Louth 3-14 Meath 1-18
Before Sunday in Croke Park, it was 1957 when Louth last won the Leinster SF championship - the same year that the Soviets sent Sputnik into space and the Suez Canal was reopened.
In the intervening 68 years, The Wee County has been more the observer looking in than the stars in the stage spotlight but all that was changed when skipper Sam Mulroy played a captain’s part in seeing the country’s smallest county avenge the 2010 Leinster Final defeat by their neighbors and bitter rivals Meath before 65,786 fans in Corke Park.
At one stage late in the first half, Meath appeared to be ready to run away with this final but a Craig Lennon goal added to a Mulroy penalty and a Ryan Burns corker kept the underdogs in the game when the Royals were lording possession around the field, particularly in purloining the Louth kick-out.
And when Meath looked like finally kicking on in the second half with a goal from Matthew Costello it was Sam who stood up with a two-pointer which kept Ger Brennan’s side close enough to pounce going down the back straight.
Louth's hero Sam Mulroy savored a moment almost seven decades in the making as the Wee County finally became Leinster football champions again in Croke Park.
Ultimately victory with a strong finish saw an unbelievable outpouring of pent-up emotion from Wee followers, most of whom had never known a GAA day like this in their lives.
Even Man of the Match Mulroy found it hard to keep composed when interviewed by RTE after the game.
Said the star who shot 1-7 for his side: “It means absolutely everything to me, this team and the people of Louth and I'm absolutely delighted.
"We've been on the end of Dublin's reign the last few years so that experience of playing here and trying to keep the ball…it’s tiring out there on a big pitch, it's hot, so I think it stood to us the last few minutes.
“Everyone absolutely stood up today, boys coming in and showing composure. Everyone played their part and I couldn't be prouder. It has been 68 years since Louth had their hands on the Delaney Cup. We'll enjoy tonight,” he declared.
Current All- Star Craig Lennon was another hero and he had special words for manager Brennan who took over from the big shoes of Mickey Harte two seasons ago.
“Ger has been brilliant at getting us away from the noise and the distractions, how to deal with media and that sort of stuff. His experience in that was invaluable,” said the man whose goal could yet be the Goal of the Season.
Tommy Durnin said he had spoken to several people who played in the 2010 game when a controversial Joe Sheridan goal, which most felt should have been ruled out was allowed to stand, giving Meath a controversial victory, made all the more so when the Royals refused to offer a replay to their neighbors.
Referring to the older ex-players, Durnin stated: “They wanted us to create new history. And that's what we've done today. The U20s have created history. Let's hope the minors will. And then let's keep this going. We want more days like this.”
At the end of the day, it was the Reds two star players, Mulroy and Lennon, who stood up by getting the scores that proved the difference between the teams.
Instead of bowing the knee after Costello’s Meath goal, Mulroy showed great leadership qualities by landing a two-pointer from over 47 meters out to put his side a point in front.
The marauding Lennon went up field to fire over a last-minute point to ensure his county's famine was finally over.
This was a case of third time lucky for this Louth bunch of players following final losses to Dublin in 2023 and ‘24.
Louth will now play in Group 3 of the All-Ireland SFC, alongside Clare, Monaghan and Down, and will start this next part of the season by playing another bordering county Monaghan on May 24/25.
For Meath, it will be a bitter disappointment particularly after beating Dublin the semi-final but they can now recharge their season in a tough All-Ireland group which includes Sam Maguire favorites and Munster champions Kerry, Roscommon and Cork.
Royals Boss Robbie Brennan will be unhappy at how his side were unable to sustain the superiority which they had for most of the first half and will also want to shore up a defense that leaked three first half goals which ultimately kept Louth in the game when they were not playing well.
The return of Jordan Morris will be a boost as he showed in his cameo role that he will add potency to the Meath attack.
Meath led by 0-13 to 3-3 half-time lead but really should have had the game wrapped up by then. Lennon’s strike just on the break gave the Louth team a huge lift and although Meath started the second half the better with Morris adding an immediate point on his appearance, Louth were dangerous even when trailing by three points, 0-18 to 3-6.
With their big men around midfield growing into the game, the likes of Conor Grimes and Mulroy set an example by reeling off three points between them to level matters by the 53rd minute.
When Louth kept their foot on the pedal to go two up with 10 minutes to go, you wondered if they had timed their run slightly too early.
When Morris acted as provider and Costello hammered home Meath’s only green flag of the day, it looked like a case of the same old story.
That’s when the new Louth stood up with Mulroy landing a monster two-pointer from a free and Lennon flicking over from an acute angle to herald a sea of red invasion of the pitch in joyous celebration.
Louth: N McDonnell; D McKenny, D Campbell, D Nally; C Lennon (1-1), P Lynch, C McKeever; T Durnin, B Duffy (0-1); A McDonnell, S Mulroy (1-7, 1-0 pen, 1 tpf, 0-2f, 0-1 45), C Grimes (0-1); R Burns (1-3, 1 tp), C Downey (0-1), K McArdle Subs: C Keenan for McArdle 45, P Matthews for McDonnell 46, C Byrne for Burns 62, D McDonnell for Duffy 65, E Carolan for Nally 70.
Meath: B Hogan (0-4, 2 tpf); S Lavin, S Raffety, B O'Halloran; D Keogan (0-1), S Coffey (0-1), C Caulfield; J Flynn, B Menton; C Duke, R Kinsella (0-4, 1 tp), M Costello (1-1); J Conlon (0-1), K Curtis (0-1), E Frayne (0-4, 0-2f) Subs: J Morris (0-1) for Curtis 45, S Walsh for Duke 53, A Lynch for Kinsella 62, D McGowan for Conlon 68.
Ref: M McNally (Monaghan).
