BLAST FROM THE PAST

Majority of Louth Supporter’s will say they were there, in Sunny Navan that famous day in 2006.

The day we so nearly slayed the All-Ireland Champions.

What I remember most from the day is the sea of red and white surrounding the Pairc Tailteann pitch.


It was one the best games of the 2006 championship, eclipsed. Just. By the Mayo Dublin Epic All Ireland semi-final, Ironically Louth supporters also had the pleasure of seeing first hand, as that game was played after we won the Tommy Murphy Cup!

The game was live and it was then on RTE that Paddy Keenan announced himself nationally. Tyrone’s midfield was without Kevin Hughes on the day and Paddy had a barnstorming game alongside Martin Farrelly.

Martin Farrelly remember him!!! One of the most underrated Louth players ever, relatively small for a midfielder but had massive engine and heart for any challenge, very Rarely let his teammates down.

It was great to see the likes of Sean Cavanagh, Philip Jordan and Ryan McMenamin up close and Louth living with them and not only that, showing them no respect whatsoever.

This was typified by our very own attacking corner back. Jamie Carr scored one of the best individual scores ever seen in Navan by a Corner back! Converting at the end of the long run up the field, Jamie soloed and soloed until he could solo no more! Take that Ricey!

The pace of the game was electric after our bad start I remember not being able to keep up with our frantic comeback singing Louth songs and jumping up on the terrace with absolute delight when Stano and JP scored their goals!
Finally after extra time when the game was over I was exhausted!

It was the class of today’s Veteran’s that keep them alive that day, Stephen O’Neill although not very fit on the day still had the sharpness to go off with 4 points and a dodgy hamstring.Owen Mulligan was the man to break our hearts though; his goal blitz in the first half and clinical extra time finishing was the difference.

Although the match was yet another moral Louth victory. (to add to the many, many others over the years)


The day was still a great occasion, memories of the quality of football we showed and excitement will always be remembered fondly. We lived with and should have beaten the All-Ireland Champions.

 

Worryingly for Sunday, those Tyrone veterans are finding that form again, 6 years later.

17^th June 2006
2-16 to 2-16

Tyrone:P McConnell;
R McMenamin, C McGinley, M McGee;
D Harte, C Gormley, P Jordan (0-01);
C Holmes, P Donnelly;
S Cavanagh, G Cavlan (0-01 (1f)), R Mellon;
M Penrose, S O'Neill (0-04 (1f)), O Mulligan (2-06 (3f)).
Substitutes: E McGinley (0-02) for Donnelly, R Mulgrew (0-02) for Cavlan,
D Carlin for Harte, B Meenan for Holmes,
A Ball for O'Neill, B Donnelly for Mellon, C Gourley for McGee.

Louth: S Reynolds;
D Brennan, C Goss, J Carr (0-01);
J O'Brien, P McGinnity, J Neary;
M Farrelly (0-01), P Keenan (0-01);
C Grimes, M Brennan (0-01), R Carroll;
JP Rooney (1-00), M Stanfield (1-02), D Clarke (0-07 (4f)).
Substitutes: R Finnegan (0-01) for Carroll, B White (0-02) for Grimes, C Grimes for Rooney, T O'Brien for Clarke,
M Fanning for O'Brien.

Players in Bold are still involved with both of today’s respective panels

Interestingly both have 9.