Jens Lehmann
There aren't many GAA teams, dare I say, no other GAA teams, who can boast they received a team talk from a former Arsenal and German goalkeeper – Dundalk's Clan na Gael can.
The club's PRO Maurice Harrison tells of how their meeting with Lehmann went:
Alan is a former Clans player and he convinced Jens to call around to the boys on Thursday evening to give them a few words of advice for Sunday’s final. He spoke to the lads for about fifteen minutes telling them to keep focused and how to cope with the pressure of big games. He had a pint of Guinness with us and signed autographs and posed for photos and all that. It was a bit surreal but it was great to meet him and we’d all like to thank Alan for making it happen.
While this took place in October 2012, it's safe to assume that the words of advice from Lehmann took until to now finally reach the ears of every one in such a vast county as Louth. Hence, I think that after almost two years listening to auld men standing at crossroads, discussing the mesmerising words of Lehmann, the brave footballers of Louth are now fully prepared for an assault on Sam Maguire. Or at least to get to the final and then collectively get sent off five minutes into the game.
Joe Sheridan
Picture this: Joe Sheridan is successfully elected to the Ashbourne council and amid the fall-out of neither Mary Hanifan nor Kate Feeney being elected in Dun Laoghaire, Sheridan successfully leads a revolt against the leadership of Micheal Martin.
Now Sheridan, the newly elected leader of Fianna Fail is thrown into the deep end as a general election is called during his first week in the job after the Garda whistleblower scandal spirals out of control. Fianna Fail return to power in early June and Sheridan becomes Taoiseach. Determined to right all the wrongs of the past, Sheridan's first decision in office is to award Louth a bye into the All Ireland final and in said final, he overrules the referee to award a dubious goal in injury time that gains Louth their fourth ever All Ireland title.
All will be forgiven.
Because Paddy Clarke wills it
He may not manage them any more but it's 15 years since former Louth manager Paddy Clarke became the first and last intercounty manager to commandeer his team while wearing goalkeeper's gloves on the sideline.
It's also rumoured he was the brains behind the greatest GAA goalkeeper jersey of all time.
As we found out in the intervening years between then and now, if Paddy Clarke wills it then it will happen. Just ask St Brigids club in Dublin:
Ah sure one more photo of the great man won't hurt.
