Joe Carroll: Louth waiting a long time for a follow-up to All-Ireland win

A Cork senior football side has been in these parts in the past. Not among the venues they’ve played at, however, is Ardee’s Pairc Mhuire.

That will be put right on Sunday. The Rebels’ game with Louth (throw-in, 1 o’clock) is in the second-last round of the National League’s Division Two, and while both sides have the look of safety about them, destined to maintain their present status, there’s still lots to play for, more than just two points.

Like, where the sides will be playing come the championship, and, maybe, a place in next season’s Division One. Final placings across all league divisions, along with performances in the four provincial championships, will decide which trophy counties will compete for in the summer. Will it be the Sam Maguire or the Tailteann Cup?

Louth made the main championship last year, thanks to finishing in the top two in Division Three. Although operating at a higher level in the current league, Mickey Harte’s charges are not guaranteed to contest the All-Ireland series this time. It may, or may not, depend on them getting to the Leinster final.

Last year’s Maguire Cup aspirations were ended by none other than Cork, the Pairc Ui Chaoimh meeting noted for the huge emphasis Louth placed on getting players behind the ball.

It was only when the game was well inside the final quarter that some caution was thrown to the wind. The result was a goal and a few points, reducing the comfortable lead Cork had enjoyed throughout most of the match.

There was a number matches between the counties around the turn of the century. The 1957 All-Ireland final meeting wasn’t followed until the late 1980s, the first of five clashes marking Cork’s first visit to this part of the country for a competitive match.

St Brigid’s Park was the venue for a last-round 1988/’89 league tie, which Louth needed to win to gain promotion. It had been a good campaign for the Frank Lynch-managed side up to that, victories over Longford, Kildare and Galway (at Ballinasloe), along with draws with Mayo (Dowdallshill) and Roscommon (Kiltoom), putting a huge emphasis on the Dowdallshill game.

Home advantage was of no help to Louth. Cork, just months before they would win the All-Ireland on their third successive appearance in the final, following a couple of defeats to Meath, prevailed by 0-13 to 0-6.

A mid-Louth reader has written to say how much he enjoys seeing Louth line-outs from the past, even those of beaten teams (and maybe the players involved like it as well, helping them recapture their younger days.) Here’s the ’89 team:

Niall Donnell (Clan Na Gael); Pat Matthews (O Plunkets) Kevin O’Hanlon (Clan na Gael), Brendan Kerin (St Mary’s); Stephen Melia (J Mitchel’s), Martin McCann (Y Irelands), Peter Fitzpatrick (Clan na Gael); Davy McDonnell (Dlk Gaels), Gerry Curran (Clan na Gael); Colin Kelly (Newtown B), Richie Culhane (Newtown B), Seamus O’Hanlon (Clan na Gael); Noel Mulligan (St Joseph’s), Eugene Judge (Newtown B), Jimmy McDonnell (Geraldines).

Subs used: Dessie Callaghan (Newtown B), Paul Renaghan (Geraldines), Nicholas Browne (St Joseph’s).

This was one of four league games between the sides played around the time. Two of the others were in Cork, the fourth in Portlaoise. There was also a championship meeting. Like the St Brigid’s Park game, all of the results went the Rebels’ way.

Defeat in the 1996 meeting was pretty galling for Louth. It came after Cork had won the Pairc Ui Rinn meeting in the previous league, 2-12 to 1-7.   

The outcome of the Pairc Ui Chaoimh tie was of no consequence to the home side; but had they picked up the points, Louth, with Paul Kenny in charge, would have won promotion to the top division.

It had been a particularly good campaign. A win over Galway at Dowdallshill was followed by a defeat of Mayo in Castlebar; Tyrone were then overcome in Drogheda, before there was a surprise reverse to Clare in Ennis.

But the winning thread was picked up again after Christmas in Lurgan, Gareth O’Neill playing in one of his first games for his adopted county in the defeat of his native Armagh.

Niall O’Donnell, at the time at the peak of his form, was missing from goals, and that was crucial. Cork’s two goals in a 2-6 to 0-8 win were of the soft variety.

The following league campaign brought the sides together once again, only this time it was at the knock-out stages. Louth had gone off at a rate of knots, beating Armagh and Clare in the opening two rounds.

Leitrim inflicted a surprise defeat after that, but it was back on the bike again, a draw with Mayo (Drogheda), followed by a significant win over Dublin at Parnell Park. 

A defeat to Laois did nothing but put a slight dent in promotion hopes; if Monaghan were taken care of in the final round at Drogheda it would be Division One football in the following campaign. Or so we thought.

Monaghan were not only taken care of, but routed. Sadly, there was no promotion to follow. The powers that be decided to revamp the competition for the following season, giving each county equal status in four 8-team divisions, final placings to determine where they would play in the season after that.

However, there was no way Louth could be denied a place in the knock-outs following their win over Monaghan. The draw pitted Kenny’s side against Cork, the game taking place in Portlaoise. Same old story, defeat, 1-12 to 0-11 this time.

Fast forward a decade, and Louth, now in the care of Eamonn McEneaney, who had taken over from Val Andrews and was getting a real tune out of his charges, competed in Division Two.

Not only competing but winning – games as well as the title, with a defeat of Donegal in a replayed final. A number of the Donegal team would figure on Jim McGuinness’s All-Ireland-winning team a few years later.

The championship, however, wasn’t very inspiring in the early stages. It took three games to overcome Wicklow in the opening round, and after that came a defeat to Wexford. But the All-Ireland qualifiers were better.

Limerick were beaten at home, as were Kildare next time out.  Then came a renewal of rivalry with Cork, the Round Three match going ahead at Portlaoise on a Saturday afternoon.

McEneaney and his backroom team put their faith in the following: Stuart Reynolds (O’Connell’s): Alan Page (Cooley K), Colin Goss (St Patrick’s), John Neary Geraldines); John O’Brien (S O’Mahony’s), Mick Fanning (Nh Mairtin), Peter McGinnity (Dlk Gaels); Paddy Keenan (St Patrick’s), Ronan Carroll (St Mary’s); Martin Farrelly (St Joseph’s), Aaron Hoey (St Bride’s), Mark Stanfield (Killeavy); Brian White (Cooley K), Shane Lennon (Kilkerley E), Colm Judge (Newtown B).

Ray Finnegan (St Patrick’s), Darren Clarke (St Mary’s), Dessie Finnegan (St Patrick’s), JJ Quigley (Clan na Gael) and Jimmy Murray (Newtown B) came in as subs.

Louth led at the break and were still there with a fighting chance as the game drew to a close. But Cork pulled out that little bit extra in the finish to win by 0-14 to 0-12.

There couldn’t be a better time than next Sunday for Louth to fashion a first win over Cork in 66 years. If it were to happen, there’d be plenty riding on the result on the following week’s game with Dublin at Croke Park.