Louth's U-14 development squad were attempting to win the Jimmy Tuft trophy for the second year in succession. They achieved their goal with financial backing from the Dundalk Retail Park. GAA officials and coaches tend to instill the belief into younger players that these players represent the future of that particular club. Coaching and nurturing younger players is of paramount importance in developing the organisation, helping teams grow in the right direction. Without proper organised structures, there would be no players from which to select a future senior team, no county stars of the next generation. Clubs spending time coaching and looking after their juvenile sections tend to achieve when it comes to senior level as players from every team will always help to make up a future senior team. Summer camps are attended by hundreds of enthusiastic young players every year with players freely giving their time to coach the stars of tomorrow. This year the Louth development squad were granted substantial funding. The Dundalk Retail Park has supplied the team over the last number of years and the Retail Park, headed by Laurence Breen, gave €25,000 to the development squad this year. The Retail Park began a number of years ago when an meeting was held in the Imperial Hotel in the town to discuss progress on commercial management for the town centre. Barry Owens, the Town Centre manager for Newry, spoke of what was done for Newry. He said that not only retailers but restaurants and other service providers such as taxis had benefited. He emphasised promotion, partnership, collaboration, linking and networking. Since coming into being in Dundalk, the Dundalk Retail Park has grown significantly, providing the town with outlets such as the JJB fitness club, PC Superstore, Atlantic Homecare, Harvey Norman, Carpetright, Elverys Sports, Harry Corry and Rite Price Tiles with Argos and Halfords expected in the new year. Based in close proximity to the motorway, it is open seven days a week, the group also has a gymnasium, a leisure club and indoor soccer pitches. There are, he says, also plans for a Volkswagen garage and there is a lot of other work happening to develop the retail centre. Laurence Breen spoke of his willingness to invest in Louth football despite the county's lack of silverware over the last number of years. "We contributed a sizeable amount - the retail park are happy to do that. It's important that the investment is a two way process - that Louth GAA people encourage them to do it. "From the Retail Park's point of view we see that the GAA in Louth has been starved of success and we sponsor the squads in Louth. We are doing it around 2-3 years," he said. With Sam Curran acting as one of the directors, the Dundalk Retail Park project began when the first tenant came in three years ago. Anchored by Atlantic Home Care and Harvey Norman (which has another store in Swords) other stores now include PC World, Elverys' Carpet Right and Right Price Tiles. Prior to defending the William Tuft competition the development squad played a number of matches against teams such as Longford and Westmeath. The early summer matches were to pay off. Having won the Jimmy Tuft competition, (played in memory of the late Young Irelands and Louth player, Jimmy Tuft). In 2004, Louth set about trying to retain their title. They duly did, beating Meath in the final on a 1-13 to 2-3 scoreline. In the decider Michael McKevitt marshalled the defence superbly and with William Woods causing all sorts of problems, Louth went in at the break 0-7 to 1-2 ahead. In the second half, Woods crucially converted the vital score of the match, sending Louth goalkeeper Quirke the wrong way from the penalty spot. At one stage Meath managed to decrease the deficit to seven points. It appeared as if they were going to do what Meath teams have done to teams in the past, winning at the death, but with points from Brian Berrill, Craig Donnelly and William Woods, Louth put the game beyond the royals. Team: David Woods (St Finbarr's); Tiernan Hand (Geraldines), Michael McKevitt (Geraldines), Colm Clinton (Oliver Plunketts); Brendan Campbell (Glen Emmets), Graham McQuillan (St Martin's), Niall Devlin (St Fechin's); Nicholas O'Connor (Éire Óg), John Smith (Na Piarsaigh), Eamonn O'Neill (St Mochta's); Brian Berrill (St Martin's), Stephen Campbell (St Martin's); Craig Donnelly (St Nicholas), William Woods (St Finbarr's), Shane McKenna (St Mary's). Subs: Stephen Breen (Geraldines), Stephen Reidy (Geraldines), Johnny Breen (Geraldines), Barry Hamilton (Geraldines), Mark Neary (St Joseph's). Louth had finished runners-up in the 2004 Shield competition and in 2005 went one better, defeating Meath on a 4-7 to 3-6 scoreline. Team: Niall Clarke (Cooley Kickhams); Robert McKinley (Éire Óg), Seamus Quigley (Oliver Plunketts), Kevin Pepper (Geraldines); Paul Maguire (Cooley Kickhams, capt), Andrew Cluskey (St Joseph's), Peter Duffy (Glyde Rangers); Cathal Bellew (Kilkerley Emmets), Niall McEvoy (St Joseph's), Paul Molloy (Geraldines); Ronan McEnteggart (Oliver Plunketts), Ben Rogan (Oliver Plunketts); Darragh Matthews (Oliver Plunketts), Colin Jordan (St Patrick's), Shane O'Hanlon (Geraldines). Subs: Alan McKenna (St Joseph's), Robert O'Hanlon (Na Piarsaigh), Keith McLoughlin (Sean O'Mahony's), Conor McManus (Clan na Gael), Pádraig Ó Gallachóir (Geraldines), Luke Judge (Newtown Blues), Cillian Reynolds (Lannleire), Stephen Todd (Na Piarsaigh), Adam Pepper (Dundalk Gaels). With the enthusiasm of players such as these and the financial backing, Louth's development at underage level should be in a healthy state in the years to come. Tweet

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