'Why not us?' - Sam Mulroy on Louth's belief as they end 68-year wait for Leinster glory
“IT’S HARD TO find the words, probably, right now,” Sam Mulroy begins.
He has just captained Louth to their first Leinster title in 68 years.
“It’s a very special feeling, and I suppose like I said when we were collecting the cup, it’s probably that group of players believed when no one else believed. To stand up there for them and collect that trophy was something I can remember for the rest of my life.”
A day of days in Croke Park, a 3-14 to 1-18 victory over neighbours Meath.
The tables turned on 2010, as the Wee county ended a long wait to get their hands on the Delaney Cup.
Their rise has been well documented; Ger Brennan overseeing the Leinster breakthrough after previous progression under Mickey Harte.
Belief has been at the heart of it all, Mulroy insists.
“I suppose it’s a case of, do we keep going on like we don’t believe or keep playing like that or keep believing like that.
“You have to change something. If nothing changes, nothing changes.
“I suppose when we set out on this journey a number of years back, it was about taking it step by step, setback by setback — and this group is very resilient.
“You’re just building. You’re stacking evidence every day that you can do something special. Obviously the lads have come in and pushed us on further.
“It’s one of those things. Why not us? That was in the back of my head.”
Mulroy hailed the “dedication, effort and buy-in from everyone bringing it to a new level and demanding more of themselves” through the upturn.
“People coming in, like Ger, and demanding more from us and seeing the bigger picture that we can do it,” he added.
“As Ger always says, they have two legs and two arms, just like us. No matter who we’re playing. It was just a case of bringing everyone up to a level and up the ante and going after what we had to go after.”
That they did, in a dramatic Croke Park decider. Mulroy led the charge with 1-7 in a Player of the Match performance, putting some disappointing wides behind him to land key scores down the stretch.
“Ger was giving out to me in the first half. I was probably trying to look for them too soon. I knew then in the second half the space would open up a bit more. I snatched at one or two early on. You have to keep backing yourself and take a shot.”
Mulroy’s two-point free in the 65th minute moved Louth ahead, before All-Star Craig Lennon added the insurance score as they controlled the closing stages.
“I thought our boys showed serious composure and strategy. We managed it really well.”
And then, up the steps of the Hogan.
Why not Louth?
No words needed.
- With reporting from Fintan O’Toole
- Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here
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