No regrets as Lennon continues proud tradition

IN a parallel universe, Shane Lennon’s big week is already behind him.

Last Monday, Dundalk FC secured a tense 2-1 win over local rivals Drogheda United in Oriel Park. Sweet as that was, it was just an appetiser for a historic evening three days later when Luxembourg’s Grevenmacher were beaten in the ground’s first European tie for 19 years.

Like so many of his colleagues, Lennon dabbled in the other code down the years and the Louth side that lines out in Croke Park tomorrow will be sprinkled liberally with men who have juggled both balls at one time or another.

Goalkeeper Neil Gallagher, defender John O’Brien and midfielders Paddy Keenan and Brian White all enjoyed a liaison with soccer.

“There’s a good buzz about this week,” he says. “There’s bunting going up around the town, red and white and black and white. They’re not forgetting about the soccer which is great for the town. It’s given the whole place a buzz.”

In truth, the so-called ‘garrison game’ never really stood a chance of capturing his heart. His father Terry was over the local Kilkerly Emmets club when he told his son one day he would give him a run with the seniors if he gave up soccer.

Lennon Jnr was never likely to turn his back on an offer like that. Gaelic football is in his blood. It is who he is. If you were a Lennon, it was expected that you wouldn’t just play for the club. That was a given. You were expected to do your bit for your county too.

Terry Lennon played centre-back the day Louth last beat Meath in a championship match back in 1975. Alongside him was his brother Peter.

“He would probably be my biggest critic but he’d be praising me as well and he’d always be telling me his experience of what to do,” he says of his father. “It’s just great. It’s amazing. I think there’s 12 boys on the panel whose dads played with Louth over the years.

“I know there are players there that have no relations who played with Louth and that just proves how much they worked themselves. We know we’ll be there on Sunday and we’ll be fighting to the very end.”

Lennon’s importance to Louth can hardly be overstated. In the five seasons prior to 2010, he claimed an average of four goals and 15 points a year in league and championship.

He hit 1-1 against Longford in the first round and 0-2 against Westmeath in the semi-final. Both tallies were identical to Louth’s winning margin and he sandwiched them with four points against Kildare.

Peter Fitzpatrick has already gone on record to say that Lennon is worth six points a game to the side and the Louth manager had fully intended playing him from the start against Kildare even when it seemed like damaged thumb ligaments would rule him out entirely.

The digit was injured in the win over Longford and the initial prognosis was that he would be out for ten weeks. A second opinion from renowned hand surgeon Richard Hanson in Santry’s Sports Surgery clinic resulted in a special cast being made and a green light being given for the rest of the campaign but word had leaked of the injury and a price would be paid for that.

Gary White was his marker when they played Kildare in Navan in the quarter-final and the full-back wasn’t exactly slow in testing the sore spot, squeezing his opponent’s thumb with both hands as the pair went to wish each other good luck prior to the throw-in.

He will eventually have to have an operation, one that will require a pin being inserted into the thumb and the ligaments stitched back together but all that is small beer considering he has the chance to help his county claim a first Leinster title in 53 years.

“It’s great for the area and, of course, Meath are going well. It’s great for the north-east that there’s so many teams going well, Down too. Hopefully we can just get one over our old rivals on Sunday.”

What a week that’d be.