Referee 'not man enough' to admit mistake at time says ex-Louth boss of 2010
It was one of the most infamous moments in GAA history and the fallout lingers to this day. It's Louth v Meath in the 2010 Leinster final, and this Sunday the sides are in line for a rematch.
Fifteen years ago, with Louth looking to end a long provincial title drought dating back to 1957, Meath tore up the script as Joe Sheridan bundled the ball over the goal line late on to snatch victory in the most controversial of circumstances.
The Royals celebrated, the referee decided it would stand and Louth were outraged. It was front page news for days, amid talk of Meath offering a replay. That didn't come and in the end Louth and their manager Peter Fitzpatrick had to try to pick up the pieces and move on.
It's not that simple however, and Fitzpatrick still can't help but harbour anger over the dramatic finale. On the day, the Louth boss and some fans ran onto the pitch to question Tyrone official Martin Sludden, who is now Red Hand chairman. They spoke privately in the dressing room after the 2010 final also, but Fitzpatrick did not get the answers he sought.
"I asked him straight away why he gave the goal," said Fitzpatrick this week in the Drogheda Independent. "But all he said was, 'Peter, if I didn't give the goal, I would have given a penalty, so what's the difference?'.
"I said, 'Martin, there was no penalty, no foul, but Meath might have missed the penalty, that's the difference'.
"He knew he made a mistake but he wasn't man enough to admit it (at that time), he wouldn't even consult his umpires."
The GAA later confirmed that referee Martin Sludden admitted he was wrong to award the stoppage-time goal to Meath, but they added that they had no powers to order a replay of the game.
Louth dropped all the way to Division Four of the Allianz League in the years since, with Fitzpatrick adding that the final controversy 'set Louth football back years'.
However, they are riding high now with a third Leinster senior final appearance in a row to come this weekend - the first against anyone other than Dublin. The Louth under-20 team beat Meath in their recent provincial final and they also hammered Dublin at minor level this week.
Fitzpatrick credits Mickey Harte with igniting the spark in the county again. The Tyrone legend came in after speaking to Fitzpatrick, who was county chairman by 2020 and, more recently, he also brought in current manager Ger Brennan.
"Mickey came in and changed the whole set-up around the county team," he said. "His attention to detail is amazing.
"We put a structure together at underage and senior and we aimed very high. Now I look at all the success and it all goes back four or five years and putting the right structures in place and getting the best players to play for the county."
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Irish Times
15 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Football quarter-finalists laid bare and what else we learned from the GAA weekend
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Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Louth Ladies cruise into All-Ireland semi-finals with a game to spare
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Extra.ie
2 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Why Dublin's win over Limerick will be enshrined in hurling history
It was the final day of Na Fianna's annual mini-leagues on Mobhi Road yesterday. Always a great occasion, this year felt even more special considering what many had witnessed in Croke Park the evening before and how so many of the All-Ireland club champions played a part in one of the greatest upsets in GAA history. From Niall Ó Ceallacháin, the architect of this stunning success, to Sean Currie, the electric inside-forward, and Conor McHugh, the former county footballer who defended like a dervish on Saturday. There was plenty of glory to go around in Glasnevin yesterday and the stars of tomorrow could be informed that it was in the minileagues Currie and McHugh set out on the journey that led them to be part of the side that delivered the shock of the summer. 21 June 2025; John Hetherton of Dublin celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-final match between Dublin and Limerick at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile McHugh's performance at corner-back particularly caught the eye, as he helped to shut down the fearsome Limerick full-forward line, alongside John Bellew and Paddy Smyth, the trio continually putting their bodies on the line. It's made even more remarkable when you consider it's McHugh's first season as a county hurler. 'It's that lad's mindset,' Ó Ceallacháin said. 'You've seen him at the club with regards to what he can do there but that's totally mind-set. 'What I would say on top of that, he could have played nine or 10 years for Dublin, there's no question about that and you know why that didn't happen. 'For him, first of all, to want to do it and to come in and be with the lads for the first time, but for him to do it at that level to be honest, it's all mindset upstairs and that's what he absolutely thrives on.' Saturday's extraordinary performance against arguably the greatest team ever felt like the most significant step forward yet by Dublin hurlers, especially given they had to do it for 55 minutes after Chris Crummey, the team's beating heart, was sent off for a mis-timed challenge on Gearóid Hegarty. There has been loads of money pumped into the game in the capital simply so they can enjoy moments like these, but Ó Ceallachaín, as is his way, didn't want to dwell on the landmark feeling of the day, pointing out that this was game two of four for the team in the All-Ireland Championship – they beat McDonagh Cup champions Kildare last weekend. However, he did reckon that the close-knit nature of the group was key in them managing the chaos of Saturday. Limerick's Kyle Hayes dejected after Limerick's loss. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie 'The whole thing means a hell of a lot to them. They're very well connected group, they're very close and they have each other's backs. It means a lot to them. And they look out for each other. And in the chaos of what's out there in Championship hurling, you need to know that the lad beside you has your back. 'And in that dressing room, the lads do.' It has been an up-and-down summer for Dublin, veering from mediocrity to excellence, sometimes even within games, such as the Leinster SHC test against Kilkenny. However, the Dubs boss, who led Na Fianna to an All-Ireland club title earlier this year, held his hands up and felt that some of the inconsistency – such as the poor display against Galway – was on him. 'First of all, the Kilkenny game. When we looked at it, the lazy analysis of that game was we had a poor first half, and then just came out and played. That wasn't the case. 'If you look at that game, we conceded goals in that game that we just should not have. The elements that day, we were up against it in that first half, and we actually hurled very well for long periods. So, there was a level standard of performance there. 'The following week against Galway, we were not where we wanted to basically be. I put that back on myself. We had three games in three weeks. It's my first year at this, and I don't think I managed those weeks well, to be honest. Did I set the lads right up for it? But also, games take on their own flow. 'I forget the number of wides that we had in that first 25 minutes against Galway, but that sucks energy out of any team. The reason I say that is there is a base performance there, I don't think we did a huge turnaround. 'We didn't look deep into our souls the day or two after the Galway defeat.' Dublin goalkeeper Sean Brennan saves a late free ©INPHO/James Crombie 'There was a base performance there. Some things just did not go right that day, but we didn't just throw every-thing out. We knew that certain things were where they needed to basically be, but some things in the Galway performance just were not good enough. Outside looking in, that was probably 'aw, they're back to where they where'. 'We'd look under it and feel that there's a lot that was still OK about that day. I'm not understating performance or that we needed to be better. But with less focus on the outcome, there's a lot of trust there that there'd be a base performance there and that we'd be in games.' And now Dublin go on to game three of four in the Liam MacCarthy race. For many, it will be felt that they are in bonus territory, but after putting their bodies on the line – from Sean Brennan's remarkable late save to Paddy Doyle's heroic bodyblock – there is a sense that Dublin won't be denied. It is the sort of attitude they need to take into the semi-final against Cork in a couple of weeks' time. Whatever happens from here, Saturday's remarkable win will go down in the hurling history books.
