Louth football is certainly enjoying a moment, with their under-20s having won the Leinster championship for the first time since 1981, their senior team into a third successive provincial final for the first time in 111 years, and their minors making the last four again. The last time the Wee County’s minors took on Dublin in a Leinster semi-final was 22 years ago. Four of that Louth side went on to start the infamous 2010 Leinster final loss to Meath, a track which will be on heavy rotation in the media this week. That 2003 tie was particularly interesting as current Louth senior manager Ger Brennan lined out for the Dubs, while at midfield for Louth was none other than Rob Kearney, who, within two years, was on the Irish training squad for the autumn internationals. The sides drew first time out but, with Kearney missing for the replay, Dublin came through and went on to beat Laois in the final. There was a sting in the tail, though, for the Dubs: they met Laois again in the All-Ireland final and drew the first day before losing the replay. That marked the first occasion that two teams from the same province met in an All-Ireland minor final. In the meantime, Leinster has fallen off a cliff in the grade. In the 20 All-Ireland minor finals since, the province has only been represented in three. Mention Marty Morrissey and the ’92 Munster final and the first thing that most recall is his iconic “there won’t be a cow milked” line – but Marty had another interesting one that day. Writing a guest column for the Sunday Independent, the Banner football stalwart – who was then a selector with home club Kilmurry Ibrickane – took Kerry and Cork down a peg or two in a tongue-in-cheek piece. The system which saw the Munster giants seeded had been finally jettisoned for the 1991 Munster championship, with Limerick reaching the final – which marked a first appearance for anyone outside the Old Firm on the big day since 1965. In the piece, Marty recalled his early days in UCC and joining the GAA club there. “I approached the GAA stand in the Aula Maxima to sign on,” he remembered. ‘Good, we need a goalie,’ said the representative. ‘Where are you from?’ ‘Clare. In fact,’ says I rather sheepishly, ‘I have played intercounty.’ “It was my first encounter with the superior attitude of the Cork and Kerry people,” he added. After yesterday, we’re not sure his stance will have changed ... It’s slightly jarring to think that in such a condensed and hectic intercounty calendar, with no need to plan for the possibility of replays in the opening month, there is still space for what was, relatively speaking, a free weekend on the intercounty front. Saturday and Sunday saw just three adult intercounty matches in football and hurling combined, while next Saturday there are 19 championship matches at adult level, with seven down for decision on Sunday plus an under-20 All-Ireland football semi-final between Tyrone and Kerry. On April 19th, there were 17 matches, including games in all four provincial football championships as well as all five hurling tiers, resulting in 29 of the 32 counties playing an adult championship match on the same day, plus Lancashire and Warwickshire. Mayo, Leitrim, Down and Kerry all played in both football and hurling, with Derry, Limerick and Waterford the three who didn’t have a game. John Maughan knows a thing or two about upsetting the form book, having masterminded Clare’s aforementioned Munster success 33 years ago, and he is a fan of the new rules, as he told RTE.ie. “Thankfully this year, because of the changes, we’ve had much better football, with the reality now that a Division 2 or 3 team can have a chance against a Division 1 side.” Maybe Maughan is right, although results suggest otherwise. Of the 28 championship matches to date, 25 have been won by the team who had a higher placing in the league, with Meath the only side to beat opposition from a higher division. Given the respective standings in each province, the maximum number of Division 1 sides who could have made finals was six; five qualified. “Although the number of goals per game is lower in the 2025 provincial championship so far in comparison to 2024, goal shot attempts have increased across all competitions in 2025.” The number of goals may be down, according to the FRC’s latest missive, but only because of poor shooting – or maybe outstanding goalkeeping. Shot attempts, at the time the report was issued, had not increased in championship, remaining static. The age footballer of the year and Sunday’s man of the match Paul Conroy will turn later this month. Facebook pageTwitter feed© 2025 The Irish Times DAC 1) 0ms,border-color 250ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;transition:background-color 250ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;color:#1976d2;padding:0px;min-width:0;}.css-1sgza6o:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(25 0.04);}@media (hover: none){.css-1sgza6o:hover{background-color:transparent;}}.css-1sgza6o.Mui-disabled{color:rgba(0 1) 0ms;color:#1976d2;padding:0px;min-width:0;}.css-w5p45x::-moz-focus-inner{border-style:none;}.css-w5p45x.Mui-disabled{pointer-events:none;cursor:default;}@media print{.css-w5p45x{-webkit-print-color-adjust:exact;color-adjust:exact;}}.css-w5p45x:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(25 0.04);}@media (hover: none){.css-w5p45x:hover{background-color:transparent;}}.css-w5p45x.Mui-disabled{color:rgba(0 0.26);}PrintShareSaveThe death has occurred of Peacefully on Saturday 3rd May 2025 in the wonderful care of the Boyne Valley Ward of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital surrounded by his family Predeceased by his wife Ann (née O'Reilly) Pascal and Patrick in-infancy and his sister in-infancy Gerry will be sadly missed by his heartbroken daughters Sarah and Roseanne Barrack Street from 3.30pm to 8.30pm on Tuesday afternoon Removal on Wednesday morning at 10.30am (via) his late residence to St Haggardstown arriving for Funeral Mass at 11 o'clock followed by burial in adjoining Cemetery donations if desired to the Irish Dementia Cafe Network https://dementiacafe.ie Funeral Mass can be viewed by following the Church webstream link below and you may wish to leave a personal message in the condolence section Funeral Service.css-h76uj{display:inherit;margin-right:-4px;margin-left:8px;}Date Published: CondolencesDonate to CharityWould you like to mark a birthday memorial mass or anniversary for a Loved One?You can now create a family notice on RIP.ie to remember your loved one and Aaron Lynch of Meath celebrate after the Leinster SFC semi-final The giant shadow that Dublin have cast over Meath and the rest of Leinster for the last 15 years was lifted in Portlaoise last Sunday in a thrilling game with a very tense ending For the last ten minutes we thought Dracula might make an escape but there was the final stake to the heart with the last two points going to Meath against the wind The win brought a great sense of joy to Meath supporters after the match A crowd of just over 10,000 and around 8,000 for the other semi-final in Tullamore underlines attendance issues for the Leinster championship which taking games out of Croke Park didn’t solve A man arrested following a police chase to the close to the Louth/Armagh border near Omeath is due to appear in court in the North today The PSNI say the car was stopped by Interceptors from Sprucefield on Fathom Line outside Newry yesterday after it initially failed to stop and rammed the police vehicle The driver was arrested for a number of motoring and drugs offences and possession of offensive weapons - relating to two knives and a knuckle duster that were recovered from the car https://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/section/1234/advertise-with-us All the latest breaking local news from Dundalk and Louth County Keep up to date with the latest sports news Read the latest crime and court news from Dundalk Read all the latest Irish news and updates from around Ireland Find whats happening in and around Dundalk and Louth Enjoy our award winning photos and picture galleries taken in Dundalk and Louth Read about the latest properties available in Dundalk and Louth Enjoy our latest and up to date motoring review and news in Dundalk and Louth Dundalk and Louth Met Eireann Weather Forecast Recent death notices and obituaries from Dundalk and Louth Latest environmental and climate change news in County Louth Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter Support our mission and join our community now you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism A 48 year old woman who claimed that she was blinded by headlights, when she lost control of her car which CCTV footage showed had become airborne before hitting the side of a house, has been convicted at Dundalk district court of dangerous driving Samantha Richardson of Whitestown, Greenore had pleaded not guilty to committing the offence at Mullatee, Carlingford on May 26th 2023.  Gardaí received a report of a collision at 10.20pm involving a Renault Laguna which had extensively damaged the outside of the property.  Two tyre marks were on the bank and they found the car against the side of the house The home owners had been sitting outside on the patio area where the car landed 10 minutes before they heard a bang and the car came to a stop outside their window READ NEXT: Louth Garda seriously injured after van rams into him during Ardee patrol The defendant was taken out of it by one of them, who is a trained fireman, and was brought to Our Lady of Lourdes hospital. The car travelled 45 metres from the bank before landing against the side wall of the house and a claim for damage had been settled by Ms. Richardson’s insurer for €22,000. The Defence barrister said he didn’t think anyone was in a position to give evidence about the manner of his client's driving, and he stressed she suffered significant injuries including two separate breaks, in both her back and her neck and had waited three hours for an ambulance. The lawyer argued the court needed evidence on the manner of her driving and without it, it would open the door for a vast amount of circumstances where someone crashes into an electricity pole, which he claimed would put the "reverse burden" on Ms. Richardson to prove her innocence. However, Judge Nicola Jane Andrews said his client had a case to answer. In the witness box, the defendant said she was doing about 100kph when lights were in front of me in a flash.  She claimed she’d only recently been diagnosed with night blindness and added “It just happened so quickly” and said the other vehicle was ‘jeep sized'. When asked “Would you not have slowed down?” the defendant replied “I didn’t think anything would happen”. Judge Andrews said the State had proven their case and she was satisfied that as a result of dangerous driving the car had landed on the patio “that was some distance from the road”. The court heard the defendant, a separated mother of three, had previous convictions for drink driving, road traffic matters, public order offences and criminal damage. Her barrister added she is in the process of selling a property in an attempt to move back to her own family home. Judge Andrews imposed a €105 fine and a four year disqualification and fixed recognizance in the event of an appeal being lodged. " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g, ' To continue reading this article, please subscribe and support local journalism! Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles. To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in. Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites. You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news! Ronan Brennan with his wife Siobhan and son Kai at Breathe Sauna in Magheroarty, Co Donegal A day in the life of a children’s residential care worker at Ashdale Care Did you know you can save up to 75% on your electricity bills with Activ8 Solar Energies? Arthur's Sporting Archives | Take a trip down memory lane. Pictures by Arthur Kinahan GALLERY: Louth advance to Leinster MFC semi-final with victory over Westmeath. Pictures by Arthur Kinahan There’s something for everyone in Louth Life - on sale now! The Spring issue of Louth's number one glossy magazine is on sale now Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles. Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm. This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie. A garda is in a serious condition in hospital after being struck by a van in a hit and run incident in Co Louth. The incident happened in Ardee when the garda got out of his patrol car to investigate a van which was parked suspiciously in the early hours of Friday. Garda headquarters said the incident happened at 4.20am in the Clonmore Estate. Gardaí on patrol spotted the parked van and approached it on foot. The van then accelerated at the two officers, striking one, before leaving the scene. The garda suffered “serious but non-life threatening” injuries and is being treated in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. He suffered several broken bones and is due to undergo surgery. Investigators are appealing for information as they attempt to track down the van and its driver. “Any road users who may have camera footage (including dashcam) and were travelling in Clonmore Estate area between 4.00am and 4.40am are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí,” the force said in a statement. “Anyone with any information is asked to contact Ardee Garda station on 041 6871330, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.” Welfare services have been made available for the garda and his colleagues, the statement added. Garda Representative Association president Mark O’Meara described the incident as “extremely serious and concerning”. “It is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by frontline gardaí on a daily basis while on duty and I want to wish our colleague the very best and hope for a full recovery,” he said. “Our Louth divisional representative will be liaising with the member’s family and colleagues to monitor his progress.” Conor Gallagher is Crime and Security Correspondent of The Irish Times Who passed away unexpectedly but peacefully after a short illness, Friday 2nd May 2025. Predeceased by her partner Brian Thompson. Dear daughter of Brendan and Mary (née Foster) A beloved sister of Joanna, Paul, Jonathan and Jennifer. Laura will be forever loved and deeply missed by her heartbroken family, her parents, brothers, sisters, her adored nephews, nieces and great nephews and nieces, brothers-in-law Gerry and Gavin, sisters-in-law Lisa and Beth, her dear friend Elaine Griffin, uncles, aunts, cousins, extended family relatives, neighbours and friends You may wish to leave a personal message for the family in the condolence section Who passed away peacefully on Friday 2nd May 2025 in the tender care of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital surrounded by his loving family. Beloved husband of the late Cassie (née Mc Caughley), much loved father of Sharon, David and Ciarán. Joe will be forever loved and missed by his daughter, sons, daughters-in-law Brenda and Michelle, grandchildren Sorcha, Gavin, Maebh, Marie, Sinéad, Fionn, Anne and Cónan, brothers Paddy and Niall, sister Margaret Grogan, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, extended family relatives and wonderful friends. Reposing at his residence Barleyfield (A91H526) from 6pm Friday evening and all day Saturday. Removal on Sunday afternoon at 12.40pm driving to St. Brigid’s Church, Kilcurry arriving for Funeral Mass at 1 o’clock, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. Funeral Mass can be viewed on the Church web link below. And you may wish to leave a personal message for the family in the condolence section. Who passed away peacefully after a short illness, after been exceptionally cared for by the staff in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital on Thursday 1st May 2025. Predeceased by her parents Michael and Brigid, brothers Paddy, Tom, Mickey and Sean. Margaret will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her husband Arthur, daughters Annmarie and Rachel, sons-in-law Martin Agnew and Eugene Kelly, her beloved and adored grandchildren Mark and Ethan, brothers Jim and Gerry, sisters May McGoldrick and Briege Tiernan, brother and sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, extended family, neighbours and wide circle of friends. Reposing at her home, Alphonsus Villas (A91C6P9) Saturday and Sunday from 2pm to 8pm. Removal on Monday morning at 10.40am on foot to St. Joseph’s Redemptorist Church arriving for Funeral Mass at 11 o’clock, followed by burial afterwards in St. Patrick’s cemetery (A91F598). Funeral Mass can be viewed by following the Church web link below And you may wish to leave a personal message for the family in the condolence section She will be sadly missed by her sorrowing son John Reposing in the Eternity Room of Quinn’s Funeral Homes entrance on Castletown Road) from 3pm-6pm on Sunday Joseph's Redemptorist Church (A91 WY98) at 1.30pm The Mass can be viewed live by following the Funeral service link below online to The Birches by following this link: https://www.idonate.ie/cause/thebirchesdundalk You are encouraged to leave a personal message and your memories of Mary in the Condolences section below. Enquiries to Quinn’s Funeral Homes on 042 9334521. Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Football Championship Quarter Final Louth football is riding on the crest of a wave at present and cheered on by the vocal home support their minor footballers overcame Westmeath to secure their place in the Leinster semi-final following a thrilling game at Hunterstown GAA grounds on Thursday Westmeath produced a gutsy performance and pushed the Wee County all the way in a high scoring encounter but ultimately Louth were deserving winners even though they were made to sweat a little in the closing stages It was their more impressive third quarter that provided the platform and when they opened up a seven-point lead with 12 minutes remaining An untimely ankle injury to star forward Will Scahill was a major blow to the visitors at this stage and the deficit increased to 10 points before Cian Fleming and Stephen McWade scored two excellent goals to drag Westmeath off the floor Five minutes of added time saw them apply further pressure but Louth steadied the ship and navigated a route to the last four They might be forgiven for thinking it would be plain sailing with such a considerable lead but Westmeath made them work to earn a crack at Dublin in the semi-final and they must keep maximum focus for the duration of the game if they are to win and join their senior side in the Leinster final Westmeath will reflect on a positive season and with better defending could well have upset the odds in this quarter-final but the concession of two quick goals near the end of the first half proved very costly in the end but Louth full forward Jack Martin flicked in a goal from a high delivery and moments later another high ball into the danger area was fisted to the net by Cian Rooney Both goals were sloppy from a Westmeath perspective and ultimately very costly Despite a storming finish Westmeath suffered the disappointment of defeat but manager David Geoghegan is hoping the experience stands to his young charges “We had a very positive league campaign; we topped a group that included Louth and Laois just beat us narrowly in a semi-final I felt we played within ourselves against Meath; some players got stage fright and that will happen at U17 level They came here this evening and gave it their all against a strong Louth outfit; they’re young players and hopefully they will go on to represent Westmeath at U20 level because that is the next step,” he said Louth made a flying start with a point after just 30 seconds from wing back Conor Marron and doubled their tally in the second minute when full forward Jack Martin clipped over after a flowing move involving Cillian McQuillan and Tom Mannion Westmeath responded with a fine score from wing forward Finn Higgins after William Geraghty’s incisive pass and they soon took the lead when Will Scahill converted a two-point free Scahill showed composure and accuracy having elected to take the ball outside the 40-metre arc Captain Andrew O’Reilly levelled for Louth on ten minutes with a superb point and moments later struck for the game’s opening goal O’Reilly saw his initial shot saved by John Paul but he reacted quickest to bury the rebound low to the net Centre back Tadhg Devaney added a point as Louth pushed three clear Westmeath nearly hit back with a goal on 14 minutes after a surging run from Ross Tully but his shot was well saved by Senon Connolly and Scahill somehow failed to convert the loose ball Scahill did settle for a pointed free from a tight angle before raising a green flag of his own with a palmed finish after Geraghty’s final pass The referee consulted with his umpires before awarding the goal ruling that Scahill was not infringing inside the small square - the final pass played by Geraghty who may have been inside the square at the time Stephen McWade then edged Westmeath in front with a superb point from distance the ball clipping the crossbar on its way over McQuillan’s high delivery was flicked to the net by Martin – poor defending from Westmeath who failed to track McQuillan after a short '45' Connell Kelly sent a high ball into the square and Cian Rooney applied the finishing touch for a third Louth goal after Kelly intercepted a loose Westmeath free McWade replied with a point before Seán Whittaker converted a '45' and McWade again split the posts to reduce the deficit Westmeath had a glorious chance to cut the gap straight after the restart but McWade’s flick from Scahill’s high ball went narrowly wide Scahill did add a point after Whittaker’s clever assist but Louth hit back through Devaney and then McQuillan whose two-pointer from outside the 40 was a standout score Cian Fleming kept Westmeath in touch with a point shortly after Connolly once more denied Scahill a goal Louth extended their lead with a brace from the lively Kelly McWade responded with a point before Martin again punished slack Westmeath marking Substitute Dillon Burke was next to be denied by Connolly as Louth’s goalkeeper continued his excellent display O’Reilly pushed Louth further ahead with another quality two-pointer before Whittaker’s reply kept Westmeath in range and further scores from Marron and two more from the excellent Kelly saw Louth move ten points clear rifling the ball to the top corner after a quick free from Dean Kelly the spirited comeback arrived too late and it was Louth who held firm soaking up some late pressure to advance to the semi-final WESTMEATH: John Paul; Anthony King Carroll 2025 at 2:00pm BSTWhen people hear Meath-Louth and that is the last time that these two sides faced each other in a Leinster final Sheridan’s goal may have sunk Louth dreams and forced them to wait 15 more years for a realistic chance at a provincial title again but now the Wee County comes into the game as the slight favourites having developed into a dark horse on the inter-county scene Louth’s win over Kildare was their third successive semi-final win in the provincial championship, having lost the previous two finals to Dublin who have consistently asserted their dominance in Leinster over the last 15 years Meath, however, will ride into Croke Park on Sunday bearing the head of Dessie Farrell’s Dubs to scare Ger Brennan’s side into submission after the Royals’ historic win over the Boys in Blue Meath and Louth supporters will take the opportunity to get to a Leinster final and not settle for a close loss with both sets of supporters expected to travel well and surely fill out the available sections of Croker The Leinster Senior Football Championship final between Louth and Meath will take place on Sunday, May 11, at Croke Park in Dublin The Leinster SFC final will be available for fans to watch from home on ‘The Sunday Game’ on RTÉ2 Tickets for the Leinster final at Croke Park are still available to buy via Ticketmaster. Follow the above link to seal your spot at Croker Hoping to avoid the late drama that occurred the last time these two teams faced-off in a Leinster final, Monaghan’s Martin McNally will be the man in the middle for this provincial final It was also an Ulster man who officiated the last Leinster final between these two in 2010, Martin Sludden of Tyrone. Facebook pageTwitter feedRSS feed@2025 The Irish News Ltd The van was driven at Gardai and hit a Garda who had exited the patrol car to investigate Louth TD Paula Butterly has expressed her shock at the incident where a Garda on patrol was seriously injured and has said  that her thoughts and prayers are with the injured member and his family, and she is thinking of his colleagues in the Ardee community at this time also She said that the recent incident has highlighted that we should be fully supporting our garda and all the necessary tools and equipment to help them carry out their duties while in service She also said that societal changes and behaviours mean that An Garda Síochána are faced with continuing challenges on a daily basis and it is our responsibility to ensure that these challenges can be met and dealt with in a swift and efficient manner Gardaí are appealing for witnesses following a dangerous driving incident in which a van was driven at a Garda in Ardee in the early hours of last Friday morning Gardaí were on patrol in the Clonmore Estate at around 4:20am and approached a van that was parked up He sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was transferred to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital The scene was held for a technical examination to be carried out Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to this incident to come forward Read Next: Louth blood donors honoured at awards ceremony Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in Clonmore Estate area between 4:00am and 4:40am are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Ardee Garda Station on 041 6871330, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. Garda welfare services have been put in place for the injured Garda member and his colleagues. Four people have been taken to hospital following a two car collision in County Louth. It happened at Castlecoohill, Clogherhead around 1.30pm Fáilte chuig gaa.ie - suíomh oifigiúil CLG Louth players celebrate following the Dalata Hotel Group Leinster U20 Final. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile Dalata Hotel Group Leinster U20 Football Championship Final By Paul Keane at Cedral St Conleth's Park What a year this is proving to be for Louth football. With Sunday week's Leinster senior football final on the horizon, the Wee County's U-20s this evening signposted the route to provincial success by beating Meath at their grade in the Dalata Hotel Group sponsored final. A third quarter scoring siege in Newbridge propelled Fergal Reel's side to a first provincial win at the grade since 1981. Taking down Meath at St Conleth's Park amounted to revenge for Louth too after last year's defeat to their neighbours. Louth were a cut above this time around with a brilliant team performance that the holders had no answer to. First-half goals from senior panellist Pearse Grimes Murphy and Adam Gillespie were important. But it wasn't until Louth reeled off eight points without response in the third quarter that they set the seal on a landmark win. Gillespie and Grimes Murphy finished with 1-3 each while Tony and Tadhg McDonnell slotted some super scores after the break. Darragh Dorian showed his quality throughout too. Meath threw the kitchen sink at it late on but blasted 10 second-half wides as Louth forced them into error after error. Louth will face Connacht champions Mayo in an All-Ireland semi-final in mid-May. They will also hope that having ended one provincial hoodoo at Meath's expense, they can do the same on Sunday week when the seniors also take on the Royals. The county's minors will also be in action tomorrow evening at the provincial quarter-final stage. The fact that both teams were even in this U-20 final marked significant progress. The two counties lost all of their games at the minor grade three years ago, exiting at the earliest possible stage. They've clearly made giant strides since and holders Meath returned to the final with three starters from last year's U-20 final win; AFL bound Eamonn Armstrong, full-forward Jamie Murphy and Rian Stafford. The trio contributed 0-7 between in a terrific first-half that Louth edged by 2-8 to 1-8. The Wee County retained seven starters in their team from last year's final; captain Sean Callaghan, Cormac McKeown, Tadhg McDonnell, Keelin Martin, Grimes Murphy and Dorian. McDonnell, Callaghan and Grimes Murphy are all senior panellists and their quality shone through. Grimes Murphy struck 1-3 of Louth's first-half tally, opening the scoring for his team with a two-pointer. His goal just before half-time was a real boost and separated the sides at the break. Dorian set him free with a hand-pass over the top on the left of goals and Grimes Murphy rocketed a shot beyond goalkeeper Matthew Kealy. Adam Gillespie struck Louth's earlier goal, capitalising on the surprising amount of time he was afforded with a blistering left footed finish. Meath did lead for spells in a back and forth first-half with Tadhg Martyn netting in the final for the second-half in a row in the 10th minute. It was still anyone's game but Louth took a giant step towards victory with that eight point burst between the 34th and 42nd minutes. The first two points in the blitz came from sweeping moves up the pitch after Meath had butchered scoring chances at the other end. It was clinical stuff from Louth who didn't waste a ball and Tadhg McDonnell rounded off the siege with a 42nd minute two-pointer, leaving them 2-16 to 1-9 clear. Meath tried their best to reel in the 10-point deficit but not even a couple of raking two-pointers from towering midfielder Michael McIvor made much difference. Tony and Tadhg McDonnell kept Louth ticking over with timely points as Meath, unsuccessfully, went for goals and two-pointers to reel in the deficit. Scorers for Louth: Pearse Grimes Murphy 1-3 (1tp), Adam Gillespie 1-3 (0-1f), Tony McDonnell 0-4 (1f), Tadhg McDonnell 0-4 (1tp), Darragh Dorian 0-2, Shane Lennon 0-1, Tiarnan Markey 0-1 (0-1 45), James Maguire 0-1. Scorers for Meath: Jamie Murphy 0-6 (1tp, 2f), Michael McIvor 0-4 (2 tp), Tadhg Martyn 1-0, Eamonn Armstrong 0-2, Rian Stafford 0-1, Zach Thornton 0-1, Finn White 0-1. Louth: Tiarnan Markey; Padraic Tinnelly, Keelin Martin, Micheal Reid; Tadhg McDonnell, Cormac McKeown, Conor McGinty; Sean Callaghan, James Maguire; Shane Lennon, Conor MacCriosta, Pearse Grimes Murphy; Adam Gillespie, Tony McDonnell, Darragh Dorian. Meath: Matthew Kealy; Sam Jordan, Rian Early, Ciaran O'Hare; Eamonn Armstrong, Fiach Hartigan, Finn White; John Harkin, Michael McIvor; Rian Stafford, Tadhg Marty, Zach Thornton; Liam Jennings, Jamie Murphy, Ben Corkery. Subs: Michael O'Sullivan for Corkery 43, Cillian Yore for Hartigan 43, Pat Crawley for Corkery 49, Sean Betson for Thornton 49, Conor O'Brien for Betson 58. Kerry impress in Electric Ireland Munster MFC win over Cork2 hours ago Tipp beat Clare in Electric Ireland Munster MFC Phase 1 Final6 hours ago Referees named for Ulster and Leinster SFC Finals13 hours ago Kevin McStay expecting positive Mayo response19 hours ago Official Sponsors of the GAA Football All-Ireland Championship Official Sponsors of the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Championship Ger Brennan has strongly criticised fixture makers for scheduling a provincial club league game as a curtain raiser to last Sunday’s Leinster SFC semi-final between Louth and Kildare at O’Connor Park in Tullamore The Leinster League final between Milltown and Rosemount took place at 11.45am but with only four dressingrooms at the venue Brennan says the space available to both Louth and Kildare when they arrived ahead of their 2pm contest was inadequate I was talking to Brian Flanagan beforehand and we were there looking at each other because you have the guts of 15 or 16 in a backroom team and then you have 30 lads togging out your 26 and your four reserves,” says Brennan “And you have another seven or eight fellas who didn’t make the squad or are injured We were like sardines in one changing room it was a bit of a disgrace and badly organised from the Leinster Council “We were all squashed into one dressingroom How that was organised before a semi-final of the Leinster Championship was just incredible.” Brennan says he was only made aware of the double-header by chance in the days beforehand after a friend from one of the clubs involved sent him a text [ All-Ireland football draws: All you need to knowOpens in new window ] [ Ciarán Murphy: Potential ‘group of death’ leaves me wondering if Connacht final is worth winningOpens in new window ] “He said, ‘I’ll be down supporting Rosemount before your match’ and he sent me on the advertisement for it. I rang the county board and asked them were they aware of it and they said no. It was just horses**t. “There are four dressingrooms but they’re not big enough, you couldn’t swing a cat in there. It was the same for Kildare as well.” The decision of the Leinster Council to fix both semi-finals outside of Croke Park this year was generally welcomed and the drama of last weekend’s games appeared to vindicate the move. Brennan was speaking at a pre-Leinster final media event at the Battle of the Boyne visitor centre on Thursday afternoon as Louth prepare for a provincial showdown against Meath. Louth lost the last two Leinster deciders to Dublin. Brennan, a former Dublin footballer, says the Dubs have benefited from their Croke Park familiarity over the years. “Dublin playing in Croke Park the whole time is an advantage,” he says. “For lads not used to playing there, to go into Croke Park for a provincial final or a semi-final against Dublin, you’re absolutely disadvantaged. “I don’t know about [Meath manager] Robbie [Brennan], you’d have to ask him, but I know the Louth and Kildare lads would rather have played [the semi-final] in Croke Park so I actually don’t think it was a good move to take the semi-finals out of Croke Park on this occasion. But then would Meath have finished the game as strongly? I don’t know.” Leinster Council vice-chairman Martin Byrne believes Sunday week’s decider will be one of the most significant in years. “Any provincial final is special but when you have two neighbouring counties with history between them playing it makes it more special and adds to the occasion,” he said. “I think the council showed a good bit of leadership this year. We tried a few things, we brought the semi-finals out of Croke Park for the first time in a long time. Kildare played their first game in a Leinster championship at home this year, Dublin went to Wicklow. All those things help create the occasions for those special days, which ends up with where we are on Sunday week. “There’s probably a generation of people who don’t know anything (other than Dublin winning). I was travelling home from Portlaoise on Sunday with three 17-year-olds in the car and the only thing they ever knew was Dublin winning Leinster. At least in two weeks they’ll see a different name on the trophy.” Gordon Manning is a sports journalist, specialising in Gaelic games, with The Irish Times Photographer Arthur Kinahan has gone into his archives to take our readers on a trip down memory lane USE THE ARROWS OR 'NEXT' TO BROWSE THROUGH THE FULL GALLERY " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g please subscribe and support local journalism Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news Ronan Brennan with his wife Siobhan and son Kai at Breathe Sauna in Magheroarty Did you know you can save up to 75% on your electricity bills with Activ8 Solar Energies Arthur's Sporting Archives | Take a trip down memory lane GALLERY: Louth advance to Leinster MFC semi-final with victory over Westmeath There’s something for everyone in Louth Life - on sale now Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie A former professional windsurfer has opened his dream sauna business to ‘bring people together’ at a west Donegal beach Ronan Brennan, who is originally from Blackrock says it has always been a goal of his to open a sauna on the Magheroarty beachfront “I have been coming up here to windsurf from a young age and Magheroarty was one of my favourite places to come to,” Ronan tells Donegal Live it offers a ‘hot and cold immersion’ service People have the option to jump into the wild Atlantic or use the water tubs that Breathe offers they can hop into the sauna where they can warm themselves people are free to pop in and out of the sauna as many times as they want Taking advantage of the beautiful scenery surrounding it so people get to enjoy the view of Muckish overlooking Magheroarty beach while they relax and unwind READ NEXT: PICTURES: Voted in top 20 places to live is this gorgeous seaside penthouse in Louth and people have the option of choosing between going into a wet sauna or a dry sauna depending on the type of benefits they want to get out of the experience he knew the health benefits of the sauna and cold-water therapy are unlimited from improving sleep and assisting pain relief to reducing stress and helping with detoxification.  Since opening it he noticed that the sauna has also acted as a way of bringing people together “It has been proved that these two things help with your general health in so many ways,” he adds I noticed that it has been serving to bring people together There might be a few groups in at the same time and people are not allowed to bring their phones into the sauna because of the heat People are putting the devices down and connecting the way we used to.” Breathe Sauna is open every Friday and Saturday at Magheroarty beach The late Kate Keenan who was killed in the crash A drunk and uninsured driver who killed his best friend when the car he was driving crashed into a fallen tree during a red storm warning, has been jailed at Dundalk Circuit Court for three years and nine months Dundalk had been drinking in a pub in Louth Village with Kate Keenan and another friend and was a short distance from his home in the early hours of January 22nd last year when the Volkswagen Caddy he was driving collided with a fallen tree on the L-1140 at Monvallet None of the occupants of the van were wearing a seat belt and Kate Keenan who was sitting on the front seat passenger’s lap who was three and a half times the legal drink driving limit was uninsured and was under a four year driving ban at the time and had 12 previous convictions including driving without insurance and dangerous driving READ NEXT: Heartbroken sister of Louth crash victim says 'part of me went with her' A urine sample also showed the presence of Alprazolam cocaine and cannabis in his system and he told gardai he didn’t see the tree and he replied “What warning?” when he was asked about the Red weather alert in place for Storm Isha Ahead of finalising the sentencing last Thursday in which Kate Keenan’s family said they didn’t want the defendant going to jail thinking they all hate him saying “we don’t…we hate what happened” and they think he would swap his place with her “in a heartbeat” They said: "We wish it was a different driver so we could hate him".  They added they wanted Conor to do his time which they said is what Kate would have wanted Judge Dara Hayes thanked Cathy Keenan for bringing a photo of her daughter to court when she gave her victim impact statement and said it showed Kate was more than a name He added that the slogan from road safety campaigns over the years that drink driving costs lives can never be said enough.Judge Hayes said Conor Duffy had "utter disregard" for the law He had more passengers that the vehicle allowed and he had failed to ensure they were wearing seat belts He acknowledged that Conor Duffy had stopped a plea in mitigation and while it was clear he was filled with remorse Judge Hayes said “it was nothing to the burden that would always be carried by the Keenan family who “would always be an empty place in their home and in their hearts” He imposed a five and a half year sentence with the final 21 months suspended backdated to November 29th last when he went into custody It’s subject to a number of conditions - including Probation Service supervision post release and undertaking a pro social driving programme.  Credit: Garda Síochána Louth Facebook A car was seized and several drivers were stopped by Gardaí after a reported illegal car meet near the border on Saturday night Dundalk Roads Policing Unit responded to reports of dangerous driving and reckless behaviour at the unsanctioned gathering which posed serious risks to other motorists in the area One vehicle was stopped and found to have tinted windows and the driver was found to be an unaccompanied learner Louth TD Ruairí Ó Murchú has pressed the government to outline when it will publish updated rural housing planning guidelines "so that people will be able to build and live in the area they are from" The Sinn Féin deputy made the comments during Taoiseach’s Questions in Leinster House last week where he also again highlighted the ‘massive problems’ that will be created by the 36% reduction in government allocation to Louth County Council’s tenant in situ scheme Deputy Ó Murchú asked Taoiseach Micheál Martin when the rural housing guidelines will be published He said the Dáil was told they were with the Attorney General last summer. He said: “People just want to know that they will be able to build and live in the areas they are from Read also: Disappointment over decision on parking for those with hidden disabilities in Louth “We have to look at planning as it concerns the modular and log cabin-type buildings discussed earlier I have been contacted by multiple people. We need to get on with that work I understand it is a solution for a small number of people but it is necessary We need to look beyond what is being spoken about at the moment” And he said it was "frightening" that Louth County Council which was provided €18.884 million last year for social housing acquisitions "has only been provided €12 million this year."  In my engagement with Louth County Council it said it will be able to apply this scheme to fewer people.  “People in the same circumstances as those who previously were saved from homelessness will not be saved now There needs to be a rethink of a scheme that actually saved people from homelessness” A 27 year old man who killed his best friend when the car he was driving crashed into a fallen tree during a red storm warning has been jailed at Dundalk Circuit Court for three years and nine months in which the young woman’s family said they didn’t want Conor Duffy of Channonrock Dundalk going to jail thinking they all hate him saying “we don’t…we hate what happened” and they think he would swap his place with her “in a heartbeat” The defendant had been drinking in a pub in Louth Village with Kate Keenan and another friend Keenan who was sitting on the front seat passenger’s lap was uninsured and under a four year driving ban at the time and had 12 previous convictions including driving without insurance and dangerous driving cocaine and cannabis in his system and he told gardai he didn’t see the tree and he replied “What warning” when he was asked about the Red weather alert in place for Storm Isha Judge Dara Hayes noted a forensic collision investigator said had the defendant been observing the 80kph speed limit and been concentrating on the road ahead It’s subject to a number of conditions - including Probation Service supervision post release and undertaking a pro social driving programme Grace Donnelly from Dundalk Youthreach was awarded a prize at a special screening in St Patrick’s Mental Health Services Grace Donnelly from Dundalk Youthreach in County Louth was awarded a prize at a special screening in St Patrick’s Mental Health Services as Walk in My Shoes crowned the winners of its Frame of Mind short film competition Frame of Mind is an initiative of Walk in My Shoes the flagship awareness-raising campaign of St Patrick’s Mental Health Services that uses the mediums of short film and photography to help to promote positive mental health and reduce stigma around mental health difficulties participants were asked to explore a theme of gratitude Those taking part used short film to express the things they are grateful for and creatively showcase the things that positively influence their wellbeing Students from nine counties across Ireland were shortlisted in this year’s competition Youthreach centres and Further Education and Training (FET) centres. The winning entries are: Short Film secondary schools’ general category: Winner - Lighter Than Air Stepaside Educate Together Secondary School Short Film category (includes Youthreach and Further Education and Training): Winner - Driven by GratitudeEnniscorthy Youthreach Speaking about this key initiative from Walk in My Shoes competition judge and Movies Editor with the RTÉ Guide said: “I am delighted to once again be part of the judging panel for the Frame of Mind competition these young filmmakers use creative expression to showcase not only their talent in filmmaking but in exploring the theme of mental health and gratitude Read also: Dundalk people encouraged to sign up for Darkness Into Light Walk "This competition is an opportunity for students and young people to engage in positive conversations around mental health and in turn reduce stigma amongst their peers Congratulations to each and every one of the entrants in this year’s competition for their outstanding contributions.” The winning films were selected by a panel of expert judges comprising Michael Doherty from the RTÉ Guide; Tom Maher Director of Services at St Patrick’s Mental Health Services; Eibh Collins Shorts Programmer for the Galway Film Fleadh and Film and TV Manager at the National Talent Academies; and actor and filmmaker John Connors Entries were marked on their adherence to the brief and theme artistic and technical merit and overall experience of the short film First-place entrants in each category won a €1,000 cash prize for their school or education centre while runners-up received €500 A playlist of all shortlisted and winning films will be available to view on Walk in My Shoes’ YouTube channel There’s no doubting Louth made life difficult for themselves against Carlow in Sunday’s Leinster LGFA Junior Championship group stage game in Drogheda surrendering a 13-point - 5-6 to 0-8 - lead they held early in the second half to hang on to win by just two points It shouldn't have been so difficult for Louth who were in a real winning position but for whatever reason it almost slipped away Something was disappointed team manager Kevin Larkin it's two weeks-in a-row now we're not happy with our performance but I suppose we're getting the results,” he said after the game “At half-time we came out and we had the girls riled up to try and do what we did in the in the first half but we just let Carlow back into it with sloppy play and maybe the work-rate dipped a bit they played really well and they were 100pc up for the game and take nothing away from them They were brilliant but definitely there’s stuff we can work on going forward anyway.” everything appeared to be going according to plan Playing into the wind Louth scored four goals and looked to be well in control at half-time turning around with the breeze in your backs “I suppose the Cavan game we played here as well I think we were three points up at half-time and we had the wind in the second half as well you can't really depend on the wind to win you a game,” Larkin said we'll go back to the drawing board on Wednesday One of the big plusses for Louth was the performance and finishing Mischa Rooney with the Hunterstown Rovers player accounting for 3-1 naturally was full of praise for the wing forward She's so young as well…she's doing her Leaving Cert,” the Louth boss said “She's brilliant and she hasn't got many minutes and that's what I love about her She came in and took her chance and she's given us a real headache because I don't think she missed “But that's the type of panel that we have they need to take it and in fairness to Mischa she was absolutely brilliant But even the build-up to those goals was something that was really positive but we just didn't do it in the second half fist passes to the feet and things like that it's stuff we can clear up in training and we just have to work on that going forward.” Both sides on Sunday shook up their teams making numerous changes before the game from the teams listed in the programme with Carlow making five and Louth seven Larkin was asked was that much of a risk to take we believe in our panel and you need a panel to win,” he said “I don't know if any team has won anything with 15 players and we had said at the start of the year that girls who didn't get much game time [in the league] were going to get game time in Leinster and in fairness it's the girls who are coming in are the ones who were playing really well “But it's the strength of our panel and it's something that we really focus on we're happy to get the win today but the performance just wasn't good enough in the second half.” Louth left it late the previous weekend against Longford with captain Áine Breen’s coming to the rescue with late scores to secure the win Obviously Louth would have looked at that situation and would have been anxious to avoid a similar scenario so was it the case now of Larkin and his management team trying to redress any identified issues with one more group game to go and a final assured against Carlow or Longford It’s not panic stations or anything like that cleaning up the fist pass and then just our general play,” said Larkin “We’re not hitting the panic button or anything Longford didn't score from play in the second half we just need to put it together for 60 minutes and get a result." Larkin was asked how much of surrendering such a strong lead was human nature does it perhaps get inside players' heads that they've done enough to win and the opposition are beaten long before the final whistle Maybe players aren't going 100pc for balls that they were in the first half “Carlow are a good team and the same with Longford They are an excellent team as well and you can't take these things for granted You just have to win every ball and put that 60-minute performance in we'll tidy it up in training and we'll work on it I suppose the good thing is when we look back we did get the two results and we feel like we haven't played as well as we could do or played as well as we did in the league so we know we have plenty to work on but we're in a good position all the same.” In terms of where Louth are overall in the season narrowly missing out on league promotion and now you're into a Leinster final in the overall scheme of things was Larkin happy where Louth are at at the minute we have high standards on this team and when we don't meet them we put in performances like we did in the second half today…and the girls know that,” said the Louth manager I don't have to tell them that that's not good enough They know themselves that that second half performance wasn't good enough So we’ll get back in the training ground and just work on our basics because like I said we've put in two good first half performances and one good second half performance We just need to sustain it for 60 minutes.” Larkin can’t but have noticed all the talk around Louth football teams how well they're going at present – had he spotted a little bit of a spring in the steps of his players during training as it seems the whole county is feeling it at the minute he’s a lovely fella and he's done a fantastic job He's a real honest man and he just works so hard and that's reflected in the team and even the U20s winning “A bit of success gets the whole county going and I said it to our players They're the ones that need to spring on ladies football so it's great getting to these finals and things like that but you need to get over the line and win them I'm delighted for Ger and delighted for everybody in Louth It's all positive but we need to start winning trophies now.” SoccerDrogheda Town Dragons on fire as they celebrate U12 title in North Dublin LeagueDROGHEDA Town U12 Dragons celebrated their league success on Sunday morning as they were crowned North Dublin Schoolboy League ‘C’ champions for the 2024/25 season Louth County Council has announced the winners of its art and design competition Louth County Council has announced the winners of its art and design competition which forms part of the local authority’s ongoing campaign to raise awareness about Dog Fouling The competition was aimed at school children around the county whose winning designs will feature on litter bins and community spaces throughout County Louth Entrants were tasked with designing a fun and humorous A4 sticker to be displayed on litter bins across County Louth and a fun and engaging A3 poster to raise awareness. The winners and their respective schools are below: "your creativity will help spread an important message and will be used to help raise awareness and remind everyone to clean up after their dogs!" 16 Vacant Property Refurbishment grant applications have been approved in Louth in the first three months of this year (Q1) which has brought more homes back into residential use news which has been welcomed by Cllr Robert Nash The Dundalk South Councillor said that the grant is supporting people across Louth to bring these vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes “The Vacant Property Refurbishment grant was introduced to help bring derelict properties back to life as affordable homes. So far in Louth over €992k in grants have been drawn down in the first Quarter of 2025" “We can see the number of grants being paid out continuing to rise significantly each time works on properties are completed. It’s fantastic to see so many people in Louth availing of this grant. 16 applications have been approved in Louth with a total of 22 applications made in 2025 so far, and I hope to see a continued increase in approved applications throughout 2025.  “Across the country, €112.5 million has been paid out since the grant was launched in July 2022 showing the importance of the scheme.  Read next: https://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/news/local-news/1787169/leo-louth-announces-new-head-of-enterprise.html Louth County Council has received 268 applications since the scheme's inception with 193 applications approved and over €2,945,959 paid out “The grant helps repurpose the buildings we already have, so we are boosting available accommodation whilst also rejuvenating our towns and urban centres" “Fine Gael is committed to helping more people in County Louth own their own home and increasing supply is key to achieving that. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant helps bring buildings back into use and revitalises our communities." Cllr Mhic Conchoille said she is disappointed in the Council’s decision not to provide parking spaces for those with hidden disabilities’ represented by the Sunflower symbol Cllr Fiona Mhic Conchoille has said she is "disappointed in Louth County Council’s decision not to provide car parking spaces for those with hidden disabilities" which she says "indicates a lack of understanding of the needs of those with a non-visible disability" In a motion at the Louth County Council April meeting, Cllr Mhic Conchoille asked that Louth County Council would "examine the provision of special parking spaces in our county's car parks for individuals with hidden disabilities similar to existing disability parking spaces "These spaces would be clearly marked with a sunflower symbol and appropriate lining relying on the public to respect them and leave them available for individuals with sensory or hidden disabilities this initiative would not create any additional administrative burden on the council." Replying to Cllr Mhic Conchoille's motion Director of Placemaking and Physical Development said: "While acknowledging the sentiment of the Notice of Motion it is not proposed to provide any additional parking designations beyond the current statutory provided for Disability parking spaces which are subject to regulatory enforcement." In a statement following the April meeting a disappointed Cllr Mhic Conchoille said that : “The sunflower has become internationally recognised as the symbol of hidden disabilities as not all disabilities are immediately obvious.  Read also: Louth County Council confirms source of strong odour on Dublin Road "These parking spaces are designed to offer a safe location for individuals who may need extra time or assistance when getting in and out of their vehicles and are not blue badge holders. This would improve access to local facilities. Hidden disabilities can include conditions such as autism, acquired brain injury, sight or hearing impairments, learning difficulties, and chronic illnesses. “Individuals often experience pain, fatigue, and feelings of isolation, which can lead to a lack of empathy from those around them. This lack of visible indicators can make it difficult for others to understand the struggles faced by people with hidden disabilities.” Cllr Mhic Conchoille said that pilot schemes for similar initiatives are already underway in other counties across the country, which she said suggests that Louth could implement this system with minimal costs and effort. She added that Waterford City and County Council was the first local authority in Ireland to introduce Sunflower parking spaces and plan to add more in the city and county in the near future. Additionally, Cork, Westmeath, and other county councils have followed suit. According to Hidden Disabilities, one in five people in Ireland lives with some form of disability, and 80% of these are living with a non-visible disability.  Cllr Mhic Conchoille urged Louth County Council to reconsider its previous decision against implementing these parking spaces, and acknowledged that they are meeting their statutory requirements, but asked “is doing the bare statutory minimum enough to make people with hidden disabilities feel included in our society? “The introduction of Sunflower Parking Spaces would not only raise awareness but also provide critical support to individuals facing daily challenges due to hidden disabilities. By educating the public about the sunflower symbol and what it represents, there is potential to enhance understanding and promote greater empathy for those in need. “I urge Louth County Council to reconsider their decision and help create a more inclusive environment and improve the quality of life for individuals with hidden disabilities through this relatively low-cost initiative.” FINAL COUNTDOWN: Louth manager Ger Brennan at Oldbridge House, Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre in Drogheda. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile Speaking at the launch of the Leinster final at The Battle of The Boyne Visitor Centre outside Drogheda yesterday Brennan said he was upset Louth didn’t have access to two dressing rooms for their clash in Glenisk O’Connor Park as the two other changing areas were required by Kildare’s Milltown and Westmeath club Rosemount "It was a silly venue and there was a Leinster intermediate league final on before the Louth and Kildare match so we didn't have access to two dressing rooms," explained Brennan "We were all squashed into one dressing room How that was organised before a semi-final of the Leinster championship was just incredible.”  Brennan claims the experience was a difficult one for Kildare too “I was talking to Brian Flanagan beforehand I know him over the years and he's a sound fella And we were there looking at each other because you have the guts of 15 or 16 in a backroom team and then you have 30 lads togging out And you have another seven or eight fellas who didn't make the squad or are injured it was a bit of a disgrace and badly organised from the Leinster Council." Brennan only became aware of it when the priest that married him and his wife Aisling and baptised his children 'I'll be down supporting Rosemount before your match' and he sent me on the advertisement for it So I rang the county board and asked them were they aware of it and they said no The former Dublin defender felt the game should have been staged in Croke Park “I know the Louth and Kildare lads would rather have played in Croke Park so I actually don't think it was a good move to take the semi-finals out of Croke Park on this occasion But then would Meath have finished the game as strongly Over 32,000 tickets have already been sold for Sunday week’s Louth-Meath Leinster SFC final The attendance is on course to be the biggest for the event since 47,027 attended the Dublin-Meath decider in 2019 The 2010 Louth-Meath decider attracted 48,875 Leinster vice-chairman Martin Byrne said: “I think the council showed a good bit of leadership this year we brought the semi-finals out of Croke Park for the first time in a long time Kildare played their first game in a Leinster championship at home this year All those things help create the occasions for those special days which ends up with where we are on Sunday week.”  Louth captain Sam Mulroy has welcomed the news that funding has been secured for the county board to go ahead with the first phase of a new 14,000-capacity stadium outside Dundalk "There has been a big push on to get it done over the last number of years I think everyone who saw the news the other day was absolutely buzzing that they were getting the green light and can push it on again I know in the background from talking to Seán [McClean county chairman] and even Peter [Fitzpatrick former chairman] in times gone past how hard they have worked to get it done and it's great credit to them It's a massive thing for Louth's future and somewhere to call home." From as little as €1 a week with our digital introductory offer Already a subscriber? Sign in more leinster gaa articles By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser You have accepted push notifications for this content. If you would like to manage your push notification preferences, you can do so here There has been an almost 25% increase in the number of EVs registered in Louth so far this year There has been a 24.5% increase in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) registered in Louth so far this year according to the latest figures released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) According to the SIMI official 251 new vehicle registration statistics for April, 172 new cars overall were registered in Louth last month It is a 15.4% increase on the 149 registered in the county in April 2024 and follows on from a 23.9% increase in new car registrations in Louth in March 1,693 new cars have been registered in Louth up 6% on the 1,597 registered in the first three months of last year While petrol cars remain the most popular type of vehicle in Louth so far this year the number registered has fallen by 13.3% compared to the same period last year with 516 registered compared to 595 in the first four months of last year 266 EVs have been registered in Louth so far this year with petrol/plug-in electric hybrids seeing an even bigger percentage increase. 183 have been registered in Louth in the first four months of this year compared to 104 in the same period last year representing an increase of 76%. Petrol electric hybrids have also increased significantly representing a 24.5% increase on the 375 registered up to the end of April last year Read also: Louth Garda seriously injured after van rams into him during Ardee patrol Nationally, new car registrations for April were up 1.9% (8,731) when compared to April 2024 (8,565). Registrations year to date are up 3.4% (73,505) on the same period last year (71,063). Imported Used Cars have seen a 0.8% (5,249) rise in April 2025, when compared to April 2024 (5,205). Year to date imports are up 7.5% (22,237) on 2024 (20,693). In April 1,343 new electric cars were registered, which was 23.7% higher than the 1,086 registrations in April 2024. So far this year, 11,311 new electric cars have been registered, representing a 25.5% increase compared to the same period in 2024 when 9,015 electric cars were registered. In the new car market share by engine type for 2025, Petrol cars retain the new car market lead at 27.68%, followed by Hybrid (Petrol Electric) at 23.66%, Diesel at 17.36%, Electric at 15.39%, and Plug-in Electric Hybrid at 14.29%. Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General commented: “April new car registrations saw a marginal rise of 1.9% when compared to the same month last year. Year-to-date registrations increased by 3.4% on last year, with a total of 73,505 new cars registered. New electric vehicle sales have rebounded this year, experiencing a fourth consecutive month of growth. "EV registrations are 23.7% ahead of April last year, and year to date increased by 25.5%, representing 11,311 new electric cars. EV sales have increased in 25 counties during the first four months of the year and SIMI welcomes Minister O’Brien’s announcement on the Regional and Local EV Charging Network Plan. Such initiatives are vital to provide rural drivers with more confidence in EVs. "The Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) market saw an improvement in April with a 15% increase in sales, a positive result following the decline in sales in the first Quarter of the year. LCVs remain 9% behind for the year to date. Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) registrations are down 14.6% in April and 8% year to date.” Bringing you live local breaking news, sport, politics, weather & more in Dundalk and Louth Read the latest crime and court news from Dundalk, Louth and the surrounding areas, Co Louth Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles! Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day. Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism! Highest temperatures ranging from a cool 9 degrees in the north and north east to 15 degrees Sunday morning will be dry with sunny spells. Some well scattered showers will develop in the afternoon, mostly likely over Leinster and parts of Munster. Highest temperatures ranging from a cool 9 degrees in the north and north east to 15 degrees in the southwest with light to moderate northeasterly breezes. On Sunday night, any lingering showers will die out to give a dry night with clear spells. Lowest temperatures of 2 to 7 degrees. Win HappyPremiumSearch Rayogreatest hitslincolnshirenewsInvestigation launched after woman's body found in LouthA woman in her 40s was believed to be deceased at a property Lincolnshire Police have launched an investigation into the death of a woman in Louth The force were called to St Bernards Close in the town following a report that a woman in her 40s was believed to be deceased at a property Officers arrived and confirmed that to be the case Formal identification has yet to take place but the believed next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specially-trained officers A 40-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the investigation In a statement police said: "At this stage we are keeping an open mind about the cause and circumstances of her death "This is where we need the help of our community "Where you in or around the St Bernards Close area or in the wider town centre between 12 midnight and 4pm today "Do you have footage or other information about any unusual activity or noises in that area particularly the St Bernards Close location during that timeframe "Any information you have will be valuable for our detectives as they work to understand what has happened." saying they expect to be there for the next few days Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app. Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited Company number: 1394141Registered office: Media House Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern London NW1 2PL All registered in England and Wales VAT no 918 5617 01H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898) Saturday night will be dry with clear spells for most Saturday will be generally dry with sunny spells A band of cloud and perhaps a few spots of light rain through the northern half of Leinster in the morning moving southwards and clearing the south coast by late afternoon with good sunshine following Highest temperatures of 13 to 15 degrees with moderate northerly winds.Saturday night will be dry with clear spells for most Lowest temperatures of 3 to 8 degrees in light to moderate northerly winds Night-time scheme will improve popular route said: “These resurfacing works are going to make a very big difference to the road in Louth and this scheme has brought up some challenges to overcome “Because of the businesses in the area and the need to lessen the work impact on them we’ve come up with a nighttime scheme to try and reduce impact “We will also be lifting the traffic diversion at the end of each shift where possible We will also have marshals on-site to help with pedestrian and traffic flow throughout the scheme “This work needs to be carried out to prolong the life of the road and to make an improvement for road users in Louth but we will be doing everything we can to lessen disruption.” The works will be carried out at Riverhead Road The works will begin on Thursday January 9 and have a scheduled end date of Monday January 20 Work times onsite will be from Monday to Friday 22.00 to 06.00 A road closure is required for the duration of the works with a diversion route in place throughout The diversion will be lifted at the end of each shift Traffic and pedestrian marshals will be on-site to help with traffic control A no parking restriction will be in place for the duration of the works There are two signed diversion routes for these works: Cllr Davies added: “This will cost around £115,000 to bring this improvement to Louth and the scheme involves a crew replacing the existing road surface which has reached the end of its lifecycle “This improvement is another part of our ongoing road uplift across the county and because of the nature of the work we have to put a diversion route using like-for-like roads in place This is for the safety of road users and the crew.  Cllr Davies added: "This will cost around £115,000 to bring this improvement to Louth and the scheme involves a crew replacing the existing road surface “We will do everything possible to get this work completed as quickly as possible and I would like to thank everyone effected for their patience and understanding whilst we get on with this improvement.” For up-to-date information about this and other roadworks, please visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/roadworks All content © 2025 Lincolnshire County Council A new section of footway will be built on Wood Lane near St Bernard’s School in Louth we’ll be starting work to extend the footway along Wood Lane to create a safer route to and from the school We’ll also be resurfacing and re-lining Wood Lane’s junction with St Bernard’s Avenue while on site “We’ll be doing all we can to keep disruption to a minimum including carrying out the phase of works just outside the school during half term parents and staff won’t be affected during term time.” said: “I’m very pleased that the county council’s highways team will be starting work to extend the Wood Lane footpath next month paved footway to use when walking to school.” Monday 10 February for up to two weeks (subject to weather) from its junction with St Bernard’s Avenue to in front of St Bernard’s School Phase 2: closure of Wood Lane directly in front of St Bernard’s School  For up-to-date information about this and other roadworks, please visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/roadworks LONG TIME COMING: Louth celebrate with the trophy The first-half of a landmark Leinster football championship double for success-starved Louth Wee County supporters will certainly hope so after watching their U20s produce a burst of third-quarter scoring in Newbridge to secure a first provincial win at the grade since 1981 Beating Meath in Newbridge also amounted to sweet revenge after last year's defeat to their neighbours Fergal Reel's Louth side were a cut above this time with a brilliant team performance that the holders had no answer to First-half goals from senior panellist Pearse Grimes Murphy and Adam Gillespie were important But it was the eight points that Louth reeled off without response in the third quarter to go 10 points clear at that stage that set the seal on a truly memorable win Gillespie and Grimes Murphy finished with 1-3 each while Tony and Tadhg McDonnell slotted some super scores after the break Meath threw the kitchen sink at it late on but blasted 10 second-half wides in all as Louth forced them into error after error Louth’s James Maguire celebrates at the final whistle Pic: Ryan Byrne/InphoLouth will face freshly minted Connacht champions Mayo in an All-Ireland semi-final in mid-May They will also hope that having ended one provincial hoodoo at Meath's expense they can do the same on Sunday week when the seniors also take on the Royals at Croke Park The fact that both teams were even in this U-20 final marked significant progress Both counties lost all of their games at the minor grade three years ago They've made giant strides since and holders Meath returned to the U-20 final with three starters from last year's U-20 final win; AFL-bound Eamonn Armstrong full-forward Jamie Murphy and Rian Stafford The trio contributed 0-7 between them in a terrific first-half that Louth edged by 2-8 to 1-8 Louth retained seven starters in their team from last year's final at Parnell Park; captain Sean Callaghan Callaghan and Grimes Murphy are all senior panellists and their quality shone through Grimes Murphy struck 1-3 of Louth's first-half tally opening the scoring for his team with a two-pointer His goal just before half-time was a real boost and separated the sides at the break Dorian set him free with a hand-pass over the top on the left of goals and Grimes Murphy rocketed a shot beyond goalkeeper Matthew Kealy capitalising on the surprising amount of time he was afforded with a blistering left-footed finish Meath did lead for spells in a back-and-forth first first-half with Tadhg Martyn netting in the final for the second-half in a row in the 10th minute It was still anyone's game but Louth took a giant step towards victory with that eight-point burst between the 34th and 42nd minutes The first two points in the blitz came from sweeping moves up the pitch after Meath had butchered scoring chances at the other end It was clinical stuff from Louth who didn't waste a ball and Tadhg McDonnell rounded off the siege with a 42nd-minute two-pointer Meath tried their best to reel in the 10-point deficit but not even a couple of two-pointers from Michael McIvor made much difference Tony and Tadhg McDonnell kept Louth ticking over with timely points and finished with 0-8 split evenly between them Djenairo Daniels's brace for Cork City was not enough to secure any points against Drogheda United Niamh McShane (LMETB Regional Literacy Coordinator) Healthy Louth has been awarded €20,000 from the Adult Literacy for Life (ALL) Collaboration and Innovation Fund to deliver an expanded version of the Irish Homeless Street League in County Louth.  The funding will support the development of ‘Health Kicks’ a unique project that combines weekly football with on-site health checks and practical health information for individuals affected by or at risk of homelessness The initiative is being delivered in partnership with the Irish Homeless Street League and is led by Healthy Louth under the remit of the Healthy Ireland Programme Weekly football sessions are already underway every Tuesday at Quay Celtic and enjoy physical activity in a supportive environment With support from the Adult Literacy for Life (ALL) Collaboration & Innovation Fund helping participants better understand health information and access local supports with confidence Read also: Glenveagh asks High Court to overturn decision by Louth councillors “This funding is a game-changer,” said Paula Keenan “We’re taking football as a starting point Health Kicks is about meeting people where they are and helping them to move forward.” said: “Louth is showing leadership with this model and when that’s paired with education and health supports Health Kicks is designed in close collaboration with local service providers and the participants themselves comfortable settings. The project will be evaluated through surveys and ongoing feedback to measure improvements in participants’ health knowledge compassionate approach to inclusion and health and it’s exactly the kind of work that makes a real difference.” Adult Literacy for Life Coordinator for Louth & Meath saying: “Health Kicks is a fantastic example of how literacy goes beyond reading and writing It’s about giving people the confidence and understanding to make informed choices in their daily lives We’re proud to support a project that brings health learning to life in such an accessible and innovative way.” Healthy Louth hopes the model will act as a blueprint for similar projects in other counties The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response Louth 2-16 Laois 0-17 A good effort by Laois but they fall just short They now play in the Tailteann Cup while Louth advance to face Kildare in the Leinster semi-finals Ciaran Byrne scores Louth's second goal Another fightback for Laois as they trail by one Laois continue to battle as Mark Barry scores Ryan Burns scores a penalty as Louth come out of the blocks quickly An interesting first half as Laois come from behind to lead Louth Laois pull it back level before Downey scores to put Louth back in front We are underway in St Conleth's Park Hello and welcome to live coverage as Louth take on Laois in the Leinster Football Championship Louth brought Dublin the whole way in the 2024 final and will be hoping to build on that for 2025 Ger Brennan's said were brought down to reality somewhat in the league as they narrowly avoided relegation but will be hoping for a straightforward performance against Laois A win for Laois keeps their hopes alive of competing in the All-Ireland series but a loss condemns them to the Tailteann Cup the tournament that they made the final of last year Today's game takes place at St Conleth's Park in Newbridge with throw-in set for 3pm The game has not been selected for TV or streaming coverage but we will have all the updates right here Click the 'Next >' arrow above or 'Next Story' below to go through the gallery Our photographer Arthur Kinahan was on hand to snap pictures from Louth minor footballers' 3-16 to 3-12 victory against Westmeath in the Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Football Championship In the battle of the North East in the final of the Leinster Under 20 Football Championship down at a sun kissed Newbridge on Wednesday night it was Fergal Reel's Louth who emerged victorious on a 2-19 to 1-15 score line becoming the first team from the County to land a Provincial title in the grade And what a spectacle supporters were treated to as both teams showed the hunger and intensity we've come to expect from derby battles. But it was during the third quarter that the match was ultimately decided with Louth producing a scintillating run of 7 scores without reply which put them into a 10 point lead and on course for victory Meath eventually clawed the deficit back to 6 at one stage helped on by two Michael McIvor two pointers However some of their shooting let them down when they needed scores Tony McDonnell's injury time score made it a 7 point game again and Louth were able to see out the last few minutes for a famous victory. The winning captain was Sean Callaghan of Ardee St Marys. Louth forward Tony McDonnell was asked if it had all sunk in yet. Meath manager Cathal Ó Bric tried his best to gather his thoughts at the end. A comprehensive funding package has been agreed between Louth GAA and Croke Park to start the first phase of development on the county's new stadium in Dundalk The package was announced at a county board meeting on Monday night and represents a significant breakthrough for Louth in their pursuit of a modern The construction period is expected to last approximately 16 months with the stadium to host games with an initial capacity of approximately 6,000 spectators upon completion of phase one RTÉ Sport understands that the first phase will cost up to €24m Louth GAA’s share of the cost is in the region of €5m with €1.5m coming directly from clubs via an agreed levy and the remaining €3.5m coming from fundraising In 2023 Croke Park ordered Louth to pause their plans for a 14,000-capacity stadium pending a reassessment A county spokesperson confirmed to RTÉ Sport that funding has been secured from several sources "Government funding for the stadium has already been secured In addition we have several other revenue streams We have several funding avenues and these are all vital in ensuring that we build the stadium the Government and fundraising initiatives." Phase one will include the development of a south seated stand (4,080 seats); a full-size playing pitch with a state of the art floodlighting system; while east and west standing sections will be incorporated behind both goals with car parking and an auxiliary building provided for essential facilities Development of phase two will subsequently commence as funding allows which will further enhance the stadium’s capacity and facilities "This is a momentous day for all Gaelic games in County Louth," said Séan McClean we are thrilled to secure the necessary funding to begin construction on this state-of-the-art facility We express our sincere gratitude to GAA Headquarters and all our clubs within Louth GAA for their unwavering support in bringing this project to fruition "This new stadium will not only provide an excellent home for Louth county and club teams but will also serve as a hub for community activities and foster the continued growth of Gaelic games in the region." The development comes at a time when Louth's senior Under-20s and minor footballers are all thriving in their respective championships RTÉ.ie is the website of Raidió Teilifís Éireann RTÉ is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Tony McDonnell of Louth kicks a free during the Dalata Hotel Group Leinster GAA Football U20 Championship final against Meath at Cedral St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge Louth football is celebrating a long-awaited breakthrough after the county’s U20s claimed their first Leinster title in over four decades The young Reds put in a stellar shift to defeat defending champions Meath Conleth’s Park in Newbridge on Wednesday night READ MORE: Louth book their place in Leinster MFC semi-final with victory over the Lake County Among the standout performers was Dundalk Gaels' ace Tony McDonnell who played a central role in this landmark win Emotions were still raw and the occasion just sinking in when we caught up with the U20 star post-match McDonnell was still soaking up the atmosphere visibly emotional after the final whistle I'm just sitting up in the stand there and I'm just trying to take it all in It's an absolutely phenomenal feeling and I can't believe it “We've worked extremely hard for this from December to winter onwards and all the work has just paid off now and we're not done here “We want to go on even though there's so much history since last time we won this We want to move on and get on to the next.” Beating the reigning champions took grit and a team-first mentality something McDonnell says has been ingrained in the squad “All 30 members of the panel worked extremely hard there for every single one of us Everyone bought into it and all the managers and coaching all over the years have been building up to this “Even last year that squad was built on and we're extremely grateful for that and you know luckily it's paid off this year.” with both teams trading blows and the crowd fully engaged It was definitely a spectacle for everyone watching and we're extremely grateful for all the fans and all the fans coming down here and what a match.” finding a rhythm in attack and breaking up Meath’s momentum “Everything just started to click at the end of it They didn't win it last year for the craic What an actual team we played against there and you know what a game.” but Louth’s defensive pressure made them work hard for every score we were lucky for that but then again it was it was our defence putting pressure out and we really focused on that because obviously they have forwards who can kick two-pointers for fun “So we had really focused on pressing up on that 40-meter arc and you know the pressure paid off.” throwing themselves into tackles and blocks “Everyone put the bodies on the line there there's everyone buying into it and you know very brave from every single player on the pitch there tonight.” the pain of last year’s disappointment added fuel to the fire McDonnell himself wasn’t on that side but saw the hunger first-hand “I wasn't part of the team last year and I know even speaking to some of the lads “You know coming this year we were really hungry for it and everyone bought into it and you know everyone was really up for it tonight 100% and showed on the pitch there tonight.” These are exciting times for Louth football at every level with the seniors and minors making waves too “Great times and you know we'll enjoy tonight but we'll move on to the next.” An All-Ireland semi-final now awaits against Mayo the team will take a well-earned moment to enjoy what they’ve achieved Seamus Ward at his allotment in Muirhvenamor celebrating Earth Day Muirhevnamor Allotments and Community Garden recently celebrated and highlighted Earth Day and plot holders shared their thoughts on what Earth Day and the allotments, at Hoey’s Lane in Dundalk, Co Louth Earth Day "means looking after the earth and the ground you are cultivating.  The soil will only give you what you put into it." He said: “My allotment is a place to relax it is my therapy and a place to communicate with fellow allotment holders.  It means fresh veg and there is nothing like picking a fresh scallion from the ground It could be sitting in the shop a week plus so much is now wrapped in plastic I'm 76 years of age and this allotment keeps me alive” Joanne Connolly said the allotment project has come to her "with sweet timing". She said: “We are a trio on our patch and this has created so much ‘can do’ sharing the know-how and muddling through!  "I am grateful that as a family we are involved in a community project care and effort of growing food is tangible Eileen Carter said her the allotment means "food for the body food for the spirit and for the soul and meeting and sharing with lovely people". She said: “Earth Day means appreciating our planet and helping it in any small way one can” Earth Day means "staying connected to the land and living in a way that represents nature". He said: “It reminds me of home family and the sense of community that comes caring for the earth together It’s all about living sustainably and giving back to what gives us so much.  Read also: Dundalk company speaks out on Louth zoning decision “The allotment is a space where you can slow down get your hands in the dirt and feel connected to something real It’s about growing food but also peace of mind patience and connection with the small natural miracles happening every day For more information see Facebook – Muirhevnamor Allotments and Community Garden Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.