Year after year, Louth appear to be dogged by bad luck in the championship. Is there a conspiracy theory in place? Or are the Wee County simply jinxed? Joe Carroll investigates. It's 45 years since Louth won the Leinster senior football championship, and during the lengthiest barren spell the county has ever endured (the win of 1912 wasn't repeated until 1943, but that was a 'mere' 31 years) there have been quite a few hard luck stories. There were near misses before '57, of course, the All-Ireland final defeat of 1950 and three years after that the great but unsuccessful second half comeback in the semi-final with Kerry, to mention just two. But these were pushed firmly into the background when Dermot O'Brien was presented with the Sam Maguire Cup, making him the first ever Louthman to be accorded that honour. Yes, of course, there's a jinx on Louth, but up until about a decade ago, that jinx, yielding defeat after defeat in the competition that matters most, could be attributed to bad play more than bad luck. There wasn't as much as one match win in each of the campaigns from 1967 and 1972 and, after getting just a glimpse at the table from which the great Dublin team was dining in the first half of the 1970s, it was back to the most meagre of rations The tide, I believe, began to turn at the beginning of the 1990s, and has in the meantime brought the Wee County closer to what would be a major breakthrough - a place in the provincial final, or indeed, making it, let's say, to the last eight in the All-Ireland series. In their quest for the elusive goal, however, successive teams haven't enjoyed the best of good fortune, and yes, there's justification in asking the question: Is there a championship curse on Louth? Let's make 1991 the starting point. The first part of that year at national level was dominated by the way the newly-arrived Mick O'Dwyer was beginning to get a tune from a long-silent Kildare team. A good winter turned to an even better spring, and it was only in the very final stage of the National League that the Lilies tasted defeat under their new master. The championship beckoned, but dreams of the points competition's heroics being repeated were dashed on what was for Louth a famous day at Drogheda. Already winners over Longford at the same venue, the home side grabbed two late goals, and that was it as far as Micko and his team's title aspirations were concerned. Victory qualified Louth for a semi-final meeting with Laois at Croke Park, and coming towards the end of what was a very even match throughout, the chance of a late score presented itself. It wasn't taken, and, so, it was back to Croker for the replay. The second day will long be remembered for the big fight that took place coming towards the end. By then, however, Laois had long booked their passage to a meeting with Meath in the final. Laois were again in the opposite corner the following year. There was no fighting this time, and the result was different. Once again Louth were presented with the chance of getting to the decider. Dublin were the opponents. The game took a decided turn in Louth's favour inside the final quarter, after John Osbourne scored a wonderful point. But there was a sting in the tail. Dublin introduced Dave Foran to midfield, and it's fair to say the veteran left his mark. A flurry of late points scored at the goals behind which there was a hill thickly populated by ecstatic sky-blue supporters decided the issue. Yes, another Louth dream turned to a nightmare. It didn't get any better as the decade progressed. Offaly, it seemed, were there for the taking in a semi-final played at Navan, but manager, Paul Kenny, and his sidekicks could only look on in dismay as their charges failed to respond to their urgings. Navan was again the venue for yet another attempt to win a semi-final, again with Paul Kenny in charge, and it was all going so well coming towards the end. Charlie Redmond, lucky to be still on the field after hoodwinking the referee, floated a free towards the Louth goals, and there seemed to be no danger as full back Gareth O'Neill, supported by Niall O'Donnell in goals, prepared to make it his ball. But it didn't quite work out as Louth folk wanted it to. The ball broke to Joe McNally, and his goal decided the issue. We're getting closer to this summer's campaign, but first of all let us stop off at Croke Park for the meeting with Meath in the latter part of the last decade. John Donaldson, who has since won several of the game's biggest honours on his return to his native Armagh, was adjudged to have been fouled and was awarded a free. As Donaldson's colleagues advanced upfield in anticipation of the ball coming their way, a Meath player told the ref that he was wrong; the free should have been the other way. "You're right," said Brian White, and before Louth players could get back into position, Meath fans were celebrating a point. A point? That's what divided the sides at the final whistle, Louth lamenting the referee's breaking of the golden rule (Once you've made a decision, stick with it), and it must be said, one of the red jersey brigade going for a quick free late on instead of tapping the ball over the bar. And so to this summer and a campaign that had Louth folk heading for Navan every few weeks. The first round meeting with Longford went to two-matches: in the opener, Louth closed an enormous gap to salvage a draw, but next time out there was no need for a photo-finish. Pairc Tailteann was again the venue for the clash with Kildare who were far from comfortable going into the match. Micko was still calling instructions from the line, and had more than a few anxious moments. The game ended in controversy. One point down, Louth people couldn't believe it when the referee signalled the end as their side mounted an attack. Still, all wasn't lost. There was the back door to be opened, and after disposing of Monaghan's challenge on a rare visit to St Tiernach's Park in Clones, Louth geared up for yet another visit to Navan, this time to take on the home side. Louth had the choice of going to Pairc Tailteann or returning to Clones after the authorities had first said the game would be played at the refurbished Croke Park and then said it wouldn't. The new pitch has to be preserved, they said, but didn't bother to mention that had the Dublin/Meath Leinster Championship clash of the previous weekend ended in a draw the replay would take place - again at Croker - on the same weekend as Louth were due to meet Meath. Louth manager, Paddy Carr, wouldn't have been unhappy, however, about taking on the previous year's beaten All-Ireland finalists in their own backyard. How he felt as the game entered its final phase can only be imagined. Having overcome a number of dubious refereeing decisions, Louth showed four points in front, playing some wonderful football. The lads were still ahead as the three minutes added on for stoppages were being counted down. But, there was still time for the referee to come up with another howler, and it was this that led to Graham Geraghty grabbing the late, late goal that gave Meath a two-point win and broke thousands of Louth hearts. Cursed? Bad luck? Call it what you will, there have been many occasions over the past ten years or so when Louth were clearly good enough to earn at least a place in the provincial decider. But it hasn't happened. Next year? Perhaps. Tweet

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