‘They’ll be hungry for more next year’ – Ger Brennan backs Louth to grow from quarter-final experience

Louth were always kept at arm’s length by a polished Donegal side in an eight-point defeat at Croke Park this afternoon as their best season in 67 years came to a close at the hands of Jim McGuinness’ side.

There are plenty of positives to take for Brennan, though, and he hopes that his Wee outfit can become regulars at the business end of the championship.

“I remember when you were younger and you’re trying to get into the local nightclub and the bouncers say, ‘regulars only’. ‘How do you become a regular if you don’t get us in?’” Brennan quipped.

“The fact that lads have gotten into the All-Ireland quarter-final series and the knock-out stages, that means that they have been given the opportunity, they had to fight for it obviously and they’ll be hungry for more next year.

“They’ll want to get in more often and with that experience and exposure comes a bit more comfortable approach, a more relaxed approach that they know that they are good enough to mix with the best.

“My hope would be and based on the evidence of the Leinster final, being exposed to a quarter-final stage that the lads will be more comfortable with this stage next year.

“We obviously had three games on the bounce and it’s a credit to the Louth players, they just put in a tremendous effort to try and get themselves right and get themselves up for today’s game.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t as fluid as we have been in some of our other games.”

Brennan insisted that “the scoreboard doesn’t lie” after their 1-23 to 0-18 loss as he rued their accuracy in front of the posts, although he was happy that his side “had a go”.

“We just told the lads to be brave and have a go, I’d rather go out fighting and swinging than sitting back too much and allowing the opposition to come onto us,” Brennan said.

The former Dublin star hopes that their exploits in 2024 have set the ball rolling for the next generation of footballers in the county.

“As a former player, nothing beats being on the field but when you’re part of a group like these Louth players and the county board, there’s a lot of people rowing in the one direction,” he said.

“So to be part of a group like that is very exciting and it’s quite a privileged position, there’s huge work being done at underage and schools to make Gaelic football more attractive in the county.

“To attract a higher calibre of player that we can develop and bring through. I think the players today, they’ve set a road map for the generation to come. If you look back to Inniskeen after the Meath game and the Cork game.

“There were a thousand people on the field getting their photographs with the players and being inspired, that’s what it’s all about, trying to inspire the next generation and put your best foot forward and see what happens.”