Senior football returned to the Point Road in 2006 and, having gained promotion in successive years, Sean O'Mahonys set about the difficult task of proving that they have what it takes to compete at the highest level. The Seans registered one win in the SFC (against Geraldines) and battled magnificently all year for a Top Three finish in Division 1B. John O'Brien, who excelled at wing back for the county seniors and U21s, and the rest of the warriors who wore the famous Green & Gold certainly vindicated themselves with spirited displays that silenced more than a few critics… More often than not, a team that gains promotion to senior football in the Wee County struggles to retain its top-flight status the following year. For Sean O'Mahonys, who bounded into the top tier in '06, the task was even more unforgiving than usual. Whereas traditionally two clubs from eight took the drop, imminent restructuring meant that five of the eight teams in Division 1B would slip down to intermediate ranks. The O'Mahonys fought marvellously for survival in a section always destined to go right down to the wire. It was touch and go for a while but the Seans always kept themselves in contention near the summit. Then, towards the latter part of their programme, they embarked on a spectacular winning sequence to book senior status for another year. O'Mahonys were the second of the eight teams in their division to secure their senior status - sitting proudly at the top of the 1B table with ten wins from 13 outings at the time of writing in mid-November. With 20 points from a possible 26 and one game remaining, they were also still in with a chance of actually winning the 1B title out. Their final league match was against second-placed Naomh Mairtin and that Round 14 encounter would determine who actually collected the McShane Cup. Though both clubs were safe, it was a big match as a precious piece of County Board silverware was at stake. Unfortunately, the drawn-out nature of club football in the Wee County in '06 meant that the 'decider' hadn't even been fixed yet as this publication made its way to the printing press. What a pity such a massive match had to be demeaned by being played so late in the year. It was a huge game for both clubs and Sean O'Mahonys in particular were trying to create a unique piece of history by claiming their third league title in as many years.… Was it really possible that this exciting young team could win out Division 2B, 2A and 1B in successive seasons? All in all, it was a truly remarkable year for the club who go into 2007 with the amazing distinction of being Dundalk's only senior club. Having won the 2005 Division 2A crown in thrilling fashion with a last-gasp goal (and Division 2B the previous year), O'Mahonys had a noticeable spring in their collective stride as they re-entered senior ranks. With an abundance of exceptional young talent to complement the mainstays of their first team, they approached the task at hand with conviction and determination. Their target was to prove that the Seans were 'back' and to do this they would have to finish above five of the other seven teams in 1B. No easy ask, that one, but they achieved it in serious style. Elsewhere, Group A of the senior football championship offered a slight possibility of advancement to the business end of the Joe Ward race, especially after O'Mahonys opened with a morale-boosting victory over their fellow senior newcomers Geraldines, but there was no doubting that the bread and butter for '06 was going to be the league and a survival dogfight not for the weak of heart. As well as leading by example for his club as they defied the critics and upset the odds, John O'Brien had an outstanding year at intercounty level under new Wee County supremo Eamonn McEneaney. Storming forward with menace from the half back line, he was an integral part of the side that won Division Two of the national football league, rattled defending champions Tyrone in the qualifiers and ended the season on a magnificent high by capturing the Tommy Murphy Cup. The Sean O'Mahonys clubman excels in the art of turning defence into attack and his rapier-like forward thrusts were one of the many outstanding characteristics of a new-look Louth side that forced a nation to sit up and take notice. He featured on the U21 side unluckily beaten by Laois as well so, all in all, it was a long and hectic year for John (the Division 1B programme had only been half-finished by mid-September and is still up in the air as I type) and one he'll remember for a long, long time. Though his exploits with the county team were more widely celebrated, John took great delight in wearing the club colours at senior level for the first time: "It was great to play senior football with Sean O'Mahonys. We found it hard getting out of intermediate and we were just glad to be back up for the first time since winning the intermediate championship in 1998. It was touch and go. We reached the 2005 league final against the Malachis and beat them with a last-minute goal. We had worked very hard all year and promotion to senior had been our aim." The Seans went into the new year full of hope, confident that they could adapt quickly to the higher level of football. There was never any questioning the talent available to the Point Road outfit and a steady flow of exciting young players continues to seep through. With a strong core of more seasoned campaigners backboning the side, they felt they had what it takes to establish themselves as a senior entity. The only potential problem was that - due to the County Board's tinkering - it had never been more difficult for a newly-promoted team to stay up… Some of the younger lads matured remarkably fast during the course of 2006, gaining invaluable experience, while even more came through to challenge for starting places. Bearing in mind the resources they have, the long-term goal is to hopefully put Dundalk football back on the map, as John explains: "I've always felt that the ambition of Sean O'Mahonys is to become the top club in Dundalk. There's an opening there at the moment and I believe this is something we can achieve. Playing senior football in 2006 was a big step in the right direction and to survive under such difficult circumstances should give us all great confidence going into next year. It was a big thing for the likes of Eamonn Doyle who have put a lot into the club and deserve to see us playing against the top teams in the county." How did Sean O'Mahonys approach the year? "We were very unlucky to arrive up in a year when five teams were going down instead of two, but we knew we had to get on with it. We were optimistic enough, but we were also realistic and knew it would take a massive effort to retain senior status. We set about trying to win all our home games because it was absolutely vital that we made the Point Road a very difficult place to come to. We knew that if we could stay in contention and keep the numbers up at training, then we could make a go of it against any of the teams in the division." With Martin O'Brien at the helm and assistance provided by selectors Paul McLoughlin, Karl Douglas and Gerry Dooher (who also plays), the Seans set about their task in impressive fashion. Of course it was a tall order, but by late September, with half their games played, they were sitting nicely in second place, albeit with five clubs breathing down their neck! From there, they upped the tempo to reach safety, alongside with Naomh Mairtin, with Dreadnots and Kilkerley left to scrap over the remaining survival spot. O'Mahonys opened their SFC account with a fine 2-7 to 0-12 defeat of Geraldines but were unable to get anything from their remaining Group A outings against Naomh Mairtin and Cooley Kickhams, losing by six (2-7 to 0-7) and eleven points (0-15 to 0-4) respectively. John O'Brien assesses those performances with refreshing honesty: "We found it very tough. We didn't do ourselves justice against Cooley. We were hoping to put in a much better performance but it didn't happen on the day and we were badly beaten. The Mairtins game was very sloppy and we were very unlucky to concede the two late goals, having missed a lot of good chances. After beating the Geraldines in our first game, I wouldn't go so far as to say we fancied ourselves against Naomh Mairtin, because they are always there or thereabouts, but we thought we could put one over on them. You can't take your eye off JP [Rooney] though…" And what of the great voyage with Louth? Two trophies in one year, a draw with Tyrone, and promotion to Division One - quite an innings! "It was unbelievable. I'm still trying to get over it. It was my first year with the seniors and I was happy enough with how things went! "The win over Cavan in the first round of the league set us up nicely. Who knows how it might have turned out if we'd lost that game? It was a great start. It lifted everyone and Eamonn kept us ticking over all year. We had two great games against Donegal in the Division Two final and everybody expected us to get a hammering in the replay but we knew we were well fit to go out and match them for the full 70 minutes again. "Against Meath, we stopped doing what we were doing in the first half. We stopped supporting the man on the ball and we stopped running off the ball. But we put that right in the games against Tyrone and in the Tommy Murphy Cup, so we can go into 2007 with a lot of confidence." It was a remarkable transformation from the previous year, when Louth were regarded at one stage as one of the worst five or six teams in the county. "Eamonn could see the potential when he took the job and I think we showed that we have plenty of talent. With the right structures in place and making the most of what we have, Louth can put it up to anybody." Division One beckons. Is this a daunting prospect or one to be relished? "I'm looking forward to it. Louth have travelled to Tipperary and Waterford in the recent past and my attitude is that if you're going to go that far you might as well be playing Kerry or Cork…" Returning to the club, John is convinced that Sean O'Mahonys have what it takes to establish themselves as a senior force: "We have plenty of good players who will have learned a lot from playing senior football in 2006. We have excellent facilities as well, so hopefully we can get the crowd up and get a buzz going. When we were senior before, the Point Road used to be packed and we're hoping that those days are returning." There are only twelve senior clubs in Louth now; and there's only one in Dundalk. Tweet

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