the final.