Longford hurlers chasing a third Lory Meagher Cup triumph at Croke Park

The bitter disappointment of losing the finals against Louth in 2022 and Fermanagh in 2024 will be banished should the Longford senior hurlers succeed in winning the Lory Meagher Cup at Croke Park on Sunday which will be broadcast on Sport TG4.

Excitement is mounting in the build up to the Tier 5 championship title decider against neighbouring rivals Leitrim and the spotlight is shining on the midlanders who are chasing a third triumph in this important competition for the weaker counties.

​It is a major occasion for both counties in the curtain-raiser (throw-in 12.30pm) to the clash of Dublin and Louth in the opening round of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and the hurling minnows deserve to feature in front of the expected large attendance.

Longford’s longest serving hurler Johnny Casey will certainly be hoping for a change of fortune and success will be very sweet indeed for the Clondra native who was a member of the team who won the Lory Meagher Cup for the second time in 2014 (v Fermanagh).

The captain then was Martin Coyle and another Wolfe Tones Mostrim man Benny Stakem had the honour of lifting this trophy back in 2010 (v Donegal).

Longford suffered another final defeat in 2013 (v Warwickshire) but hopes are high for the current squad under the guidance of Tipperary native Diarmuid Cahill.

​Assisted by his well known father Dinny who coached the Antrim and Laois senior hurling squads in the past, Diarmuid is also working with locals Tommy Hawes and Brian Crossan in the present Longford management team.

After running the hot favourites Sligo close in the National League Division 4 final and gaining promotion in the process, Longford are going well this season with their solid underage structure gradually coming to fruition.

Some silverware at the end of a long season (a total of 13 competitive fixtures) would be a massive boost and winning the Lory Meagher Cup has been the primary target of the highly charged Longford manager Cahill in his second season in charge.

Backboned by the exceptional Westmeath man Paddy Lynam along with captain courageous Reuben Murray at midfield, there is plenty of scoring power in the attack with the youthful trio of Micheal Mulcahy, Ronan Courtney and Sean Tiernan well capable of making a big impact.

When you add the experience of Cathal Mullane, David Buckley and Joe Rabbitt (Castlepollard), not forgetting the valuable contribution of Maitiu O’Donoghue, Longford have the ability to outscore Leitrim.

With a safe keeper in Johnny Maher (Kilmacud Crokes) and resolute defenders in Martin Farrell (Limerick), Sean Lancaster (Castlepollard), Johnny Casey, James Connell, Evan Tully and Ciaran McNally, the boys in blue and gold will be hard beaten in their quest to capture the Lory Meagher Cup that was last achieved 12 years ago.

Another Kilmacud Crokes hurler Eamon Allen, the grandson of Clonguish legend Bertie Allen, is also part of a strong squad with competition for places on the first fifteen extremely keen.

While Longford will be heading to Croke Park in a fairly confident frame of mind, they do not need to be reminded about the defeat against Leitrim in the group stage when the narrow margin of three points (1-16 to 1-13) separated the sides.

​Longford were looking good when they built up a comfortable 7 points lead approaching half-time in Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada in Carrick but Leitrim then enjoyed a new lease of life in changing the course of the game.

Powered by Colm Canning (who scored six points) and Martin Feeney at centrefield, with strong support from centre-half-back Philip Burgess and the most effective half-forward-line of Daniel Miller (0-5), Joe Murray and Gavin O’Hagan (1-2), the Connacht outfit were good enough to come out on top.

Murray has been consistently the main man for the Leitrim hurlers in the recent past and it must be said that their shrewd manager Mike Wall from Kilkenny is getting the best out of his players who won all five games in the group stage of the championship.

​Having said that, Leitrim lost by three points when the counties clashed in the National League in the key battle for promotion earlier in the season and Longford will believe that another step in the right direction can be achieved in the match that really matters on Sunday.

Close encounters has generally been the trend in this intriguing local derby during the past few years and more of the same will probably materialise at Croke Park as the so committed Longford hurlers chase Lory Meagher Cup glory.

​The Longford squad who featured in the 4-16 to 1-14 win against Monaghan in the last round of the group stage:

Johnny Maher (Kilmacud Crokes); Ciaran McNally (Wolfe Tones Mostrim), Sean Lancaster (Castlepollard), James Connell (Wolfe Tones); Johnny Casey (Longford Slashers), Martin Farrell (Blackrock, Limerick, 1-2, 1 free), Evan Tully (Wolfe Tones, 1-0); Reuben Murray (Longford Slashers, 0-4, 3 frees), Paddy Lynam (St Oliver Plunkett’s, Westmeath, 0-2), Maitiu O’Donoghue (Wolfe Tones, 0-1), Ronan Courtney (Wolfe Tones, 0-1), Sean Tiernan (Longford Slashers); Micheal Mulcahy (Longford Slashers, 0-1), David Buckley (Longford Slashers, 1-2), Cathal Mullane (Wolfe Tones, 0-2)

​Subs used:- Eamon Allen (Clonguish Gaels) for S Tiernan (47 mins); Stephen Murray (Longford Slashers, 1-0) for M O’Donoghue (55 mins); Niall Hawes (Longford Slashers) for M Mulcahy (61 mins); Killian Courtney (Wolfe Tones, 0-1) for C Mullane and Adam Quinn (Wolfe Tones) for R Murray (65 mins).