Louth GAA

County board of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland

Louth gaa

Irish:| Lughbhadh
An Lú
Nickname(s):| The wee county
Province:| Leinster
Dominant sport:| Gaelic football
Ground(s):| DEFY Páirc Mhuire
County colours:|   Red   White
Executive
Chairman:| Seán McClean
County teams
NFL:| Division 2
NHL:| Division 3A
Football Championship:| Sam Maguire Cup
Hurling Championship:| Lory Meagher Cup

The Louth County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (Irish: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, Coiste Chontae an Lú) or Louth GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Louth.

It oversees competitions such as the Louth Senior Football Championship (SFC), Louth Intermediate Football Championship (IFC), Louth Junior Football Championship (JFC) and Louth Senior Hurling Championship (SHC), as well as numerous underage and secondary competitions.

The county board is also responsible for the Louth county teams in both football and hurling. The county football team won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) in 1910, 1912 and again in 1957.

## Governance

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The officials who have chaired the Board since the establishment of the Gaelic Athletic Association are named below.

Elections for Chairman and other positions take place at the board's annual convention and are held at County headquarters in Darver.[1] The maximum term for any position under current county board rules is five years.

| Name  | Year(s)  | Club

|
|

James Moore | 1886 | Dundalk Nationals
Thomas Smyth | 1887 | Dundalk Young Irelands
Fr. Arthur Smyth | 1888 | Togher
James Weldon | 1889 | Drogheda Gaelics
Tom Brannigan | 1890 | Drogheda Gaelics
No Convention | 1891–94 | —
Alfred Palmer | 1895 | Drogheda Commercials
John Corr | 1896 | Drogheda Emmets
Jim Carolan | 1897 | Dreadnots
John Landy | 1898 | Dunleer Emmets
No Convention | 1899–1901 | —
Larry Stanley | 1902 | Drogheda Independents
Pat McKeever | 1903 | Ardee Volunteers
Tom O'Connell | 1904–06 | Mountpleasant Gaels[2]
Fr. John Mullen | 1907–09 | Cooley Kickhams
Joe Ward | 1910 | Dundalk Young Irelands
Jack Clarke | 1911–12 | Tredaghs (Drogheda)
Tom McNello | 1913–15 | Ardee St Mochta's
Denis Trainor | 1916 | Hearts of Oriel
Joe Ward | 1917–20 | Dundalk Young Irelands
Nick Butterly | 1921–22 | Hitchestown
Patrick Duffy | 1923–24 | Newtown Blues
Séamus Flood | 1925 |  Clan na Gael
Christy Bellew | 1925–27 | Larks (Killineer)
Tom Burke | 1928–31 | Wolfe Tones
Séamus Flood | 1932–38 |  Clan na Gael
| Name  | Year(s)  | Club

|
|

Peter Woods | 1939–41 | Cooley Kickhams
James Jordan | 1942–43 | Geraldines
Fr. Paddy Downey | 1944–45 | Dundalk Gaels
James Jordan | 1946 | Geraldines
J. J. Matthews | 1947–56 | Newtown Blues
Jimmy Mullen | 1957–61 | St Dominic's (Drogheda)
J. J. Matthews | 1962 | Newtown Blues
Brendan Breathnach | 1963 | St Bride's
Joseph Reilly | 1964–66 | Parnells (Drogheda)
Seán Murray | 1967–69 | Oliver Plunketts
Nicky Marry | 1970–76 | St Bride's
Frank Lynch | 1977–79 | Geraldines
Paddy Kenny | 1980–84 | Dundalk Gaels/Na Piarsaigh
Jim Lennon | 1985–87 | St Mochta's
Paddy McGlew | 1988–91 | St Fechin's
John Lynch | 1992 | Geraldines
Peter Brannigan | 1993–98 |  Clan na Gael
Terry Maher | 1999–2001 | Oliver Plunketts
Paddy McMahon | 2002–04 | Seán O'Mahony's
Paddy Oliver | 2005–09 | St Patrick's
Pádraig O'Connor | 2010–14 | St Patrick's
Des Halpenny | 2015–19 | John Mitchels
Peter Fitzpatrick | 2020–23 |  Clan na Gael
Seán McClean | 2024– | Hunterstown Rovers

## Crest

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The former Louth GAA crest

In 2010, the Drogheda Gaelic football club, O'Raghallaighs, tabled a motion for convention calling for the Boyne Valley Cable Bridge symbol to be removed from the Louth GAA crest because of the bridge's main location being in the neighbouring county of Meath; this led to the county crest being altered to feature a modern version of St Brigid's cross.[3][4]

## Football

[edit]

### Clubs

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Further information: List of Gaelic games clubs in Ireland § Louth

Clubs contest the Louth Senior Football Championship. That competition's most successful club is Newtown Blues, with 23 titles.

Dundalk Young Irelands is the county's oldest GAA club.[5] The club represented Louth in the first All-Ireland Football final which was played at Beech Hill on 29 April 1888 against Limerick Commercials.[6]

### County team

[edit]

Main article: Louth county football team

The earliest recorded inter-county football match took place in 1712 when Louth faced Meath at Slane.[citation needed] A fragment of a poem from 1806 records a football match between Louth and Fermanagh at Inniskeen, Co Monaghan.[citation needed]

When Louth GAA sent the team into training in Dundalk for the 1913 Croke Memorial replay under a soccer trainer from Belfast, the move caused more than a ripple through the Association. For thirty years full-time training in bursts of a week or so before a big match were common. After that the two or three times a week gatherings became more popular.

Between 1945 and 1953 Louth and Meath met 13 times. The crowds got bigger and bigger each time as they played draw after draw in the Championship. The attendance of 42,858 at a thrilling 1951 replay remained a record for a provincial match other than a final for forty years until the four match series between Meath and Dublin in 1991. The rivalry with Meath has never fizzled out, as witnessed by a stirring Leinster SFC semi-final in 1998. Nor has controversy, as witnessed by Graham Geraghty's "wide" 45th minute point.

In 1957 showband star Dermot O'Brien was late for the All-Ireland SFC final and joined the team when the parade was completed. Prior to the game O'Brien had captained the side in the semi-final success, when the regular captain Patsy Coleman had been injured very early in the season, leaving O'Brien to resume his previous role as captain. Coleman today still has the match ball. O'Brien played a key role as Louth beat Cork with the help of a goal from Sean Cunningham with five minutes to go. As both Cork and Louth wear Red and White, on that day Louth wore the green of Leinster, while Cork wore the blue of Munster. Dermot O'Brien died on 22 May 2007.

On 27 June 2010, Louth reached their first Leinster SFC final in 50 years. During the decider, which was played on 11 July that year, anger and controversy erupted when, during the 74th minute of the match against Meath, a goal was awarded by the referee after brief consultation with only one of the match umpires (although close circuit camera evidence shown on RTÉ Two's coverage of the game proved that the ball was carried over the line by a Meath player). However, Meath received the 2010 Leinster Title and the cup. More on that in the main article linked above.In 2025 Louth beat Meath to win the Leinster championship for the first time in 68 years with a score line of 3-14 to 1-18.

## Hurling

[edit]

### Clubs

[edit]

Clubs contest the Louth Senior Hurling Championship. That competition's most successful club is Naomh Moninne, with 22 titles.

### County team

[edit]

Main article: Louth county hurling team

The Louth hurling team plays its championship hurling in the Nicky Rackard Cup. The Louth hurlers finished as runner-up to London in the 2005 final at Croke Park, and to Sligo in 2008. In 2016, they competed in the Lory Meagher Cup, defeating Sligo in the final 4–15 to 4–11, and Fermanagh in the 2020 final by 2–19 to 2–8.[7]

By winning the 2022 Lory Meagher Cup, Louth became the first team to win that competition on three occasions.[8]

## Camogie

[edit]

Louth contested two All Ireland senior finals. Fr Tom Soraghan was zealously promoting the game in Darver, where players such as Ros Quigley and her Darver team-mates were involved. Other notable players include junior player of the year winner in 1982 Vivianne Kelley. As of 2025, the manager of Louth is Donal Kelly and his side operate in Division 3A of the National Camogie League.[9]

Under Camogie's National Development Plan 2010-2015, "Our Game, Our Passion",[10] Carlow, Cavan, Laois, Louth and Roscommon were to get a total of 17 new clubs by 2015.[11]

Louth has the following achievements in camogie.

* All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship runners-up: 1934, 1936

## Ladies' football

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Louth has a ladies' football team.[12]

## Further reading

[edit]

* Mulligan, Fr John (1984). The GAA in Louth - An Historical Record.

* Mulligan, Fr John (2000). The GAA in Louth - An Historical Record (updated).

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Seán McClean elected Louth GAA chairman at a fraught Convention where officers clash". The Argus. 16 December 2023.
2. ^ "Short History Of Louth G.A.A. Clubs". Drogheda Independent. 10 July 1954.
3. ^ "Review of the Year (November): Cable bridge gets the boot from Louth county crest". independent.ie. 6 January 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
4. ^ "New Louth crest unveiled". Drogheda Independent. 12 January 2011.
5. ^ "What a year for Louths most famous club". Hogan Stand. 30 December 2010. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
6. ^ "Final Recalled". The Argus. 15 June 2001.
7. ^ Mooney, Francis (4 June 2016). "Late goal blitz secures Lory Meagher Cup for Louth". rte.ie. Archived from the original on 27 May 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
8. ^ "Wicklow win Tailteann Cup opener, Croke Park hurling glory for Tyrone and Louth". The42.ie. 21 May 2022.
9. ^ Welsh, Paul (22 February 2025). "Ruthless Wicklow power past Louth in Camogie National League opener". The Argus.
10. ^ "Final goal for camogie". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 29 March 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
11. ^ National Development Plan 2010-2015, Our Game, Our Passion information page on camogie.ie Archived 2010-09-01 at the Wayback Machine, pdf download (778k) from Camogie.ie download site Archived 2011-09-16 at the Wayback Machine
12. ^ "Refreshing Louth begin the Kit Henry era with a clinical LGFA NFL victory at home to Longford". Drogheda Independent. 22 January 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Louth GAA.

* Louth on Hoganstand.com
* National and provincial titles won by Louth teams
* Louth GAA site

* v
* t
* e

Louth GAA

* Founded in 1887
* Based in Louth, Ireland

County teams|

* Football
* Hurling

Stadiums|

* Gaelic Grounds
* DEFY Páirc Mhuire
* Darver

Competitions|

| Football|

* Senior Championship
* Intermediate Championship
* Junior Championship
* Division 1 Senior League
* Division 2 Intermediate League
* Division 3 Junior League
* Paddy Sheelan Cup
* Junior 2A Championship
* Junior 2A League
* Junior 2B Championship
* Under-19 Championship
* Minor Championship
* Minor B Championship

|

Hurling|

* Senior Championship
* Senior League (Tom Rice Cup)

Former Competitions|

| Football|

* Under-21 Championship

|

*   Category
*   Commons

* v
* t
* e

Louth GAA clubs

Senior Football Championship|

* Cooley Kickhams
* Dreadnots
* Dundalk Gaels
* Geraldines
* Naomh Máirtín
* Newtown Blues
* Roche Emmets
* St Fechin's
* St Joseph's
* St Mary's
* St Mochta's
* St Patrick's

Intermediate Football Championship|

* Clan na Gael
* Dundalk Young Irelands
* Glen Emmets
* Hunterstown Rovers
* Kilkerley Emmets
* Mattock Rangers
* O'Raghallaighs
* St Bride's
* St Kevin's
* Seán O'Mahony's
* Stabannon Parnells
* Wolfe Tones

Junior Football Championship|

* Annaghminnon Rovers
* Cúchulainn Gaels
* Dowdallshill
* Glyde Rangers
* John Mitchels
* Lann Léire
* Na Piarsaigh/Blackrock
* Naomh Fionnbarra
* Naomh Malachi
* O'Connells
* Oliver Plunketts
* St Nicholas
* Seán McDermott's
* Westerns

Junior 2A Football Championship|

* Clan na Gael
* Cooley Kickhams
* Dreadnots
* Dundalk Gaels
* Hunterstown Rovers
* Naomh Máirtín
* Newtown Blues
* Roche Emmets
* St Bride's
* St Fechin's
* St Mary's
* St Patrick's

Junior 2B Football Championship|

* Annaghminnon Rovers
* Dundalk Young Irelands
* Geraldines
* Glen Emmets
* Kilkerley Emmets
* Naomh Máirtín 3rds
* O'Connells
* O'Raghallaighs
* St Fechin's 3rds
* St Joseph's
* St Kevin's
* Seán O'Mahony's
* Stabannon Parnells
* Westerns

Senior Hurling Championship|

* Knockbridge
* Naomh Moninne
* St Fechin's

* v
* t
* e

Governing bodies of the Gaelic Athletic Association

Provinces and counties as defined within Gaelic games

Provincial councils|

* Connacht
* Leinster
* Munster
* Ulster
* Britain

Connacht|

* Galway
* Leitrim
* Mayo
* Roscommon
* Sligo

Leinster|

* Carlow
* Dublin
* Kildare
* Kilkenny
* Laois
* Longford
* Louth
* Meath
* Offaly
* Westmeath
* Wexford
* Wicklow

Munster|

* Clare
* Cork
* Kerry
* Limerick
* Tipperary
* Waterford

Ulster|

* Antrim
* Armagh
* Cavan
* Derry
* Donegal
* Down
* Fermanagh
* Monaghan
* Tyrone

Britain|

* Gloucestershire
* Hertfordshire
* Lancashire
* London
* Scotland
* Warwickshire
* Yorkshire

Other counties|

* Asian
* Australasia
* Canada
* Europe
* New York
* United States

Non-county bodies|

* Annual Congress
* Deutscher Bund Gälischer Sportarten
* Féile na nGael
* Higher Education
* Irish Collegiate Handball Association
* Games Administration Committee
* Scór

Associated bodies|

* GAA Handball
* Camogie Association
* Ladies' Gaelic Football Association

Structure of the Gaelic Athletic Association
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*[e]: Edit this template