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3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Down edge Louth for second All-Ireland group stage win
Down made it two wins from two in the group stage of the All-Ireland series as they survived a late Louth fightback to win 0-25 to 0-24 at Pairc Esler. After a delayed start to the game in Newry, Odhran Murdock kicked a fine two pointer a minute into the game to set Conor Laverty's men on their way. Advertisement They added two more points before a free from Sam Mulroy got Louth on the board after eight minutes. Two two-pointers from Danny Magill and Murdock further stretched Down's lead and they eventually moved nine clear before Niall McDonnell was thwarted by Ryan McEvoy in front of goal. Louth rattled off four points in a row to cut the gap, but a late scoring blitz helped Down to lead 0-16 to 0-7 at half-time. Two two-pointer and another effort from Mulroy helped the Leinster champions to chip away at Down's lead, reducing it to six points, but three in a row from the hosts helped them to re-establish their advantage. Advertisement Donal McKenny hit the post for Louth with Mulroy, Craig Lennon and Tommy Durnin scoring three straight two-pointers for the visitors as they moved to within three points of the Mournemen. Louth had the momentum and got back to within one, before Mulroy's attempt after the hooter was blocked as Down held on for a narrow win. Having comfortably dispatched Clare in their first game, the Mournemen are in a commanding position ahead of facing Monaghan at a neutral venue in the final round of group games in a fortnight.
Extra.ie
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Louth's ‘Why not us?' attitude should be adopted by every team in the country
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?'
Irish Daily Mirror
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Sam Mulroy bent Louth's Leinster Final triumph to his will
LOUTH 3-14 MEATH 1-18 IT took 15 years, but all that hurt and pain from the 2010 Leinster decider was finally put to bed in yesterday's provincial decider at Croke Park as Louth ended a 68 year wait for the Delaney Cup. Andy McDonnell was the only Wee County man still going strong all these years later after being tempted out of retirement by Louth boss Ger Brennan. What a decision that was. Now, he has his Leinster medal. Joe Sheridan might not be happy with the result but he may be a relieved man too. Unlike 2010 when Sheridan swooped to grab a ball and fell over the line to become the unwitting villain of the piece as Meath denied Louth a first Leinster title in 53 years, this time there was no real controversy at the death. Louth, as they were a decade and a half ago, were just the better team in the second half. This time though, they finished it out with a calmness that was lacking all those years ago. No-one was hoofing the ball away, giving Meath oxygen and another shot at an equaliser as they controlled the ball with impressive composure. Louth didn't have a great spread of scores, just six to Meath's eight, but they had real difference makers in Craig Lennon (1-1), Sam Mulroy (1-7) and Ryan Burns (1-3). That trio hit 3-11 of their 3-14. It was really Louth skipper Mulroy, who bent this game to his will. After missing four shots at the start of the second half - three of them two point efforts and one 45 - Mulroy proceeded to go to town on Meath when it really mattered. His mentality strong, he had five more shots, nailing every single one of them as he hit six of Louth's final eight points. Louth had plenty of heroes though. One of them was Donal McKenny who bottled up James Conlon and took a couple of great kickouts on the wing, as well as retaining the last ball under severe pressure. Conor Grimes was another, relentlessly carrying ball forward and breaking lines. Bevan Duffy, for a man in his late 30s who hadn't started this season, gave 65 huge minutes. Tommy Durnin powered into it late on with two huge catches on the Meath kickout, while Ciaran Keenan and Ciaran Byrne gave Louth a spark off the bench. Taking out the emotion, the boring nuts and bolts of it all are that Meath couldn't get a hold of their own kick out in the second half as Louth showed great patience to reel them in and then over take them. Meath lost seven of their own kickouts in the second half, but then Louth had similar issues in the first half, but the difference was they got three goals to stay in touch when they were under the cosh. That Louth dominance of possession was shown by Meath managing just five scores in the second half. They had eight shots after the break compared to Louth's 16. Two of Meath's inside three men, Conlon and Eoghan Frayne barely got a ball in the second half, as Louth got on the kickout breaks, winning 10 of them. Only Matthew Costello's 62nd minute goal kept Meath afloat, coming off a big Sean Coffey turnover on Mulroy and a quick break involving Ruairi Kinsella and Jordan Morris. That put Meath one up again, but a big 65th minute call went against them when Conal McKeever looked to be well bottled up, but referee Martin McNally gave a free in. There are plenty of marginal calls in a game, but a two point free opportunity (with the breeze) is a harsh punishment for what looked a textbook tackle. Sam Mulroy still had to convert and he did the business with the pressure on. Late on, Louth kept the ball well. Young sub Dara McDonnell had a couple of hairy moments in the corner under the Cusack, but his side worked the ball out and around to that man Craig Lennon. He tapped it over to put his side two up. Meath had one more kickout. They probably needed a short, but nothing opened up for Billy Hogan who had to go long with Emmet Carolan winning the most important break ball - or any ball - of his life. They played it around, going backwards into their corner. Donal McKenny was under serious pressure from Costello, but he was awarded the free and that was it. Cue absolute bedlam. Both sides were twitchy early on with Keith Curtis dropping a mark short for Meath, being blocked on a shot and turning over a ball, before hitting a point that settled him down and later winning a free for another point. Louth had issues with their own kickout, booming most of them to the left and losing seven of 15 in the first half, with one of the others turned over for a Meath point. It was only goals which kept them in the game in the first half. The first one arrived on 20 minutes with Andy McDonnell and Tommy Durnin involved before Kieran McArdle was shoved by Donal Keogan. Referee McNally said penalty and Mulroy slammed to the net to level the scores, walking back out coolly as if nothing had happened, as Croke Park erupted. Louth's second goal came on 24 minutes. Up to this point there'd been no sign of All Star Craig Lennon. Not for long though. The wing back sliced up the middle and fed Ryan Burns, who cut across Brian O'Halloran and shot to the net with Meath goalie Billy Hogan getting a big hand on it, but unable to keep it out. Suddenly, Louth led by two despite Meath playing the vast majority of the football. Undeterred, Meath hit a real purple patch, scoring seven points without reply in five minutes to lead 0-13 to 2-3 on 33 minutes. Three of those came from the boot of the on fire Ruairi Kinsella, one of them a two pointer, as he took his first half tally to four points from play, while goalie Hogan would also nail a brace of two point frees. James Conlon - the five point hero against Dublin - had been well shackled by Donal McKenny and turned over twice, as well as hitting a wide, but with his first early ball in, he scored. Meath's four point lead would have been a fair reflection of the half, but that man Lennon had other ideas as Louth patiently worked the ball left and right. Lennon arrived at pace and although he had Mulroy free to his right for a potential two pointer, he saw a gap and bolted up the middle like few others can, with Keogan and Jack Flynn unable to get a hand on him. The wing back and had only one thing on his mind as he slammed to the corner of the net. Matthew Costello had a two point effort for Meath, but he didn't catch it right and that was it for the half with Meath leading by one, 0-13 to 3-3, despite having scored more than double the amount of times Louth had. The second half was all Louth though, as they seized the moment to go on and claim a first Leinster title since 1957 and just a ninth in total as they ended a run of back to back provincial decider defeats.
The 42
12-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
'Why not us?' - Sam Mulroy on Louth's belief as they end 68-year wait for Leinster glory
'IT'S HARD TO find the words, probably, right now,' Sam Mulroy begins. He has just captained Louth to their first Leinster title in 68 years. 'It's a very special feeling, and I suppose like I said when we were collecting the cup, it's probably that group of players believed when no one else believed. To stand up there for them and collect that trophy was something I can remember for the rest of my life.' A day of days in Croke Park, a 3-14 to 1-18 victory over neighbours Meath. The tables turned on 2010, as the Wee county ended a long wait to get their hands on the Delaney Cup. Their rise has been well documented; Ger Brennan overseeing the Leinster breakthrough after previous progression under Mickey Harte. Belief has been at the heart of it all, Mulroy insists. Advertisement 'I suppose it's a case of, do we keep going on like we don't believe or keep playing like that or keep believing like that. 'You have to change something. If nothing changes, nothing changes. 'I suppose when we set out on this journey a number of years back, it was about taking it step by step, setback by setback — and this group is very resilient. 'You're just building. You're stacking evidence every day that you can do something special. Obviously the lads have come in and pushed us on further. 'It's one of those things. Why not us? That was in the back of my head.' Mulroy hailed the 'dedication, effort and buy-in from everyone bringing it to a new level and demanding more of themselves' through the upturn. 'People coming in, like Ger, and demanding more from us and seeing the bigger picture that we can do it,' he added. 'As Ger always says, they have two legs and two arms, just like us. No matter who we're playing. It was just a case of bringing everyone up to a level and up the ante and going after what we had to go after.' Mulroy in action. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO That they did, in a dramatic Croke Park decider. Mulroy led the charge with 1-7 in a Player of the Match performance, putting some disappointing wides behind him to land key scores down the stretch. 'Ger was giving out to me in the first half. I was probably trying to look for them too soon. I knew then in the second half the space would open up a bit more. I snatched at one or two early on. You have to keep backing yourself and take a shot.' Mulroy's two-point free in the 65th minute moved Louth ahead, before All-Star Craig Lennon added the insurance score as they controlled the closing stages. 'I thought our boys showed serious composure and strategy. We managed it really well.' And then, up the steps of the Hogan. Why not Louth? No words needed. - With reporting from Fintan O'Toole
Irish Daily Mirror
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Louth v Meath decision that left Royals boss disappointed labelled 'karma'
Sean Cavanagh described the late free that won Louth the Leinster Championship as 'karma' for their 2010 final defeat to Meath. The Wee County overcame their rivals in front of over 60,000 people at Croke Park on Sunday as Sam Mulroy kicked over what proved to be a winning two-point free before a Craig Lennon point doubled their advantage. Meath manager Robbie Brennan questioned the validity of the free, which was won by Conal McKeever, after the match. He said: "Disappointed. The two-pointer one, it's on the TV (big screen) you can see it's not a foul. "They're fine margins and we said at half-time the 1% margins, as the rugby boys always say, is what you have to go after. A few of them fell Louth's way but that's not to take away from Louth and how well they played. But, yeah, we're frustrated with some of them but I'm sure we got a couple of bounces our way as well. We just have to go with it." The incident was discussed on RTE's live coverage of the match, with former Dublin player Ciaran Whelan saying: "Meath will look at this tonight and they'll kind of wonder. I don't think it's a free being honest when you see the replay. "I don't know what Mark McNally's seen but that's a two-pointer free. We spoke about Mulroy before the game and that goes from one point down to one point up. "I think there's four or five minutes on the clock showing at that point and then they go for home." Tyrone legend Cavanagh responded by saying: "We'll call that free 2010 karma. I felt Louth were full value for it." "(Tommy) Durnin took a couple of great fetches in midfield, (Ciaran) Downey's running, Mulroy was like for Louth what Michael Murphy was for Donegal yesterday. He was the centre of everything. I felt they were full value for the win."
