The following is a summary of Louth county football team's 2024 season.
Competitions O'Byrne Cup
Fixtures
O'Byrne Shield Teams defeated in their first match played in a shield tournament, which Louth won.
Fixtures
National Football League Division 2
Louth began with an away fixture against Armagh.
On 6 December 2023, the GAA announced that all Division 2 Round 7 games would be played separately from the Round 7 games in Division 1, 3 and 4, on Saturday, 23 March 2024, at 19:00, including Kildare v Louth at Dr Cullen Park. The rest of the fixtures were also confirmed on 6 December 2023.
Table
Fixtures
Leinster Senior Football Championship
The draw for the 2024 Leinster Championship was made on 21 October 2023, with Louth drawn to face Carlow or Wexford in the quarter-final.
Niall Sharkey went travelling after the Leinster Championship.
Bracket
Fixtures
GK1 Stephen Cluxton (Parnells)RCB2 Cian Murphy (Thomas Davis) FB3 Michael Fitzsimons (Cuala)LCB4 Eoin Murchan (Na Fianna)RHB5 Tom Lahiff (St Jude's)CHB6 John Small (Ballymun Kickhams)LHB7 Seán Bugler (St Oliver Plunketts/Eoghan Ruadh) MF8 Brian Fenton (Raheny)MF9 James McCarthy (Ballymun Kickhams) (c)RHF10 Ciarán Kilkenny (Castleknock)CHF11 Cormac Costello (St Vincent's)LHF12 Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge Street)RCF13 Paul Mannion (Kilmacud Crokes)FF14 Con O'Callaghan (Cuala)LCF15 Colm Basquel (Ballyboden St Enda's)Substitutes: 16 Jack McCaffrey (Clontarf) for Scully 17 Paddy Small (Ballymun Kickhams) for Basquel 18 Brian Howard (Raheny) for Lahiff 19 Ross McGarry (Ballyboden St Enda's) for Bugler 20 Killian McGinnis (Skerries Harps) for Mannion GK1 Niall McDonnell (St Fechin's)RCB2 Dan Corcoran (Geraldines)FB3 Peter Lynch (Roche Emmets)LCB4 Donal McKenny (St Mary's)RHB5 Niall Sharkey (Glyde Rangers) CHB6 Anthony Williams (Dreadnots)LHB7 Conall McKeever (Clan na Gael)MF8 Tommy Durnin (Inniskeen Grattans, Monaghan)MF9 Bevan Duffy (St Fechin's)RHF10 Ciarán Downey (Newtown Blues)CHF11 Ciarán Keenan (St Mary's)LHF12 Conor Grimes (Glen Emmets)RCF13 Leonard Grey (St Patrick's)FF14 Sam Mulroy (Naomh Máirtin) (c)LCF15 Craig Lennon (St Mochta's)Substitutes: 16 Dermot Campbell (Dreadnots) for Sharkey 17 Conor Early (Na Fianna, Dublin) for Williams 18 Ciarán Byrne (St Mochta's) for Durnin 19 Ryan Burns (Hunterstown Rovers) for Keenan 20 Liam Jackson (St Mary's) for Grey
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Louth were drawn into Group 4.
Table
Fixtures
Louth advanced to a preliminary quarter-final against Cork, which they won, in a surprise victory to qualify for a first ever All-Ireland SFC quarter-final. Louth were knocked out in the quarter-final.
Notable events Louth appeared in consecutive Leinster finals for the first time since 1957 and 1958. defeated in the championship for the first time since 1975. reached the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals for the first time. (They had reached the semi-finals and final on previous occasions, but had not reached the quarter-finals since that stage was introduced in 2001.) Sam Mulroy scored seven goals in league and championship.
James Califf retired ahead of this season.
This was Niall McDonnell's breakthrough season. McDonnell first played for Louth against Meath in the 2024 O'Byrne Cup, followed by his National League debut against Armagh in the 2024 NFL.
Four Louth players were nominated for All Stars at the end of the season: Tommy Durnin, Donal McKenny, Craig Lennon, and captain Sam Mulroy.
References