To mark the Orchard County's historic first ever All-Ireland success, Joe Carroll examines the close bond that exists between Louth and Armagh GAA. There has always been a close association between Louth and Armagh - which should not really come as a surprise since the counties border each other. There has been a keen rivalry as well, going back over a long number of years. Meetings have been at national league and tournament level, and, of course, there have been quite a number of challenges, for the opening of this park or the other, or as a limbering up for the league or championship. If there have been differences between the two, they were surely put aside back in September when Armagh took on Kerry in their quest for a first All-Ireland senior title. This was a day when the men in the tangerine jerseys attracted the same kind of support from the Wee County as other Ulster counties did when they attempted to take charge of the Sam Maguire for the first time ever. This would have applied in particular to Down, back in the early 1960s. Kevin Mussen's men were new kids on the block, catching the imagination of not only Louth people, but many others throughout the length and breadth of the country, except, of course in Kerry, as they prepared for the first visit to Croke Park for All-Ireland day. Down carried the day, and came back the following year - 1961 - for a second title, this time getting the better of a fledgling Offaly side, whose victory over Louth the previous year had given them a first -ever Leinster title. How the two counties' fortunes have varied in the meantime. Fast forward to 1992 and Donegal's clash with Dublin in football's most important match. Except for the fact that there are as many Daniel O'Donnell fans in these parts as there are elsewhere, there would be no great affinity with Donegal; yet, on a dark and dank afternoon, soon after a good Armagh side had been closed out by Meath in the dying minutes of the minor match, provincial preference didn't exist; Louth supporters were on Donegal's side. Same the following year when Derry made their All-Ireland final debut. Henry Downey's men had Louth people on their side, and they showed their appreciation by stopping off at Dundalk's town square as they made their triumphant return home on the Monday evening, having softened the cough of a good Cork team. These two wins were sandwiched between Down successes, masterminded by the mighty Peter McGrath, and again people were out along the route to see the Sam Maguire Cup carried northwards. Armagh had no reason to expect anything different this year. If anything, the support for Joe Kernan's side was probably greater than that accorded to the other Ulster sides. Flags flew from cars and houses on this side of the border, not all of them owned by ex-pats. Armagh were the underdogs, but more than that, they were chasing a first title, and included on the side were several players based closer to Dundalk than many of those who'd been part of Louth's luckless Leinster championship and All-Ireland Qualifier campaigns. The defeat by Kieran McGeeney's men of a hotly-fancied Kerry side is still fresh in the mind - how a dodgy first half was overcome with the help of Oisin McConville's goal, and, above all, a great last quarter. Yes, there was rejoicing here - and the only pity is that the team did not stop off somewhere on the road from Dublin to Dundalk on the homeward journey. It's traditional, and always appreciated. On the Armagh panel was John Donaldson, who, over a number of years, performed with distinction in Louth club football and on the county side. Now a key player with Crossmaglen Rangers, Donaldson first competed in Louth in 1994, wearing the green-and-gold of Stabannon Parnells. He had previously played with Cullyhanna, and when refused a transfer to Crossmaglen made his way across the border. It wasn't long before he was in the winners' circle. Stabannon won the championship that year, and followed with another win a few years later. A player of considerable strength, Donaldson played a significant role in both victories, while at the same time a regular with the county side. His career followed much the same pattern as Gareth O'Neill's. A one-time Killeavey regular, the stylish fullback joined forces with Cooley Kickhams, and on the day he made his debut with Louth, who should have provided the opposition but Armagh - in a league match at Lurgan. Both players have long returned to their native county, and having assisted Crossmaglen to yet another Armagh title, are hopeful of adding an Ulster medal, and perhaps an All-Ireland after that. It's open to question the course the Louth senior team would have taken had Joe Kernan been given the nod, when, along with a number of other well-known coaches, he applied for the job of manager in the latter part of the 1990s. By then he had steered Crossmaglen to All-Ireland glory, and the idea of taking charge of a county side must have appealed to him. But, in their wisdom, those charged with finding a successor to Paul Kenny passed Kernan over. The big man was eventually given the chance to test his managerial skills on the bigger stage when the two Brians - Canavan and McAlinden - quit as joint-managers of the Armagh team, and, boy, did he take it! His first competitive match as gaffer was in a league tie against who else but Louth at Carrickcruppin at the beginning of this year, and hard-earned as his side's win that day was, it gave him all the encouragement he required. What happened after that will be remembered for many years to come. We have to go back a few years to find other players linking Louth and Armagh. Big Tom McCreesh, fullback on the Armagh 1977 All-Ireland final side, was a star player - as, indeed, was his late brother, Michael - on Dundalk CBS teams and another product of the same college was Cyril O'Connor, a Forkhill man who had few equals in schools' football. Fr Sean Hegarty, a one-time manager of the Armagh county side, was a boarder at St Michael's College, Omeath and while there played football with a crack under 18 side, Clann Mhuire, based in the Cooley Peninsula. Older readers would remember the great Jim McCullough, an Armagh star who once lined out with Dundalk Young Irelands, and had as colleagues, Frank and Brian Fagan, whose father was a native of Whitemills. Frank was an outstanding player for both club and county. No story on the links between the two counties would be complete without some reference to Naomh Malachi, whose grounds at Courtbane are probably closer to St Oliver Plunkett Park, in Crossmaglen, than any in Armagh. The Malachis won the Louth intermediate championship this year, and had as their coach Cross native Packie McConville. They had a tremendous win over Geraldines in the final, which was watched by several of the Armagh All-Ireland winning side. As they scooted their way through the championship campaign, Armagh had many training sessions at Courtbane, and coming up to the All-Ireland final, Joe Kernan's charges also limbered up at the Sean O'Mahonys pitch in Dundalk. Just a few days after Armagh's famous win at Croke Park, Kieran McGeeney and his men lined out for the GOAL Challenge at Crossmaglen. They were opposed by Louth, who, prior to the match, formed a guard of honour for the new champions. There'll be no such courtesies whenever the sides meet again. Having seen at close quarters what it means to a county to win an All-Ireland, Louth will want, like never before, to get in on the act - and should achieving that goal mean having to face their neighbours, you can be sure there'll be no holding back. The closest the counties ever came to meeting in the championship was in 1953. Both won their respective provincial titles that year, but while Armagh overcame their All-Ireland semi-final opponents, Louth went down to Kerry, who went on to take the title, helped in no small way by Armagh missing a penalty at a crucial stage. Tweet

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