Louth's ‘Why not us?' attitude should be adopted by every team in the country

Extra.ie​

13-05-2025

It felt like a liberation in Croke Park on Sunday, and not just because Louth bridged a painful 68-year gap. It was also about a moribund provincial championship coming back to life in vivid colour.
For two decades, Dublin's dominance has had Leinster football in a vice-grip, strangling it. But this impressive group from the Wee County have changed all that.
Perhaps, the most salient point made by Sam Mulroy after he led Louth to glory was 'why not us?' And maybe that should be a motto for every other team in the country. There is nothing wrong with dreaming big and, if a county gets its house in order, and ensures that everyone is pulling in the same direction, they can do special things. Sam Mulroy of Louth celebrates scoring his side's first goal, a penalty, during the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship final. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
'We could have just went on, not believing that we couldn't do it. If nothing changes, nothing will change,' Mulroy explained. 'I suppose we set out on this journey a good few years and we took it step by step and we had setbacks, but this group is very resilient and you are stacking evidence for yourself that you can do something special. Why not us? Why not? That was in the back of my head for years.'
There was no promise of better days in Mulroy's early days with Louth. He was a raw 19-year-old when he was part of a team that was crushed by 10 points by Tipperary in a qualifier back in 2017.
A couple of years later, he was the only Louth player on the scoresheet as they were beaten by Longford in the Leinster championship. Louth captain Sam Mulroy lifts the Delaney cup. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Given the county's history of failure, it could have been easy to fall into the trap of thinking that this was just Louth's place in the world. But Mulroy always had grand ambitions and a few years ago, the likes of former Wee County boss Peter Fitzpatrick became county chairman with an ambition of harnessing the potential within the county.
The first thing to do was convince Mickey Harte and Gavin Devlin to take charge of the team. There were two years of clear progress but, under Ger Brennan, there have been even greater strides.
'This is down to dedication and effort and people demanding more of themselves. People coming in, like Ger, demanding more of us – they have seen the bigger picture and told us we can do it. Louth players celebrate after the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship final. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
'Ger always says they have two legs and two arms, just like us. It was just a case of bringing everyone to a certain level, upping the ante and going after what we had to go after.
'Young people in Louth want to play for Louth and that is massive – it is from the top down, when the senior team is doing well, it spreads down to the other teams.'
Every other team in the country should now be thinking the same was as Louth. Why not us? Craig Lennon of Louth celebrates kicking a late point. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Just because they have been down in the past, it doesn't mean they have to remain there. Louth should not just be the inspiration, but the template for smaller counties now. But they don't have to stop here.
As Brennan pointed out in Croke Park, the team can win more. And the Delaney Cup wasn't the only prize on offer on Sunday. Louth's composure and calmness in keeping the ball for the final few minutes also secured them a slightly easier group in the All-Ireland series. While Meath have Cork, Kerry and Roscommon to contend with, the Wee County has the more manageable trio of Monaghan, Clare and Down. Now all that is left to decide is where Louth's home game against the Farney County will be played.
Louth had been going across the county boundary to play games in Kavanagh Country, but they won't host Monaghan in Inniskeen. Navan would seem a safe bet, although Brennan suggested that they could play it in Croker as part of a double-header. Louth manager Ger Brennan. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
Having got the taste of success at headquarters, it is clear that he wants more of it. That would probably mean Dublin hurlers agreeing to move their home game against Galway that weekend out of Parnell Park and that's unlikely to happen.
Getting a home ground – they have been using Ardee too for league games – is vital for Louth footballers to take the next step.
There are plans to build a state-of-the-art stadium outside Dundalk but, for now, the Wee County have to lead a nomadic existence. Not that it has affected them over the past few years. Conor Grimes, left, and Ryan Burns of Louth celebrate. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
In the past, it would have been an easy excuse for any of the team's failings. But this is a different Louth team, driven forward by the likes of Mulroy, Craig Lennon and Tommy Durnin.
Maybe, other counties should wonder: 'why not us?'