We can only hope that Longwood's great football double in 2004 is not a portent of doom and gloom. The club's most memorable successes were achieved against a background of tragic conflict on the world stage. The storm clouds were gathering ahead of the outbreak of the Second World War when they won the Senior Hurling Championship for the one and only time in 1936. When hostilities commenced three years later the club added the Junior Football title and the Intermediate Crown was captured in 1942 when most of the Europe's able-bodied men were either attacking their neighbours or defending against them. Longwood football was at it's Zenith in those days but it wasn't long before hurling once again became the 'main' game. The hurlers won Intermediate Championships in 1964, '68, '82, '95 and '98 but success on the football field was much more difficult to come by. There were quite a number of occasions when a return to the 'good old days' looked possible but, somehow, it never happened and the prospects of repeat of the 1942 intermediate success looked more remote with each passing year. The Longwood footballers went down through the grades and the greater emphasis was on hurling In the mid 1980's the footballers beat Bellewstown in a Junior 'C' Final and it wasn't until 2001 that they contested the Junior 'B' Final when Kilmainham proved too strong. The achievement in reaching the 2001 final was the catalyst however and there were also a number of commendable efforts at under-age level. A promising team was developing but the big obstacle remained.the second teams from Senior Clubs were always a problem for a small club such as Longwood. The tide may have turned against the Senior Clubs in 2003 when Navan O Mahonys, Walterstown and Blackhall Gaels were beaten in the knock-out stages but Longwood were unable to take advantage and were beaten by a point by eventual winners St Vincents in the semi-final. Longwood officials felt that the team would be better off going up to the junior grade but their request was turned down. In hindsight, it was a good decision. There was no choice but to persevere at Junior 'B' level but the Omens were bad when Walterstown coasted to a seven point victory in the first round. Once again it looked as if the Senior Clubs would put an end to their ambitions. Still, there were four quarter-final places to be fought for and a first round defeat, even by such a wide margin, was only a setback, not a disaster. The second round game saw Navan O Mahonys provide the opposition at Dunsany and although mathematically it was not a must-win occasion, Longwood officials knew that a second successive defeat would be fatal in terms of morale. It may well have been the day on which Longwood's year turned. Despite getting away to a great start with an early goal from Rory Maguire, the team struggled to take advantage. At half-time it was all square at 1-5 each and Longwood were grateful that goalie Francis Hoey was in outstanding form. He made two excellent saves to keep his team in contention. O'Mahonys looked the more likely winners when they led by a point as the game entered the closing stages but two late points from Aaron Ennis gave Longwood a narrow but deserved victory on a 1-10 to 1-9 scoreline. Rory Maguire scored 1-1, Aaron Ennis and Michael Burke each scored 0-3 and there was a point each from Michael Weir, Carl Ennis and Alan Ennis. Eunan McCaffrey's men were back on course and even though it was O'Mahonys' third fifteen the victory provided a psychological boost. The bigger clubs would no longer hold any fears for Longwood. It was back to Dunsany again for the third round clash with Seneschalstown and the Yellow Furze men offered only token resistance as Longwood romped to a 4-18 to 0-6 victory. St Brigids provided a much more meaningful test in the fourth round when Longwood rode their luck to win by the narrowest of margins, 1-10 to 1-9. A place in the quarter-finals was now well within their reach and when Moynalvey were trounced in the fifth round, 4-14 to 0-2, the team's confidence was on the increase. Blackhall Gaels were also major contenders and the sixth round clash at Summerhill was important for a variety of reasons. Michael Burke found the Blackhall net to help his team to a 1-4 to 0-5 interval lead but it was Longwood's third quarter performance that ensured victory. Substitute Dan Dorran scored his team's second goal and Longwood went on to win on a 2-10 to 0-10 scoreline. Outstanding for the winners were Darragh Maguire, Ray Dorran, James Colgan and Rory Maguire By this stage Castletown had withdrawn with the result that Longwood qualified as group winners on twelve points and their reward was a quarter-final meeting with St Pauls who had finished in fourth place in the other group. It was much easier than expected as Longwood booked their place in the last four with a seventeen point victory at Dunsany. The Cloneemen never managed to get into the game and with Rory Maguire and Aaron Ennis accounting for 2-7 the St Pauls defence was stretched throughout. Eunan Mc Caffrey opted to give his full compliment of substitutes a run-out an even at half-time supporters were thinking in terms of the semi-final Athboy was the venue for the second clash of the campaign with St Brigids and although Longwood had come out on top by a point on the first occasion they knew it was a game that could have gone either way. It was all so different this time around as the men in black and white had the game sewn up long before half-time. At the break they led by 3-7 to 0-1 and there was simply no way back for the Ballinacreemen. It finished Longwood 4-10 St Brigids 1-9. The village was all agog ahead of the final. Walterstown had a narrow win over Blackhall Gael in the other semi-final and it was difficult to erase the memory of the heavy first round defeat at the hands of the 'Blacks'. Walterstown lost their third round game to St Brigids but had recovered impressively to beat last year's runners-up boards mill and Blackhall Gaels in the knock-out stages. The final was played on a Saturday afternoon at Pairc Tailteann as curtain-raiser to the Skryne-Dunshaughlin Senior Semi-Final. Longwood looked extremely nervous in the opening stages and registered a few wides of the kind that usually turn out to be fatal in a final. But with an abundance of possession they soon found the range and were well in control at the end of the opening quarter when they led by 0-7 to 0-1. Rory Maguire was causing serious problems for the 'Blacks' defence while Michael Weir and Michael Burke were also in outstanding form. By half-time the lead had been stretched to eight points, 1-8 to 0-3 with Michael Burke and Rory Maguire combining to set up the goal opportunity for Aaron Ennis. The second goal arrived just into the final quarter when a magnificent run out of defence by Michael Burke saw the ball transferred to Gerry Ennis who spotted Rory Maguire. Maguire finished superbly and the cup was on it's way to Longwood. McCaffrey again introduced the full quota of substitutes as the closing stages were played out in a carnival atmosphere. The final score was 2-12 to 0-6 and there could be no questioning Longwood's worthiness as champions. They won their quarter-final by seventeen points, their semi-final by ten and the final by twelve! Apart from admiring the sheer joy of Longwood officials and being happy for those outstanding Gaels George Stagg, Anthony Ennis and Michael (Stoney) Burke, for neutrals there was the added bonus of a performance way above what is the norm for the Junior 'B' Championship. The team was well-drilled and the win was achieved while played a very attractive brand of football. A further bonus could well be the emergence of two ultra-talented players, Michael Burke and Rory Maguire who have already represented the county at under-age level. It's sixty-five years ago since the junior title last rested in the picturesque South Meath Village.they will be more than capable of holding their own, at least, in higher grades. The team on duty in the final was; Francis Hoey, Vincent Byrne, Darragh Maguire, Jim Mahon, Ken Cleary, Ray Dorran, James Colgan, Michael Weir (0-1), Enda Dixon, Carl Ennis, Michael Burke (0-4), James Dorran (0-1), Michael Healy, Rory Maguire (1-5) and Aaron Ennis (1-1). Substitutes used were; Gerry Ennis, Niall Grennan, Alan Ennis, Noel Kerrigan and John Furey U21 C crown won Longwood outscored Curraha by 1-8 to 0-1 in the final twenty minutes in an entertaining Aura Leisure Link Under 21 C football competition decider to take the Paddy Cooney Cup at Pairc Tailteann. Rory Maguire and Michael Burke were the outstanding players on view as the south county club added this title to the Junior B football championship won earlier in the year on a 1-14 to 1-11 scoreline and their two most prominent players were also central to that previous success. After going 0-3 to 0-1 ahead in the early stages, Longwood faded from view and it was only when Maguire reverted to the full-forward line that his combination with Burke paid dividends. Michael McDonnell's charges regained the lead when Maguire fired home a brilliant goal in the 56th minute. Green Star Burke copper fastened his reputation with an impressive showing and landed six (three from frees) of his side's last seven points as Longwood took full advantage in the second-half of the elements blowing towards the town goal. Centre forward Aaron Ennis was the only other Longwood to find the range and his score made it 0-2 to 0-1 in the sixth minute but his pace and ability to hold up the ball contributed greatly to this merited success. Apart from the strong breeze blowing towards the town goal it was an ideal day for football, dry and overcast and the 13 players on each side benefited from the wide open spaces of the county grounds to conjure up 27 scores between them, that included many top drawer efforts. Among them was an excellent effort from Maguire who fired over after cutting in from the wing to put Longwood 0-3 to 0-1 ahead after eight minutes. A purple patch that yielded 1-3 without reply in a four-minute spell change turned the tide Curraha's way and they hit the front for the first time when the impressive Cormac Fleming drilled a low shot to the net from about 20 metres in the 11th minute. Their lead lasted until four minutes from, but after managing just one point, from a David Dunne free-kick, in the final 20 minutes they were on shaky ground facing the elements and rejuvenated Longwood in the latter stages. When their prominent midfielder, Michael Dowling found the range from about 40 metres in the 14th minute, Curraha were 1-4 to 0-3 in front. Although Longwood tried to quell his impact by bringing Maguire to midfield, it was a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul, as they managed just one point in the second quarter and went in at the break 0-4 to 1-6 in arrears. Curraha might have been further in front but Gary Dowling drilled a goal attempt narrowly wide while Fleming attempt to chip stranded Longwood netminder Thomas Maguire also missed the target. Still the team jointly managed by Ian McManus and Stephen Morgan looked well placed to bring some silverware to the club that lost their JFC status a few weeks back when they led by 1-10 to 0-6 after 40 minutes. Just as they were in the opening half, when Maguire landed a '45', Longwood were quick off the mark when Burke, chosen at centre-forward on the Green Star football team, found the range. After falling seven points in arrears for the first time, Maguire crashed a piledriver against the post only to see it rebound into the arms of Curraha netminder Colm McGearty. They then squandered a few good scoring chances before hitting that purple patch in the final quarter. Longwood - T. Maguire; O. Colgan, D. Dixon; D. Stack, V. Byrne (C ), I. Keenan; C. Ennis, M. Burke (0-8); J. Furey, A. Ennis (0-1), J. Stenson; J. Quirke, R. Maguire (1-5). Subs - P. Quinn for Stenson, T. McNamara for Stack, T. Drinan for Furey, P. Giles for Quirke. Tweet

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