Most neutrals will be hoping that Louth beat Meath to win the Leinster senior football final next Sunday. The majority of GAA supporters agree that the Wee County were “robbed” when they played Meath in the 2010 final. In that game Joe Sheridan got a controversial goal in the 73rd minute at the Canal End that ended Louth hopes of a first Leinster title since 1957.
One commentator said it was like a touchdown in rugby union as the Meath centre half-forward carried the ball over the line and then failed to connect with the ball when he tried to kick it while lying on the ground in the net. However, Tyrone referee Martin Sludden allowed the goal after consulting with one of his umpires. Louth players and supporters were dejected, but now that they are back in the Leinster final for the fourth year in a row they will start as favorites to beat Meath as they have held the upper hand against the Royals in recent National League games.
And the good news for Louth is that full forward Sam Mulroy is back after injury and he kicked seven points in the semi-final win over Kildare. Mickey Harte started the Louth revival when he took over as manager and that momentum has been carried on by former Dublin player Ger Brennan. In that last final win 68 years ago, Louth beat Dublin.. That year they were captained by showband leader Dermot O’Brien and went on to win the Sam Maguire Cup when beating Cork in the final.
Before the Leinster final we will have the Ulster football final in Clones on Saturday evening when Armagh meet Donegal, in what is a repeat of the 2024 final. Twelve months ago the teams finished level and Donegal took the Anglo Celt Cup after a penalty shoot-out. So Donegal took the back-door route, but fell to Galway at the semi-final stage and then Armagh beat Galway in the All-Ireland final.
MODERN STADIUM
FOR WEE COUNTY
Off the pitch there was good news last week for Louth GAA, the only one of the 32 counties that doesn’t have a modern stadium. They were given the go-ahead by Croke Park to commence work on their new stadium in a green-field site outside the town of Dundalk. The project was halted at the last minute by Croke Park executives in 2023. The new stadium will be built in two phases and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. In recent years due to health and safety issues Louth were not allowed play Championship games at the Gaelic Grounds in Drogheda, where the capacity was only 3,500.
QUINN RETIRES
WITH 121 CAPS
The Republic of Ireland have lost another stalwart after defender Louise Quinn announced last week that she is retiring. Quinn, 34, has been a brilliant servant to the Girls in Green, earning 121 caps over 16 years. The centre-half captained Peamount United to the Women's Premier Division title in the league’s inaugural season in 2012. She also won two League Cups with Peamount and made seven appearances in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, scoring a hat-trick against ZNK Krka in August 2011. A move to Eskilstuna United in Sweden in 2013 kickstarted Quinn’s club journey abroad, which also included spells in England with Notts County, Arsenal and Birmingham City, as well as a season in Italy with Fiorentina. During her time at Arsenal, the Wicklow native won the Women’s Super League and the FA Women’s League Cup. Quinn is currently on the books at Birmingham but has not played since suffering a hip injury last October.
Meanwhile, Republic of Ireland soccer international Katie McCabe will make history on May 24 when she will become the first Irish woman to play in Women’s Champions League final. Arsenal who beat French club Lyon in a two-leg semi-final will play Barcelona in the final in Lisbon. This will be Arsenal second final, having beaten Umea of Sweden in 2007 when the competition was known as the UEFA Women’s Cup.
WALSH SWITCHES SPORTS
Three-time Kilkenny All-Ireland senior hurling winner Walter Walsh is back playing rugby for New Ross. Within weeks of announcing his inter-county retirement last November, Walsh resumed his rugby career after a 15-year lapse. That put him in the shop window for selection for the Leinster junior side. He said: ‘I have been training with the Leinster junior the last week. I got to pull on a Leinster jersey last week and it was a really nice feeling.’’
GOVT. HAS FUNDING
CONCERNS: COURELL
FAI CEO David Courell said he is hoping to assemble a “coalition of voices” within Irish football to help get a plan to try to help player development in Ireland catch up with other countries. included in Budget 2026 next October. The Association is seeking €8 million per annum for an 11-year period, although funding would taper off from 2029. The issue has been exacerbated by Brexit which means players can no longer move to Britain until they are 18 with most League of Ireland club ill-equipped to plug the gap. He claimed that the fact the vast majority of funding would go to clubs prompted unease but believes politicians can be won over by a united front.
Courell said: “Yes, there are still some questions Government has. It doesn’t center around the FAI as 81 percent of the distribution is to clubs. Their nervousness and questions primarily center around investing into private enterprises. It’s not something governments normally do. We want to work with them and clubs to give comfort and confidence, explaining that we have an established licensing process within our league, that we have visibility, something that can give comfort to where investments are going.”
