Amid constant talk of a 'Big Four' in Louth football, things are not quite as clear-cut as some might have us believe. Far removed from the peninsula axis and slap bang in between the other two perceived Wee County heavyweights, Naomh Mairtin showed enough in 2006 to suggest that they are capable of upsetting the recently-installed hierarchy. The Monasterboice men should have reached a SFC semi-final at least and they are eminently capable of winning a Joe Ward Cup in the foreseeable future. And, perhaps ominously, 2007 marks their 50th anniversary… Is it just bizarre coincidence that both Mattock Rangers and St Patricks marked their 50th anniversary celebrations by winning their first-ever senior football championships (in 2002 and 2003 respectively)? This coming year, Naomh Mairtin reach the same landmark date in their history and it's not entirely beyond the bounds of possibility that the Monasterboice club will capture the Joe Ward Cup. They've been there or thereabouts in each of the last two seasons and, with a bit more luck and conviction, the Mairtins possess the potential to make '07 a year to remember for ALL the right reasons. And giant killers St Josephs certainly showed the way with their championship-winning heroics in '06… After a nightmare opening to their 2006 group campaign, when they were destroyed by Cooley, Naomh Mairtin recovered well to see off promoted pair Sean O'Mahonys and Geraldines. This was sufficient to book a quarter-final spot, wherein opposition was provided by senior championship favourites Newtown Blues. Twice, the Monasterboice outfit should have beaten their illustrious neighbours but a lack of big-time experience and self-belief conspired to let the town side off the hook. Blues won the replay by a point after coming back from well behind in both games, leaving Naomh Mairtin pondering what might have been. But there was no time to be sitting around feeling sorry for themselves. The Mairtins were in Division 1B of the all-county league and only three of the eight teams in that section would retain their senior status for the '07 campaign. The very notion of playing intermediate football in their 50th year was almost unthinkable and they duly set about preserving their top-flight status with a series of solid league performances under very difficult conditions. Fortunately, the team's innate class shone through and they passed the test with flying colours. The Mairtins topped the table all year and they were the first team confirmed safe. At the time of writing, themselves and Sean O'Mahonys had clinched the two top places and - with both clubs safe - were due to clash in Round 14 of the league. This match was effectively a Division 2B decider and would determine who would capture the McShane Cup for 2006. Unfortunately, due to the ridiculously protracted nature of the club season, this fixture hadn't even been fixed yet as 'Wee County 2006' winged its way to the printers. While obviously satisfied that the club maintained their senior championship status, chairman Michael Fanning admits that he was looking a little further: "We were hoping to make the final of the championship but we didn't quite get there. We were unlucky to draw with the Blues and had a five-point lead in the replay but lost by a point. "Once we went out of the championship, we turned our attention to Division 1B of the league and the matter of retaining our senior status. This was our main target for the year as it's vitally important to make sure that you're playing senior football again the following season." What if the Mairtins had reached the Joe Ward Cup decider? Would that not have proven to be a distraction? It might have derailed their league ambitions… "No, I don't think so. To the contrary, it would have been a good thing as it would have kept us going. The longer you stay in the championship, the longer fellas keep training. We were only two more games away from winning the championship anyway and I think those two games would have done us the world of good as the buzz would have stayed in the clubhouse. "We lost to Collon by a point in 2005 when they got a last-minute goal and they went on to win it. We know we are close but we still haven't made the breakthrough. But we have a very young team and we're still hopeful. We have an excellent underage structure in place with a lot of very good young lads coming through and that's going to stand us in good stead. Then we have JP [Rooney], Mick [Fanning] and Nicholas [McDonnell] on the county panel, so we have plenty of strength and young talent coming through to complement the team." Naomh Mairtin were heavily beaten by Cooley Kickhams in their Group A opener in 2006, losing by 1-15 to 0-3 on a day best forgotten. But comfortable over Sean O'Mahonys (2-7 to 0-7) and Geraldines (1-19 to 0-11) secured a place in the business end of the SFC. The first encounter with Newtown Blues took place at Drogheda on Friday July 28 and the Monasterboice side led throughout only to be caught at the post. They also led for most of the replay - again at the county grounds -three weeks later but were pipped by a point on Saturday August 19 (after showing 0-7 to 0-4 in front at the break). It was a disappointing championship exit but there are no alarm bells ringing just yet. Despite the frustration of letting the Blues off the hook not once but twice, there is a feeling that Naomh Mairtin is a work in progress and that they can still make their mark. "There is no panic," the chairman confirms. "We have very good players in Monasterboice and plenty of young talent coming through, so hopefully we'll make a breakthrough." Can the team learn something from the lack of killer instinct displayed in '06? "We thought we had learned from the defeat to Collon the previous year! Unfortunately, we didn't. We'll plug away and make sure we retain our senior status. We have what it takes to win a senior championship in the next three years. We're celebrating our 50th anniversary in 2007 and it would be nice to emulate the Pats and Collon. We'll put in a big effort. With the championship down to twelve teams, things are going to be more competitive in the top ranks and hopefully we can progress…" Mickey McQuillan was over the team in '06 and was generally pleased with the response he got from the players: "At the start of the year we said we wanted to reach a quarter-final and take it from there. That's where the championship starts. We had a good run against the Blues but didn't put them away. The positive side is that we proved that we can compete with the big teams. Also, to not concede a goal in those two games against the Blues was very pleasing." Indeed, Naomh Mairtin had four successive clean sheets in the 2006 Louth SFC and only conceded one goal in total. Does Mickey believe this crop is good enough to win a Joe Ward? "There are a few lads the wrong side of 30 and two or three minors coming along. There's a nice blend but they're maybe lacking two or three players to make it a really good side. Hopefully they can unearth those players. They were in a semi-final against Mattock in '05 so they are definitely there or thereabouts. "It takes time. They have to take it to the next level and believe in themselves. When they got to the semi-final in 2005 and the quarter-final in 2006, they didn't believe they were good enough to win. Things picked up a lot after the Cooley match and they improved with each game. Maybe a year or so down the line Naomh Mairtin will win a senior championship. The overall commitment is good and it's a real boost having Mick and JP on the county panel. "Our main target for the year was to stay senior and whatever happens in the championship happens. We knew we had to make the Top Three in Division 1B so that we'd be competing against the best of them next year. This team can compete with the best teams in the county but 15 good footballers won't win anything - you need a lot of hard work, guts, determination, belief and a bit of luck. "There's not a lot between the top teams in Louth and it often comes down to who wants it most." Tweet

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