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Well done to Arva and to Finbar O'Reilly.

Naomh Conaill absolutely stole that with last kick of the game. Gowna looked to have done just enough. 2 point lead always a dangerous one

Glenties poor or Gowna better than I thought initially?

Glenties were fairly poor but they nicked the win. Just far too negative. Gowna will be hurt bad by that but they threw it away at the end

2017 the other half of the parish had Loman's on the ropes in a quarter-final, four ahead at the start of stoppage time, and a promising path for Leinster as the then-favourites were being beaten in the other quarter-finals, and we managed to lose it somehow. Still don't know how exactly, six years later. You wouldn't want to have been in that dressing room afterwards.

2018 we got up, started again, and finished the job. This Gowna team are, I think, good enough to do the same.

I'm not sure where the former fourth club was in Longford - I'm old enough to remember Bunlahy's brief existence but hurling has had either three or two clubs for the last thirty years at least.

Killoe 1-10 St. Loman's 1-20

Last win for a Longford club in the Leinster Senior Championship was 2018.

That was of course the great Mullinalaghta team when they were at their peak. (If I may say so Laurel, I actually thought ye were playing even better football in the 2017 season)

Based on yesterday's display, we're unlikely to see a Longford club getting close to that standard for a long, long time.

And as for our Co team, I get the sense that morale is at a worrying low. Maybe the possibility of getting out of Div4 and a day in Croke Park might be seen as something to aim for.

From the archives at the time:

Hard luck Laurel. There's legs in ye boys yet so third time lucky next year.

Slashers, Clonguish, Killoe all champing at the bit. No-one's won 3-in-a-row since the 1990s.

As I was being told that Vincent's were out and Portlaoise were out, all the time watching us try for an equalizer that you knew was not going to come, and then seeing the wind carrying our last effort away from the upright, it felt like God was laughing at us for our carefully unspoken ambitions.

Ironically, the same fate befell Loman's in the final that year that had befallen us in the quarter-final. Given that Dempsey was managing them at the time, I would have expected Killoe to be better prepared for them yesterday,

I think there are a whole lot of issues at the moment - the weakness in a lot of the town clubs (Ballymahon being the most outrageous example, but Mostrim - sorry Shamrock - should be capable of better given numbers, and while Slashers were competitive against Killoe a club with a catchment area of a quarter of the county should be a serious force), the impact of what seems like a wave of emigration (certainly it clobbered our hopes this year), the factionalism at the top table, the seeming willingness to settle for mediocrity at county level where a manager who managed to alienate half the county panel last year is being kept on seemingly through inertia. Clonguish are setting an example at underage level but the imbalances there are ominous in themselves. Gloomy all round, really.

Killoe 1-10 St. Loman's 1-20

Last win for a Longford club in the Leinster Senior Championship was 2018.

Kenagh 1-10 Rathkenny 3-11

Kilbeggan Shamrocks 4-6 Ballymore 2-2

Dempsey has managed both sides of course which should add a bit of spice at least. I would have expected Lomans to beat Shelmalieres by more but then my priors have been to expect Wexford teams to collapse once they make contact with the Leinster championship.

[was]

Senior final:

Killoe v Clonguish, Sun, 4pm

Paddy Power odds (https://www.paddypower.com/gaelic-games/longford-club-football?tab=outrights):

Killoe 5/2 2/1 15/8 7/4 15/8 8/11 3/10
Clonguish 16/1 10/1 14/1 16/1 9/1 11/2 9/4

Boylesports (https://www.boylesports.com/sports/gaa/outrights)

Killoe 3/1 13/8 6/4 10/11 2/7
Clonguish 12/1 6/1 7/1 12/1 4/1 9/4

"I would still just favour Killoe overall but not on those odds."

Still hold to that, just about. As for the "respect" shown to other clubs, I noticed that there was another jibe aimed at Francis McGee in last week's official Clonguish notes so I'm afraid I'll take that bit of plámás with all the seriousness it deserves.

I had to get the Leader out to see what this jibe was as I didn't recall one the first time I read it and when I read it again I still didn't see any jibe!!
So please enlighten me as to the jibe thrown at Francie McGee.

"Francis McGee was one of the best free takers in the county for many years but this time, it wasn't to be, as his effort drifted off to the left of the uprights."

I wouldn't have seen McGee as being past it, which is the clear implication. You put up a good show yesterday but the better team won it on the day.

You are a great one to go on about not showing respect considering the club you are from!!
It's well known what antics Mullinalaghta got up to on the field the year they won Leinster!!

I'm so shocked to see the mask drop and the bile pour out. Totally shocked.

Senior Final:

Killoe 1-8 Clonguish 0-10

Junior Final:

Ballymore 1-10 Killoe 'B' 1-5

Intermediate Final:

Seán Connollys 0-13 Kenagh 2-9

16 years after losing to Mullinalaghta in the last minute of a replay, Kenagh finally make it up to Senior.

Senior final:

Killoe v Clonguish, Sun, 4pm

Paddy Power odds (https://www.paddypower.com/gaelic-games/longford-club-football?tab=outrights):

Killoe 5/2 2/1 15/8 7/4 15/8 8/11 3/10
Clonguish 16/1 10/1 14/1 16/1 9/1 11/2 9/4

Boylesports (https://www.boylesports.com/sports/gaa/outrights)

Killoe 3/1 13/8 6/4 10/11 2/7
Clonguish 12/1 6/1 7/1 12/1 4/1 9/4

"I would still just favour Killoe overall but not on those odds."

Still hold to that, just about. As for the "respect" shown to other clubs, I noticed that there was another jibe aimed at Francis McGee in last week's official Clonguish notes so I'm afraid I'll take that bit of plámás with all the seriousness it deserves.

Finals weekend:

Intermediate final:

Seán Connollys v Kenagh, Sat, 4.30.

Both of these had comfortable wins in their semi-finals - Connollys over Killashee and Kenagh over former Senior kingpins Fr. Manning Gaels. Based on the relative strength of their opponents I might fancy Kenagh although Connollys have flown Dessie Reynolds back from Australia for the final.

Junior final:

Ballymore v Killoe 'B', Sun, 1.45.

Ballymore performed well in Division 2 and should make it third time lucky for the Junior title.

I think Clonguish deserved their win and are a talented team who are likely to dominate Longford football over the next decade but the old disrespect and presumption towards other clubs has been on view from some of their officials and followers in print and online both before and after the quarter-final.

Killoe 1-13 Colmcille 1-7
Dromard 1-11 Clonguish 1-12 a.e.t. (1-8 each at end of 60 minutes)