St Mochtas went into the 2006 season on a bit of a high as two very impressive seasons had raised expectations that the club could go on to make a serious challenge for a place in the senior grade. However, it didn't work out that way for the men from Louth Village as they failed to meet those levels of performance and they returned to the junior ranks under the new league structures. In 2004 St Mochtas dominated junior football as they clinched promotion by winning the Junior Championship with a thrilling win over Glen Emmets in the final at Ardee, and just to put the icing on the cake they added the Kevin Mullen Shield to their trophy cabinet. The following season was seen as a big test for the Mochtas but they certainly rose to the challenge and easily achieved their first objective by retaining intermediate status. Boosted by a flying start, a string of impressive performances saw them finish mid table in a competitive Division 2B. They carried that form into the championship and will consider themselves unlucky not to have gone all the way. Some great displays in the group games saw them advance to the knock-out stage but their campaign ended in a heart-breaking one-point defeat at the hands of eventual champions, Geraldines. To finish it all off, St Mochtas travelled to the All-Ireland Sevens in Dublin and came home as All-Ireland champions and some magnificent displays. Nonetheless, the signs were good for St Mochtas as they prepared for the 2006 season. With a number of young players having gained valuable experience the previous season and the knowledge that they could compete with the best meant that hopes were high in Louth Village. However, it just didn't go to plan and according to club chairman, Declan Larney, it was a very disappointing campaign overall. "This year was very disappointing on the field of play. We had a great run in 2005, reaching the semi-final and only losing by a point to Geraldines who went on to win it. "It was very disappointing for everyone involved and I have to say the lack of commitment was very evident. The players really can't blame anyone else because they just didn't put it in, so it is junior football next year." St Mochtas were drawn in Group C of the championship with their first game against the fancied O'Connells on July 2 who scored a 1-20 to 3-4 victory in Dromiskin. In their next outing, Mochtas lost to St Nicholas on a 1-11 to 0-11 scoreline, which ended their hopes despite a 1-11 to 0-8 win in their final outing against Lannleire. "I would like to thank player/manager Barry Cassidy and trainer Paul Hoey for their efforts with the team this year as they really did their best", said Declan. Despite the disappointment of this year, Declan is confident that if they team puts in the effort, they can make an impression at junior next year. "We have a lot of young players coming through from the juvenile ranks and I believe we have the ability to go well in junior football. Under the new structures, junior is going to be bigger and better and we to bounce back straight away. "Like every other club the future is in the development of young players and because of that it was encouraging to see so many playing in the All-Ireland Sevens this year. The young fellas who went up did really well and out of five games we won three and just lost out on a place in the semi-final on score difference. "I suppose we did better than expected and it was a great day out and it was great for us to beat both the Kerry and Cork champions." Off the field, it hasn't been as busy as recent years with the major development at the club now completed. However, Declan points out that although the clubrooms are finished, there is still much work to be done. "Our grounds are finished now and looking very well, but it takes a big effort to maintain that." One of the main events of the year was a function to honour the championship winners of 1970 and 1975, with presentations made to both teams. "We won the Division 2 Championship in 1970 and then in 1975 we won the Junior Championship," recalls the chairman. "We decided it would be fitting to honour those teams this year and we held a big function back in July, with all the players invited along with members of the opposing teams. "We had the likes of Sean Deasy travelling all the way from Cork for the event, while some of the other notable names included the likes of John Dowling and John 'Donsey' Byrne. Overall it was a great night and I think the players were delighted to be remembered for their efforts." Declan explains the during the year a major fundraising draw was held which also proved to be a good success in bringing in much needed funds for the club, while the lotto continues to provide revenue to keep the club ticking over. However, the chairman points out that more people are needed to help with such activities. "There is a lot of work involved in running a football club and you notice the voluntary help is getting very scarce. It seems that all the work is being left to the same few people and next year I would like to see more people coming forward to lend a hand. "Help is a big problem and as it has been a busy year I would like to thank the dedicated members of the committee for all their work and efforts to keep the club going." According to Declan the future of the club looks bright with the juvenile section currently thriving. "The underage section is going well at the moment with all teams putting in good displays and I would like to thank all the mentors at the various age groups who helped out over the season. They are the future and with a lot of work is going in to this section I am sure it will pay off over the coming years. "At minor level we were combined with St Bride's and managed to reach the league semi-final with Stephen Glenon and Brendan Byrne acting as selectors. "The U-15 team also had a good year under Martin McMahon as they reached the league semi-final, while Martin also helped the U-16s to reach the league decider." The U-12 team coached by James Doherty and Dolores Englishby also lost out in the final, while the U-10 side, under the guidance of Dermot Smith and Declan Larney, turned in some impressive displays. There were encouraging signs for the girls section as St Vincents won the U-14 league in only their second year, with Tina Kirk and Angela Devine looking after that side. The hurlers also continue to make good progress under Joey Callan and their efforts were rewarded when three players, Philip Englishby, Declan Byrne and David McCoy, were called up to the Louth Minor team. Declan also paid tribute to the men who are helping out at county level, including referees, Patsy Connolly, Tommy Byrne and Liam McGrenaghan, while with the County Board, John Byrne is treasurer, and Tony King on the Executive Committee. Tweet

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