Wolfe Tones Hurling Club may not have picked up any silverware in 2005 but despite this the club will be able to look back on the season with some sense of satisfaction. By Eunan Whyte. The Drogheda based club competed in the Louth and Dublin leagues as well as the Louth championship without claiming any titles, but chairman, Diarmuid McCarthy feels that with the Tones very much in a transition year it, there were a number of positives to be taken from the year. Without a senior championship title since 1996, they are now an ageing team, but McCarthy believes that with a lot of work being done at juvenile level, there will be a number of young talented players emerging over the coming years. "A couple of years back it was ourselves and Naomh Moninne dominating the championship in Louth. But I suppose success goes in cycles and now it is Pearse Og and Knockbridge who have come through with some very good young players and are very much leading the way. "It is 1996 since we last won the senior championship and when you consider that there are only four teams in the competition, it is not enough. We should really be looking to win it every three or four years. "Having said that we regard ourselves as somewhat unlucky not to have lifted the trophy since then as we lost four out of five finals since then. "However, we are optimistic that the club will be back over the coming years, particularly if we continue to make improvements at underage level." The club chairman and current player, points out that the juvenile structures in Drogheda had been neglected in the past, but that problem has been addressed in recent times. "At our annual meeting two years ago, this issue was highlighted and we decided to do something about it. "Great credit must go Niall McEneaney and John Brickley who have led the way with the underage development. Many others have been working hard to turn things around but Niall and John deserve special mention for their efforts. "They have done a lot of work over the past two seasons to coach the young players and those efforts have paid off as we are now competitive at all age groups from U-12 to U-16. We hope to field a minor team next year and that will be an important factor in bringing young players through to adult level. "It is important for any club to have a steady flow of players coming through from the minor ranks, otherwise they just won't survive. That doesn't mean that every player has to end up playing adult hurling, because if you can get two players from every minor team you will be doing well." As a result, Diarmuid feels it is important for the current group of players to make the effort to ensure the club survives. "Overall, we are very much in a rebuilding phase and our aim next year will be to remain competitive. We have to make the effort and ensure that there is an adult hurling team in Drogheda for the young players to come on to. "We have to stick at it because there is no point in working with them at juvenile level and then not to have a senior team at the end of it." The Tones will continue to play in both Louth and Dublin leagues, which ensures regular hurling for the team. "Because there are so few clubs in Louth we have to play in Dublin to make sure lads get hurling. The Dublin Intermediate League is split into north and south so it is ideal for us as there is no great travelling. The motorway means that it is only a short trip to Dublin and the furthest we would have to go is Santry or Glasnevin. "The league runs between March and July and good thing about it is that it gives us regular hurling." That is important in keeping the players interested as the Louth league is very disjointed. Despite the fact that there are only four teams, the competition is not yet finished, with the first round of games played in April, the second in November and by the end of November the third round had not been played. "We usually play between 12 and 14 games in Dublin and overall we can hold our own. We generally win half and lose half of our games, but the main thing is that we get hurling." In terms of the Louth championship it was a disappointing year for Wolfe Tones. Having beaten Naomh Moninne, the Drogheda side lost out to Knockbridge, which meant that they faced Pearse Og for a place in the final. "Unfortunately we lost out in that game against a good young Pearse Og side and we just weren't up to it on the day," explained Diarmuid. One of the highlights for the Tones in 2005 has undoubtedly been the success some of the players enjoyed at inter-county level, including Diarmuid himself, as Louth reached the Nicky Rackard Cup final at Croke Park. "We had a few players on the Louth team this year and it was great to be involved. They all gave great commitment over the season and that stood to us in the end. It was a big day for hurling in the county and for me personally as I have been with the county for 16 years having started when I was just 17. "It is every player's dream to line out in Croke Park but it was very disappointing that we lost out to London in the final." That successful run has given a great lift to the game and already Diarmuid is looking forward to getting back in the New Year. "Plans are already in place and we hope to be back training early in January. Although my legs are not getting any younger, I think I'll give it another try and see how I get on. One thing is for sure and that is that I won't retire, as I intend to keep going until somebody decides I am not needed." Overall it has been a very busy year for Diarmuid as he plays for both club and county as well as being active on the committee. Despite these demands, he is quite happy to have such an involvement in the game. "The way I look at it, nobody is forcing me to do it. Some people might complain about being so busy, but I would say that if they don't want to do it, then don't do it. "I am no martyr and the only reason I do it is because I love being involved. I am the type of person that needs to be busy, so I will keep doing it as long as I can." Tweet

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