Louth champions St Fechin's provide template for club hurling growth

In the past month, much has been said and written about what has gone wrong with the promotion of hurling in certain counties.

But Mark Stephenson is a man who knows what can go right – if time, planning and resources are allowed.

Hurling in Louth – along with Fermanagh, Cavan, Longford, and Leitrim – has been thrust in the spotlight with the threat of Lory Meagher Cup action only from 2025 onwards.

After some heated and passionate debate over recent weeks, the GAA's Central Council tomorrow is expected to reject that proposal. There has been talk that a five-year plan to grow new clubs could instead be encouraged and it's what happens next that appeals to Waterford native Stephenson, who has spent the last 40 years promoting hurling in the Wee County.

The game has regressed in Louth. Only three clubs contest the county senior championship when, until relatively recently, it was six.

It means that the greatest challenge for a club like St Fechin’s is to get enough meaningful fixtures for their players.

With that in mind, they compete at underage level in Meath, their seniors play in the Leinster Club Hurling League, as well as the Cú Chulainn League; a competition in which they landed the Division 2 title this season, beating Naomh Eoin from Sligo in the final. St Fechin's have now won five Louth senior titles, completing three-in-a-row in August.

A teacher at St Joseph's CBS Drogheda before retirement, Stephenson is renowned for his association with athletics and promoting hurling. The Kilmeaden native hurled with Wolfe Tones and has been living in the Termonfeckin area since 1985.

Along with former Kilkenny hurler Tom Ryan, he helped start the hurling team at the previously football only St Fechin's in 1997 and then club