Emmet Moloney writes for the 'The Irish Farmers Journal' and is a former sports columnist with 'The Kerryman'.

Half a century has passed since Louth were last in a Leinster final. It’s a big week in the Wee County, writes Emmet Moloney...

The famine is over. Those are the words GAA followers long to hear. Well, supporters from Limerick, Mayo, Waterford and quite a few more counties anyway, and this week all our neutral hopes are invested with Louth. Going without All-Ireland and provincial success for more than a generation entitles you to call it a famine. If you have never seen your countyman stand on the steps of Croke Park, Semple Stadium or Clones with a cup in his hands, then you know what I am talking about. They know what I’m talking about in Louth.

Not so long ago, the Wee County was cannon fodder for the likes of the Dubs in the early rounds of Leinster. The Sunday Game analysts would patronise them for a minute or two, show a highlight here and there, with talented players like JP Rooney being described as “players who would get their place on any county team”. You know your county is screwed when you hear that insult.

This is what the smaller counties have to put up with. Before the qualifiers were invented, we usually had our one day out in the summer, 10 minutes on The Sunday Game, a bit of patronising and then we went back to our club championship. The famine continued. So, when a county like Louth suddenly end up in a Leinster final we underdogs cross our fingers for them. We pray that they don’t get hammered. We hope against hope that they might actually steal it. Deep down, we want them not to fall on their faces. Deep down, we don’t expect.

Louth’s last Leinster final appearance was a one-point loss to Offaly back in 1960 – 50 years ago. This summer, they have knocked off Longford (who subsequently beat Mayo), Kildare (who subsequently beat Antrim) and Westmeath (who had ended Micko’s reign in Wicklow). If Louth were a bumper horse, you’d be thinking of Cheltenham because the form of their wins is working out quite well.

The Royals are the hottest of favourites because they are the traditional county. Offaly haven’t shown anything on the football fields in recent years while Dublin manager Pat Gilroy has bravely decided that this is a year for experimentation. A similarly undercooked Laois managed to bring Meath to a replay. If Meath were a horse, you could find holes in their form. An important ingredient to add to this mix is the fact that these counties share a border. That means a bit more than the map suggests. A part of Meath is now included in the Louth constituency! Rivals in the proper sense of the word, so. Back in the ’40s and ’50s, Louth met the Royals 13 times in championship football. The counties became renowned for drawing matches. Even when Louth went off the scene for a few decades, they still managed to raise their game for Meath. This has to be thrown into the mix.

Louth’s win over the Lilywhites was their most impressive. They put up a big total but stuttered somewhat to get past Westmeath. This was entirely logical because reaching a Leinster final is a major deal for these players. That was the hurdle they had to cross. The shackles could be off now. The plan is coming together.

Then there is the Louth manager Peter Fitzpatrick. This is the week a manager can be at his most effective. How do you play the build-up? The excitement? The open training sessions? The tickets? The logistics of the big day?

Fitzpatrick played with Louth for a number of years. He has an army background and also played League of Ireland soccer. He only came into this position back in November and he looks like he knows what he’s at. Here we are, another rookie manager getting a tune out of his team in his rookie season. How many times have we seen that happen in recent years?

These are Louth’s advantages. Being in a Leinster final must be embraced for the occasion that it promises to be. You play football for days like this. The preparations shouldn’t be any different from earlier rounds. The early start (2pm) will suit them. Fitness and strength aren’t really an issue at this stage of the year – right now it’s all about composure once that ball is thrown in.
Just ask Limerick about their three wides when level at 1-14 apiece with Kerry and only five minutes on the clock. This is where titles are won and lost. That’s what will be remembered, not Limerick’s marvellous scoring burst of 1-4 to 0-0 against the wind to pull them back into it.
Louth bring some serious footballers into Sunday’s clash. Paddy Keenan and Brian White look a formidable partnership in the middle of the field. Keenan in particular is a proper scoring threat. Adrian Reed is the type of tricky corner forward that wins matches, Colm Judge and JP Rooney are solid performers. Meath’s abrasive backs shouldn’t bother them unduly.

Where Louth will struggle is in their own back division. The Royals have some natural predators in their side and regardless of the type of game it turns out to be, Meath will be scoring at least 15 points. For Louth, in their first Leinster senior final in 50 years, that’s a big total to match. And Meath like to score goals. They like to go for goals. They get goals.

Louth can’t hold them scoreless, but they cannot panic when Meath get on a roll, because they will, at some stage. That’s when a team, new to the big stage, finds out if they belong. Limerick’s comeback showed that they did have belief, but lacked the poise.

Can Louth go one step further? Will we see one famine ended this summer? God knows the game needs it. The Wee County can’t think about winning this game until they are right, smack bang in the middle of it. Once they realise they belong here, who knows, the bumper horse might turn out to be something special!

Elsewhere, the qualifiers means that most counties still have some form of involvement in either the football or hurling championships. So only Meath and Louth are getting very excited about Sunday’s Leinster final. Waterford are busy plotting Cork’s downfall in Semple Stadium. That’s where I’ll be, watching the Déise pull off the shock and Clare’s minors hopefully ending our 21-year Munster minor famine. It’s the Munster senior hurling final and just in time too, because this has been a very poor hurling championship to date. Let’s hope Sunday is a bumper day.

Linked article:
Elvis, Dev and Dermot O'Brien

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