Inside Track: Croke Park tie gives Louth a chance to atone for Leinster defeat
Inside Track with Joe Carroll
A lot has happened since Louth senior footballers exited the Leinster Championship.
Within ten days of the Dublin semi-final defeat, the county’s strongly-fancied under-20s and minors also took their leave of the knock-out, the former in the final.
At national level Kerry sauntered to yet another Munster title, and Roscommon won the glorified three-horse race in the West.
Though they have won the All-Ireland in the meantime, Armagh’s win in Ulster was their first since 2007. This time the Applemen were best in extra-time, having previously failed at that stage.
Before Armagh overcame dreadful weather conditions and a plucky Monaghan side at Clones, Westmeath had scored a shock but deserved win over Dublin in the Leinster final.
This was, in a way, a throwback to last year. Louth’s win in 2025 was a first in 68 years, Westmeath’s only their second ever, the other one coming 22 years ago.
Surely a time for celebration down in the midlands, and well done to all involved.
It was a fluke, many thought, when on the day Louth overcame Wexford, Westmeath knocked Meath off the perch. But it has proven to be anything but.
Kildare were then taken care of, and in the final came an extra-time win, engineered by a team that was able to defend, score and overcome adversary.
Who could have forecast that if Westmeath were to win the title, it would done without the outstanding Luke Loughlin.
All the provincial titles have been allotted, and it’s now down to the All-Ireland series. Four games were played over the weekend, with the rest listed for this weekend.
As luck would have it, and is well known by now, Louth have been paired with Dublin. The game’s on Sunday in Croke Park, throw-in at 2.30.
The pairing was made known just two days after the Leinster Championship semi-final, and fair to say the news hadn’t Louth supporters doing hand-stands.
The O’Moore Park game, at least the last 25 minutes of it, hadn’t gone well for Gavin Devlin’s team.
In that time, a two-point deficit had grown fivefold, leaving no-one in doubt that the scoreboard wasn’t telling a lie, or exaggerating. Louth hadn’t done well on or off the field – no-one was making excuses.
Now we come to the rematch. With no chance of a different result from the last day?
Maybe not. Louth might have been wounded in Portlaoise, but there’s been lots of time for recuperation, and whatever damage was done that day wouldn’t be anything to compare with what Dublin suffered in the final.
Five points ahead at one stage after finding themselves matched and even bettered at times by Westmeath, the Dubs, it seemed, had only to open their shoulders to make it to the line in front. It didn’t happen.
After finding an equaliser to push the game into extra-time, Westmeath took complete control, relegating the home team to the role of bit-players.
As the teams gathered before heading into the second half of extra-time, Westmeath holding a commanding lead, it was noticeable that Dublin were being given a pep-talk, not from stand-in manager Dean Rock, or one of his advisers, Niall Moyna, but Con O’Callaghan, a star player who’s been out injured for some time but is said to be lined up for next Sunday.
This would suggest that manager Ger Brennan’s suspension, banning him from sideline duties, is causing some disarray.
Add to that the team’s poor showing and the likelihood backing from the stands and Hill 16, so often a 16th man, might even be less vociferous than it was on the Leinster final day. (The attendance was nearly 30,000 down on last year, and Westmeath supporters were in the majority.)
The Dubs’ swagger of other years might be missing, along with the advantage accrued back then from Stephen Cluxton’s kick-outs.
And confidence might also be low. But no-one should think there’s going to be a rollover on Sunday.
Even if it’s a below-par Dublin, Louth have serious work to do, like recapturing their best league form. It’s only that which will carry the day.
Yes, Wexford were easily taken care of, but it’s what came afterwards that has Devlin’s side going into the game as outsiders.
Defeat on Sunday doesn’t mean the end of the championship road for the losers – for them, there’ll be a meeting with one of the other opening round beaten teams. Winners are guaranteed at least two further games.
But don’t bet on either team going out without the bit between their teeth. Both owe something to their supporters – and can we give it yet another mention: It’s 53 years since Louth last won a championship meeting of the sides.
We thought that the chance of closing that gap this year evaporated with the Portlaoise defeat. Now comes a second roll of the dice. Make it pay, Louth.