O'Raghallaighs stormed to junior championship glory in 2001. The Christy Bellew Cup returned to the County Grounds following meritorious wins over Westerns, Dowdallshill and Young Irelands. Midfielder Andrew Rogan inspired his side to glory in the county final at Cluskey Park in late July. Reflecting on the campaign, Gerry Robinson reveals how the best team won. Nobody could argue with the value of O'Raghallaighs' 2001 success. In successive tricky assignments, they accounted for Westerns, Dowdallshill and Young Irelands to clinch the Louth Junior Football Championship and make a timely return to the middle grade. And to prove it was no fluke, they added the Kevin Mullen Shield to their season's haul when beating Division Three champions Westerns in an excellent final (2-11 to 1-11) on Sunday October 21st. One thing is certain: one could not begrudge them their success. The Drogheda side took the JFC by the scruff of the neck, compiling victory after victory in emphatic nature. Having now made the breakthrough, they have much cause for optimism. O'Raghallaighs seem to have the stuff at their disposal to follow in the footsteps of the likes of the Brides, Dreadnots and Glyde by establishing themselves at an even higher level than intermediate. For the first time in a long time, the men from the County Grounds seem to have more than a fighting chance of making the jump-up to the highest grade. For the time being, however, let us look back and celebrate their 2001 breakthrough . . . a win of substance, style and merit. O'Raghallaighs reclaimed the Christy Bellew Cup courtesy of a comprehensive 1-12 to 0-7 victory over Dundalk Young Irelands in a one-sided final at Dromiskin on Sunday evening, July 22nd. A large crowd flocked to the mid Louth venue for the game (played as a double-header along with the Mairtins/Pats SFC quarter-final) and they witnessed a powerful performance from Frank 'Ja' Clarke's team. The Hoops set the tone in a first half which saw all their forwards get on the scoresheet and the fact that all but one of their nine first half scores came from open play speaks volumes about the quality of football O'Raghallaighs played. From the moment the band foxtrotted meekly from the prestine Cluskey's Park sward, O'Raghallaighs took the game to their shellshocked opponents. The Dundalk team had known they were in for a game but they couldn't possibly have expected anything this intense. Right from the off, O'Raghallaighs looked the best team; at no time in proceedings did this change. Their initial flutters were understandable given the enormity of the occasion but, once they finally settled down and found their scoring boots, the Drogheda men never looked back. In the sixth minute - with their sixth attempt on goal - they took the lead when Darren Boyle gathered possession from an Alan McEneaney flick to open the scoring. Young Irelands then attempted to get into the game but, try as they may, were unable to breach the dogged O'Raghallaighs rearguard. In the twelfth minute, centre forward Paul Farrelly punished some indecision in the Irelands defence to double his team's lead. Seconds later, Irelands goalkeeper Barry McDermott pulled off a miraculous save to deny Derek Toal what looked a certain goal after good approach play by Aidan Lambe (and a blistering shot from Toal!). Irelands drew level with two scores inside the next five minutes but O'Raghallaighs - inspired by brilliant midfielder Andrew Rogan - then went on to dominate the closing ten minutes of the first half. During this time, they hit seven unanswered points. Rogan picked out Alan McEneaney in the 21st minute and the half forward slotted over majestically from a tight angle 21 metres out. Two more points were added within the space of two minutes. Full forward Lambe took his first score of the day and this was followed by a trademark burst through the middle and finish from Rogan. Team captain Kevin King followed this up with yet another score before, three minutes from the break, the Drogheda outfit were denied what seemed a blatant penalty for a push on Aidan Lambe. Still, they kept their composure and in the dying seconds of the half added three more points. Alan McEneaney landed the first converted free of the match and this was followed swiftly by fine efforts from Derek Toal (the sixth O'Raghallaighs forward to score) and McEneaney to leave O'Raghallaighs in complete ascendancy at the short whistle, 0-9 to 0-2. Only three scores were registered in the opening 15 minutes of the second period, all three going to Young Irelands. Indeed, the Dundalk men were threatening to make a game of it at this stage and only an excellent block from full back Martin McKenna denied them a goal. If this largely one-sided affair did have a turning point, then that was undoubtedly it. In the 49th minute, O'Raghallaighs put the game beyond all doubt when surging back into a seven-point lead with the game's only goal. And who else only the ever alert Aidan Lambe would be on hand to boot the ball to the net after a brief scramble in the Irelands goalmouth? The experienced goalpoacher supreme made no mistake from close range. To their credit, Irelands hit back with two more points in a minute but they were still staring down the barrel of a gun, 1-9 to 0-7, with only eight minutes left to play. Fittingly, it was the Hoops who finished strongest. The heroic Andrew Rogan set up substitute Robert Mulroy for a 54th minute point before further points in injury time from Mulroy and Kevin King closed out the game. Having sent that final point over the bar, King's next duty on this balmy evening in Dromiskin was to accept the Christy Bellew Cup from County Board Chairman Terry Maher . . . much to the rapturous approval of his team-mates and O'Raghallaighs' loyal supporters. The ease with which O'Raghallaighs won the final surprised many. Young Irelands were second in the Division Three league table while the Drogheda side's league form had been less impressive. However, O'Raghallaighs were a superior championship side in 2001 and it was in the premier competition that they really impressed (as well as in the end-of-season Kevin Mullen Shield which they also won in impressive fashion). En route to the JFC decider, they put together two outstanding displays. First up, they accounted for league leaders Westerns when a tremendous second half showing was enough to see off the Reaghstown men. They had to be on top of their game again in the semi-final against Dowdallshill. They were, and a comfortable win was duly recorded. The final was a similar story. O'Raghallaighs - 2001 Louth Junior Football Champions: Shane Toal; Darren Cowley, Martin McKenna, Gary O'Rourke; Ciaran Brassil, Cathal McGinty, Tom O'Driscoll; Anthony Briscoe, Andrew Rogan (0-2); Alan McEneaney (0-2), Paul Farrelly (0-1), Kevin King (0-2); Derek Toal (0-1), Aidan Lambe (1-1), Darren Boyle (0-1). Sub: Robert Mulroy (0-2). Tweet

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