Mulroy and Byrne symbolise Louth's belief
Gavin Devlin reflects on the two key players ahead of the All-Ireland semi-final showdown
Louth’s journey has always been about improvement for manager Gavin Devlin, as the county's climb from Division Four to an All-Ireland semi-final has required players to change their expectations.
Few represent that more than captain Sam Mulroy, and when Devlin arrived, he saw talent but also a player still developing into the leader Louth GAA needed.
Devlin said: “I think Sam at that stage, to be honest, was on his journey as well. He had a lot of learning to do, both in terms of preparation and how he seen the game and wanted to play the game.”
A game against Sligo became a turning point when Louth needed a response; Mulroy delivered.
“We moved Sam out to midfield, and he caught the throw-in, and he ran the field himself, weaving in and out through players and put it in the back of the net.
“I think that was the birth of Sam Mulroy, and we never looked back; we kicked on from that goal, and we won the game handsomely.”
Mulroy previously spoke about wanting to become the best player in Ireland, and his manager has no problem with that ambition.
“A bit like Rory McIlroy, I like people that just say what they think and live their life right, have their own beliefs and say what you feel.
“I don't think there's anything wrong with saying what you feel, and Sam said something in that interview, and I was quite content with him saying it. We have this motto downstairs: Why not us? Why not Sam? Why can he not be the best player?”
'Casey'
Ciarán Byrne’s road has been different, as injury problems threatened to prevent him from showing his true ability.
“Yeah, he had a really difficult journey. His body wasn't working at all; his body kept breaking down when he got to a certain level.
“This year, after he broke down in the O'Byrne Cup, we decided that we weren't going to put him through the rigours of the National League and the mucky pitches.”
Instead, Louth created a plan to get Byrne right for championship football.
“He'd go away and work remotely with our physios and our S&C coaches, and he is so diligent. He puts his life on hold. If you want him to train six days a week, he would.
“I suppose that day against Dublin in Croke Park was the day that he let loose and yeah, it's worked out.”