Stakes are high as opportunity knocks

LOUTH VIEW

CAOIMHIN REILLY

Sunday will mark just the second occasion in 21 years that a Leinster SFC final has gone ahead without Dublin involvement – 2010 et al.

Ahead of last season’s championship, provincial chairman Derek Kent spoke of the competition being “alive and kicking” despite Dessie Farrell’s side being on course for a 14th consecutive triumph, a feat they did ultimately achieve.

In reality, the Leinster renewal was being – and has been for the best part of a decade – ‘kicked’ in the hope that it would return to life as opposed to being a realistic opportunity for success for the 10 counties who joined the capital class on the starting block.

The primary aim revolved around avoiding a draw that contained the Dubs until the final, after which you could plant the flag and declare status as the ‘second-best’ team in the province. A hollow practice from which little comfort could be drawn, particularly in the aftermath of suffering an inevitable, if still shattering, annihilation.

By conquering Dublin last Sunday week, Meath breathed energy into the Leinster championship’s lifeless corpse – for themselves and Louth at least. It is no exaggeration to suggest that the 2025 decider is as close to 50/50 as is possible and the hardest to call the victor of since Westmeath fended off Laois in a replayed final back in 2004.

The phrase ‘opportunity knocks’ couldn’t be more apt because the likelihood of there being many more Dublin-less showpieces is marginal despite the Sky Blues coming back into the pack and producing players more aligned with the ordinary than extraordinary.

Having been handed a stinker of an All-Ireland group, and depending on how that goes, the Delaney Cup holders will likely approach the domestic championship with a renewed determination over the terms to come.

RTE pundit Dessie Dolan talked up the possibility of a ‘new dawn’ following Meath’s deserved defeat of the kingpins in Portlaoise a fortnight ago. “Leinster is wide open again,” he said.

Inevitably, people draw excitement from championship surprises and logical thought can often give way to hyperbole. Meath, on the verge of a Leinster and u-20 championship double, with their minors still in title hunt as well, were going to step into Dublin’s breach.

Now, while that cannot be categorically ruled out, all indicators are that this is simply an anomaly. It’s not to say that either Meath or Louth won’t – or cannot – beat Dublin in a Leinster final over the next few seasons but, ultimately, the Dubs are between eras at the moment and so were ripe for picking.

The same was the case in 2010. Going for six Delaney Cup successes in a row, Pat Gilroy was in the midst of transitioning through some of the most incredible Gaelic footballers of all-time and nearing a formula which would subsequently end a 16-year wait on an All-Ireland.

Meath caught them on the hop and did so again last month. That is not to take anything away from their thrilling performance but it will count for very little unless they capitalise and overcome Louth. For this is liable to be a once-in-a-career chance, despite various prophets predicting doom for the Dubs.

Equally, Louth are in a ‘do or die’ scenario. They will probably never get a better opening to end what currently stands as a 68-year drought. Since winning in 1957, they have appeared in four finals – two of which have come in the past pair of seasons – and returned home empty handed.

All of their building and probing and rising comes down to this – and it’s one they simply have to win. At some point, you either have to step out of the bride’s shadow and be marched down the aisle or content yourself with a life of wondering what might have been.

Meath have underage championship-winning pedigree and more wins to their credit this season, while Louth, having won more of the head-to-head battles recently, no longer feel inferior to the Royals and possess greater overall experience of both Croke Park and Leinster final day.

If both perform, Louth should have the edge. The manner and magnitude of the u-20 success will have inspired members of the senior squad. Though Meath have their swagger and sense of arrogance back on foot of downing Dublin, and probably have a point to prove after enduring back-to-back humiliations in Inniskeen over the last 12 months. They have also negotiated a trickier route through with style and substance.

March’s miserable reversal meant Robbie Brennan’s men missed out on promotion. Letting another chance of silverware slip by on Sunday would be even more agonising. Meanwhile, it could be fatal for this particular group of Louth players if they fail to prevail.

The stakes could hardly be higher.