What a glorious day for Quay area

THE Quay area of the town will be buzzing this week, as they savour their first taste of success in lifting the Joe Ward Cup last Sunday.

Sean O’Mahony’s GFC won their first Louth Senior Football Championship in Drogheda in only their second appearance at that stage.

While there are six gaelic football clubs in the town - Clan na Gael, Dundalk Gaels, Dundalk Young Irelands, Dowdallshill, Na Piarsaigh as well as Sean O’Mahonys - the Point Road club are arguably the most closely knit with their playing pool coming almost exclusively from the Quay area, while other clubs tend to attract players from throughout the town.

Unlike the Clans, Gaels or Young Irelands they have never enjoyed senior championship success and with their close association with next door neighbours Quay Celtic FC they are widely known for that close soccer connection with many prominent dual players appearing in both the green and gold of the O’Mahony’s and the black and white of Quay Celtic over the years.

Indeed their home ground along the Navvy Bank is known colloquially as the San Siro and however well or badly the team are going, it is a difficult place to play with any visiting team always assured of a stiff challenge.

This is the first senior championship success for a town club since Clan na Gael in 1998 and indeed O’Mahony’s final appearance last year was the first time a Dundalk team had reached the final since that Clans victory 18 years ago.

Other town clubs will be delighted for Sean O’Mahonys but there is a fierce rivalry between the clubs and competition for players at juvenile level and there will be be a bit of jealousy at their success, with a renewed determination amongst their rivals to knock them off their perch.

Outside of the county, there is often astonishment that there are six football clubs in the town, when many towns throughout the country, albeit smaller towns than Dundalk, only boast one club.

Many gaelic football supporters believe that there are too many clubs in the county and that having a play- ing pool divided amongst six town clubs is not helping raise standards of competition.

There may well be merit in such an argument, but traditions are strong in the GAA and Sean O’Mahonys have their own history and traditions spanning back to their foundation in 1938.

The other town clubs each have their own history and traditions and in a week such as this who could possibly deny the Sean O’Mahonys such a marvellous triumph that will live forever in the annals of their history.