Naomh Mairtin's brave challenge in the SFC came unstuck at the quarter-final stage, but the club did at least manage to get their hands on some County Board silverware in 2010, capturing the Division 4C title with a thrilling victory over Na Piarsaigh in the final during the first weekend of August. Clubmen JP Rooney and Mick Fanning were also instrumental in the county team's historic year, so all in all it was a commendable year for the Monasterboice men. 

Any trophy is always welcome in the GAA world and so it proved as Naomh Mairtin defeated Na Piarsaigh by 0-15 to 3-6 after extra time in the 2010 Division 4C final at The Grove, Castlebellingham on Saturday August 7th. The winners played more fluently throughout but their opponents' capacity to conjure goals proved troublesome as the sides finished level at full time, 0-12 to 3-3. Na Piarsaigh had led by 2-2 to 0-6 at the interval.
Naomh Mairtin fired over three successive points at the start of extra time and, even though the Dundalk outfit managed to reduce the gap to the minimum, held on for an exciting victory, with the following personnel on duty: Ciaran Byrne; Alan Dowling, Martin Byrne, Graham McQuillan; Justin McCarville, Brian Howell, Eoin Wright; Gavin Mooney, Ollie Ginty; Patrick Halligan (0-3), Brian Berrill (0-1), Andrew Fox; Lee Wright (0-1), Damien Carroll (0-1), Greg Fahey (0-7). Subs: Craig Lynch (0-1), Mickey Carter, Eamon McQuillan, Robert Smyth, Brian McQuillan.
The win provided a welcome boost to everybody in the clubhouse ahead of the start of the SFC and the Mairtins duly opened their Group C account with a superb 1-13 to 2-9 defeat of Kilkerley Emmets, also at The Grove. Former county star Nicky McDonnell was the match-winner, clipping over three successive points towards the end to send the Monasterboice men on their way. Kilkerley had led by 2-8 to 1-8 with ten minutes remaining, with county forward Shane Lennon having contributed 1-5 to their tally.
The Emmets had got the opening point but Naomh Mairtin's reply in the fourth minute was emphatic - a goal from Paul Berrill. JP Rooney kept the winners in touch with a succession of scores from play and from placed balls and the sides were level after 19 minutes. Mark McCormack and Craig Lynch - who would be redeployed as goalkeeper for the second half - both spurned goal-scoring chances before the half-time whistle sounded with Kilkerley ahead by 1-5 to 1-4, with McDonnell grabbing the last score of the half.
When Kilkerley got a second goal early in the second half, Naomh Mairtin were staring defeat in the face but their three best-known players now chipped in with a point each - Rooney, McDonnell and a long-range beauty from midfielder Mick Fanning. Five-star McDonnell's trio of late minors tied the scores up at 1-11 to 2-8 with time running out. Substitute Ollie Ginty put the victors ahead in the 56th minute and McCormack supplied the insurance score as Nicky Malone's men opened their group programme in style.
Naomh Mairtin, 2010 Louth SFC (Group C) V Kilkerley Emmets: Ciaran Byrne; Martin Byrne; Barry Sullivan, Eamonn McQuillan; Kenneth Lambe, Benny Reilly, Eoin Wright; Gavin Mooney, Michael Fanning (0-1); David Delaney, JP Rooney (0-4), Paul Berrill (1-0); Craig Lynch, Nicky McDonnell (0-5), Mark McCormack (0-2). Sub: Ollie Ginty (0-1) for C Byrne.
A total of twelve teams contested the 2010 Louth SFC, with the contestants divided into four groups of three. Within each section, the teams played each other on a round-robin basis, with the top two sides progressing to the quarter-finals and the bottom side going into the relegation play-offs. Group C was the most even section of all, containing, the Mairtins, Kilkerley and the Brides. It was always going to be a difficult group to call but the Monasterboice men had made an ideal start and they duly booked their passage to the knockout phase with a dramatic 1-9 to 0-12 draw with St Brides at Ardee on Thursday August 26th.
The Mairtins looked to be down and out as they trailed by 0-11 to 0-7 with two minutes left but Francis McCullough's last-gasp penalty goal sparked the most sensational fightback to claim the quarter-final berth on offer. After McCullough had found the net, the Brides still led by 0-11 to 1-7 and they seemed to have taken the spoils when Aaron Hoey added to their tally. But McCullough - who had missed the opening game against Kilkerley - proved his worth as he dinked over two vital injury-time points. The draw meant Naomh Mairtin finished top of Group C.
Corner forward McCullough had an outstanding return to first-team action, registering all but one point of his side's total. His team-mate David Delaney opened the scoring in the fifth minute, but the No.13 then took over and his two late scores had the teams level at the interval, 0-5 apiece. For much of the second half, the Knockbridge men looked likely to progress but it was the south county contingent who finished with a flurry to set up a quarter-final date with Newtown Blues.
Naomh Mairtin, 2010 Louth SFC (Group C) V St Brides: Craig Lynch; Martin Byrne, Brendan Reilly, Eamon McQuillan; Kenneth Lambe, Brian Howell, Eoin Wright; Gavin Mooney, Michael Fanning; Paddy Sullivan, David Delaney (0-1), Paul Berrill; Francis McCullough (1-8), Nicky McDonnell, Ollie Ginty. Subs: Patrick Halligan for O Ginty; Paudsie McDonagh for P Sullivan; Brian McQuillan for E McQuillan; Lee Wright for P Halligan.
As quarter-finals went, it was far from an easy task but the nature of the 2010 SFC competition meant that there was always going to be quality in the Last Eight, with the big guns all likely to progress. As it turned out, the Blues only just about stumbled past Naomh Malachi to book a quarter-final berth, but the Newfoundwell men always provide formidable opposition, even if the Mairtins did boast an impress recent record against them - including victory in the 2009 SFC.
The quarter-final took place in The Gaelic Grounds on Saturday September 4th and it proved a disappointing occasion for Naomh Mairtin as - apart from a brief rally in the second half - they failed to do themselves justice on the day, losing by 0-15 to 0-7. There was no repeat of the Mairtins' stunning victory over the Blues the previous year, as the town side powered to an emphatic win on this occasion.
The Monasterboice men left their shooting boots at home and they trailed by six points before opening their account. JP Rooney registered six of their seven points over the hour, all from frees, with Nicky McDonnell the only other Mairtins man to get in on the scoring act, bagging their opening score.
It was one of those days when nothing went right. Francis McCullough only last 16 minutes and the Blues were home and hosed by half time: 0-10 to 0-2. Five successive Rooney frees had the gap down to three points, but the Drogheda side reeled off the last five scores of the match to ease into the semi-final.
Naomh Mairtin, 2010 Louth SFC quarter-final V Newtown Blues: Craig Lynch; Martin Byrne, Benny Reilly, Owen Wright; Barry Sullivan, Brian Howell, Paul Berrill; Gavin Mooney, Michael Fanning; Francis McCullough, Mark McCormack, David Delaney; JP Rooney (0-6), Nicky McDonnell (0-1), Brian McQuillan. Subs: Padraig McDonagh for F McCullough; Ken Lambe for M Byrne; Brian Berrill for B McQuillan. Tweet

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