Devlin delighted to go into battle with captain Mulroy
Louth manager Gavin Devlin during a media event at Cullen Autoparts Louth GAA Training Centre in Darver, Louth. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
By Paul Keane
When you're trying to make history, as Louth will be at Croke Park this Saturday afternoon, it helps to have a player and a leader like Sam Mulroy in your corner.
In his sixth season as Wee County captain, Mulroy has already skippered his county to a breakthrough Leinster SFC title success in 2025.
And if they can take care of Mayo back at Croke Park this weekend, and score another famous win, Louth will be preparing for a first All-Ireland final appearance in 69 years.
These are boom times for Louth football and Devlin, who took over as manager last July from Ger Brennan, having previously worked as a coach when Mickey Harte was in charge, feels that far from hitting their 'ceiling', there's actually 'more in us'.
That's an intoxicating thought for Louth supporters who realise that in Mulroy, they have a totemic leader and talisman performer.
Rewind back to late 2020, when Devlin first arrived in Louth as Harte's coach, and they'd just exited the Championship following a Leinster SFC preliminary round defeat by Longford. Mulroy scored all 1-7 of their tally on that wet and miserable day in Mullingar.
"Sam, at that stage, was on his journey as well, he had a lot of learning to do both in terms of preparation and how he saw the game and wanted to play the game," said Devlin.
"The big thing for Sam that first year was we played Sligo in Round 3 of the League and at half time we were one or two points down, playing with a really strong breeze.
Sam Mulroy celebrates after Louth's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final win over Monaghan. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile
"We knew that for us to get promoted, we had to win the game in the second half.
"We moved Sam out to midfield, and he caught the throw in and ran the field, weaving in and out through players and he put the ball in the back of the net. That was the birth of Sam Mulroy and we never looked back, we kicked on from that goal and we won handsomely and got to Division 3. That was the catalyst."
A couple of seasons into Harte's reign, Mulroy revealed his burning ambition to not just be the best forward in Louth, but beyond.
"I think Sam got a bit of stick for that interview," said Devlin. "That's the world now, people do interviews and they're scripted and you have to say what people want you to say, or what's appropriate.
"But, a bit like Rory McIlroy, I like people who say what they think and live their life right, have their own beliefs and say what they feel. I don't think there's anything wrong with saying what you feel.
"Sam said something in that interview and I was quite content with him saying it. We have a motto downstairs (in Louth's Darver training facility), 'Why not us?' So why not Sam? Why can he not become the best player in Ireland?
"I was delighted with that interview and I was delighted that that was where his head was at. We have jumped some hurdles since, and we still have a few to jump yet."
Devlin smiled about his own initial introduction to Louth, at the back end of 2020. He'd just finished up a long stint alongside Harte in Tyrone and fancied a break.
Louth manager Gavin Devlin celebrates with his son, Niall, after the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final win over Monaghan. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
"I have a great affinity with Mickey and whenever he jumped, I was always going to jump with him," grinned Devlin.
Then when the hot-seat became available after the 2025 Championship, following Brennan's departure to Dublin, Devlin fancied the challenge.
"It was a no-brainer (to take over) because there was unfinished business here," said Devlin. "There was a bit of pressure at the start of the year going in as Leinster champions and people maybe saying Louth had reached their ceiling.
"I don't think anyone ever reaches their ceiling in any walk of life, there's always gains, there's always more you can get out of the jar if you believe, and if you live your life right.
"We have done well, I still feel that there's more in us, I still feel there's more gains for the whole team and that's the journey we're on."
Andy Moran will probably feel that he and Mayo are on a similar journey of development and discovery.
"Mayo are a formidable team, as we all know," said Devlin. "Probably this year, as opposed to other years when they were punching with Dublin, they're coming under the radar now, where there's probably not as much expectancy on them and here they find themselves one game away from another final.
"With Andy Moran and (Paddy) Tally there as well, they're just coming under the radar beautifully and, I suppose, inwardly they realise that they have a fantastic opportunity here, like ourselves."
