In the face of constant adversity, Pearse Og have somehow managed to climb to the very top of the Wee County hurling ladder. Their 2002 Louth Senior Hurling Championship victory was one of the year's most astounding success stories. On Sunday October 6th 2002 the hurlers of Pearse Og made history when defeating red-hot favourites Knockbridge to clinch the Louth SHC for the first time in their short history. It was a day of vindication. For everyone associated with the Holy Family parish club. Not just for the players, but for the trusty souls who have miraculously endeavoured to keep the ancient game alive in the area against all odds. If ever there was a triumph over adversity in the history of Louth GAA, then this is it. How often has a team rated as rank outsiders at the start of a campaign gone on to win a senior championship in the county - in any code? Not often. Perhaps never before. Yet that's exactly what the gallant Pearse Og stickmen achieved in '02. There were four contenders for the county's premier hurling crown: traditional kingpins Naomh Moninne, defending champions of two years Knockbridge (who had shocked Meath champions Trim in the previous year's Leinster club championship), last year's finalists Wolfe Tones from Drogheda.... ...and then you had Pearse Og. Perennial wannabes, always the bridesmaid. A club on the verge of extinction, some would have said. Indeed, in fairness to the doomsayers, they probably weren't that far off the mark! The limited resources within the cash-strapped club were severely overstretched and Damien Callan was performing gymnastics, acrobatics and straight-up miracles to keep the Pearses ticking over. That they came from nowhere to win the county's premier hurling trophy against such a backdrop is nothing short of sensational. When, in the frenzied, chaotic and glorious aftermath of the final whistle on county final day, team captain Martin Myles called upon club chairman Callan to hold aloft the Paddy Kelly Cup, it was without doubt the most apt and poignant gesture of the Louth GAA year. Callan established Pearse Og as a juvenile club in 1989 and it was his foresight and tireless toil that brought adult hurling to the area in 1993. They won a league that year but honours had subsequently proven hard to come by. They impressed somewhat in the 2001 Armagh league but there was nothing to suggest the heroics that would materialise in '02. Two-thousand-and-two was a year of 'firsts' in the Wee County. In football, Mattock Rangers won the Joe Ward Cup for the first time and Naomh Malachi also recorded a notable first-timer when booking their place in senior fare. The achievement of Pearse Og's hurlers is every bit as creditable . . . if not more so bearing in mind the obstacles the club faces on a day-to-day basis. Glory was achieved with a team consisting entirely of homegrown players, managed and coached by player-boss Paul Callan (Damien's brother), who explains: "Of the four contenders, we were complete outsiders for the championship. We were quoted at 15-1 at the start of the year and were 6-1 for the final! I think some of the lads took those prices, and fair play to them! "In fairness to Knockbridge, they brought hurling in the county to a whole new level with their performances in the previous two years and they put Louth hurling on the map when they beat Trim and played the Kilkenny champions in the Leinster club championship. They became the new standard that the rest of us had to measure ourselves against and probably encouraged us to work harder and aim higher. "Before the county final, Louth County Board had listed Knockbridge to play Kilmessan in the Leinster club championship in their official Fixtures List. I believe that was a genuine mistake on their behalf - but we still used it as motivation!" Pearse Og aren't exactly up to their eyeballs in cash. Hurling is the poor relation in Louth and Pearse Og are the poor relation of Louth hurling! Says Paul: "We put in a huge effort to fulfill our fixtures every year and we seem to get nothing in return. People just don't seem to appreciate the effort that goes into keeping hurling alive in the county and giving the young lads a hurling outlet. "We play up to 30 matches a year. We stretch ourselves to the limit to compete in the Armagh league, as indeed do Naomh Moninne and Knockbridge . . . and I believe Wolfe Tones are now going to be playing in Dublin. "We have to travel midweek to venues the other side of Fermanagh and Tyrone. The commitment involved is quite phenomenal and I'm thrilled for the players that they enjoyed this success in 2002. They thoroughly deserve it. They're a great bunch of lads. Even in the final, when things were going against us, they showed great character and kept plugging away. They turned it around with the late goals. "It was a classic final for the neutrals [and there was a big crowd there because the junior football final was up next] and probably one of the best games of hurling played in Louth for years. I'll tell you, the stand at Clan Na Gael Park rocked when those goals went in!" Winning the senior title really put the tin hat on a wonderful season: Pearse Og also reached the under 12 and Feile finals and were decidedly unfortunate at minor level, losing the championship final to Knockbridge after a replay. For long spells during the SHC final it looked as if it wasn't going to be Pearse Og's day. A 32nd-minute Knockbridge goal put the defending champions three points clear and the 'Bridge retained the advantage for most of the second half. However, they simply had no answer to an amazing last-quarter blitz which yielded three goals in eight minutes to give Pearse Og a stunning eight-point victory, 3-11 to 1-9. The game was effectively won in the closing ten minutes, during which the raging hot favourites were outscored by 3-3 to 0-0. Pearse Og trailed by four points when corner forward Aidan Callan struck their first goal in the 50th minute, flicking to the net after Mattie Boland's shot was blocked at the end of a surging 30-yard run. A minute later, Callan struck his second goal to give Pearse Og a 2-8 to 1-9 lead! This time the predatory attacker added to Man of the Match Paul Sharkey's long delivery to cleverly steer to the opposite corner of the net. Knockbridge came back and goalkeeper Stephen Smith deserves a medal of valour for his brave save from a close-range Sean Byrne free - the Pearse Og custodian risked life and limb to ensure the sliothar didn't cross the line. Seamus McDonagh extended the advantage to three points with a trademark point from a free in the 56th minute and Paul Sharkey (who had an enormous influence on the game after moving from full forward to midfield) added the third goal two minutes from the end. McDonagh's ninth point was followed by Sharkey's second as Pearse Og pulled away. By the time the final whistle shrieked across Clan Na Gael Park, the Dundalk outfit were in total control and were getting stronger. It was an afternoon that'll never be forgotten by anyone associated with this marvellous club. Testimony to Pearse Og's staying power and determination is the fact that they held their fancied opponents scoreless throughout the last quarter. There was little indication of the excitement that was to come when the defending champions carried a slender 0-6 to 0-5 cushion into the interval. McDonagh equalised for the winners on the resumption before Byrne kicked to the net to make it 1-6 to 0-6 to Knockbridge. Deadly McDonagh swapped points with Byrne and O'hUllachain before the former pounced with Knockbridge's last score of the match on 45 minutes. From there, it was one-way traffic as Pearse Og marched inexorably into the history books... Pearse Og played with the benefit of a strong wind in the first half and it appeared that the occasion might be getting to them as they undid good approach work with some poor shooting. They dominated possession in that opening half-hour but registered twelve wides and turned around in arrears. Aidan Callan opened the scoring with a point from the right wing in the fifth minute and Seamus McDonagh extended their advantage a minute later before three Byrne frees had Knockbridge marginally ahead at the end of the first quarter. McDonagh landed a 17th-minute free following a foul on his midfield partner Donnach Callan and made it 0-5 to 0-3 with two further frees in the 20th minute. Knockbridge grabbed the last three points of the first half, but it was the Pearses who would have the last laugh! Amid the joyous celebrations that heralded their historic victory, Pearse Og didn't forget their brothers in arms, Na Piarsaigh, who were up next in the JFC decider. Pearse Og had used the Rock Road facilities on many occasions during the year and - speaking from the winners' podium - captain Michael Myles wished the parish footballers 'All the Best' before organising a Guard of Honour to welcome the Na Piarsaigh lads onto the pitch. When they too took gold, it completed a perfect day for the Holy Family parish - and one its residents will never forget! It was Pearse Og's first final appearance since 1997. Back then they faced Naomh Moninne, also at the Castletown venue. They had seven survivors from the '97 team: goalkeeper Stephen Smith, defenders Gerry Hoey, Martin Myles and David Mulholland, midfielders Seamus McDonagh and Donnach Callan and the versatile 'play-anywhere' veteran Paul Callan. In their semi-final, Pearse Og recorded a sensational 2-11 to 0-15 victory over Wolfe Tones. Mattie Boland received an eight-week suspension for his sending-off in that game but benefited from the fact that the other 'semi' between Knockbridge and Naomh Moninne had to be replayed following an appeal by the latter party. This left Pearse Og with a full ten weeks between semi-final and final, during which they had to content themselves with Armagh league games and challenge matches as preparation for the big day. Hardly ideal preparation - but it worked! Pearse Og, 2002 Louth senior hurling champions: Stephen Smith; David Mulholland, Padraig Larkin, Martin Myles; Sean Conroy, Paul Callan, Noel Callan; Donnach Callan, Seamus McDonagh; Mattie Boland, Martin Myles, Conal Lavery; Aidan Callan, Paul Sharkey, Gary Brodigan. Subs: Gerry Hoey, Shane Callan Tweet

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