‘Removal of League finals is belittling’
Louth captain Mulroy fears that competition is being devalued
BACK in early April, there was a lovely moment at Croke Park when the significance of the occasion seemed to strike the Louth supporters all at once. As Sam Mulroy received the trophy to mark the county’s Division 3 title triumph over Limerick, a ripple of applause started in the main stand and seemed to connect the captain with all of his teammates gathered on the field in front of him.
‘I suppose it has been a long time since a Louth man stood up here and I am privileged to lead this group of men out here today, and over the last couple of years,’ he declared.
Six years, in fact, had passed since the county had won a trophy at Croke Park, when Conor Grimes’ late goal strike helped them squeeze home against Antrim in the Division 4 decider.
You don’t even have to start a conversation with Mulroy to begin to understand what that moment this year means to him: his WhatsApp profile is an evocative shot taken at just that point before he lifts the cup.
So no wonder then he finds it hard to believe that the GAA is looking at abolishing football’s League finals in 2023. That’s what is being proposed to the GAA’s Central Council on Saturday as the master fixtures list for next year is set to be discussed.
The rationale behind scrapping League finals is to create more space in the compressed calendar that is a by-product of the split season that now involves a July finish to the All-Ireland series to allow the club scene better flourish. It will allow counties an extra week to prepare for Championship.
But the GAA is in danger of downgrading a League competition that is highly valued by pretty much every competing county so as to protect the integrity of provincial championships that are long past their sell-by date in the eyes of many — and that’s many of those competing, not just analysing.
‘I couldn’t believe when I read it that they were thinking of taking away the finals,’ admitted Mulroy. ‘For a team like Louth who aren’t blessed to be playing in Croke Park regularly in big matches, for us to have that opportunity last year — and we could have had it the year before if there had have been League finals.
‘For lads to get to go to Croke Park, the whole experience of it, and then winning the cup and lifting the trophy — that’s absolutely massive in terms of development, experience and trying to bring Louth to a place where we get used to and want to be there the whole time.
‘For the GAA to take away League finals like that for teams like Louth who aren’t blessed to be there every week, I think is criminal.
‘It’s looking after the top eight and not looking after everyone else again is what I’m getting from it. It’s very belittling. I’m definitely against taking away a League final.
‘Every county in Ireland values it. It’s the best competition of the year nearly in the sense of everyone is going hell for leather for it. It’s such a good experience.
‘To go and then take away the prize for it all, of getting to play in Croke Park in a national final, I just don’t understand it.
‘For that competition alone, to belittle it like that is mental.’
Clare manager Colm Collins is a long-time vocal supporter of serious Championship change.
His wish is to move beyond the straitjacket of a Munster provincial Championship that keeps the likes of Clare in a recurring struggle against perennial All-Ireland contenders Kerry.
His reputation as one of the top managers around is based upon Clare’s year-on-year ability to punch above their weight, consistently taking out big names in Division 2 since earning promotion back in 2016.
That Division 3 title in fact is the silverware Collins can lay claim to — and beating Kildare by 2-17 to 1-19 in a final that balanced on a knife-edge was a hugely rewarding part of that journey. Something tangible to show for all the blood, sweat and tears.
‘As I said on the day, it was a long time since a Louth man walked up the steps of Croke Park,’ added Mulroy.
‘I know Louth won Division 4 a number of years previously and again, that was a League final. For a county like us, and people like me, to get to go and do that was so, so special.
‘People might argue that it’s Division 3 but at the end of the day, it was massively important for us to go there and win. To
“Experience of winning a cup is massive”
“It is simply looking after the top eight”
show progress, to build culture in Louth football — and it was a massive positive moment.
‘Everyone in the stadium embraced it.
‘To reiterate the point then of not taking it away or allowing counties have that moment is massively important.
‘The provincials are the main talking point. At times they throw up some really good games but maybe 70 or 80 per cent of the time they don’t. In Leinster the last number of years, you can call who is going to win it before a ball has been kicked. It’s a tough one. I don’t think anyone has all the answers.
‘I do think keeping the split season has worked very well. It’s been a positive step forward to condense the inter-county season a bit. There’s no reason why we can’t make it all work.’