Veteran Clarke ready to fulfil dream with Ardee

Pairc Mhuire in Ardee holds a special place in the heart of St Mary's veteran Darren Clarke.

The Drogheda Road venue in Louth, purchased for €1000 in the mid '40s, has played a central role in his sporting life.

It’s where he spent hours, weeks, months and years playing and practicing, perfecting the scoring capability that saw him become one of Louth’s key marksmen for over a decade.

It’s where he, as a starry-eyed 12-year-old, watched Ardee represent the Wee County in the 1995 Leinster Club Championship with the brilliance of goalkeeper Dessie Woods and a late fortunate goal from Ken Rooney – brother of current chairman Mickey, who also played that day – forcing a replay, that they would win, against Longford outfit Killoe.

It’s where he made he first played senior football as a 16-year-old back in 1999.

And it’s where he will finally realise one of his biggest dreams on Sunday as Ardee hosts a first St Mary’s provincial senior game since their Leinster quarter-final defeat to Wicklow side Roundwood 27 years ago, with Longford champions Colmcille set to visit.

That’s thanks to a dramatic Louth Senior final replay win over Newtown Blues, Cathal Murray’s side emerging with a 1-18 to 1-15 victory with a few late goal chances going a-begging for the losing outfit.

When Ardee won that title in 1995, few in the club would have imagined that they would have to wait 27 years to scale the summit. That was especially so with Clarke’s talented age-group winning plenty. On the Friday before that final, he helped the club to an under-12 title and four years later he joined the senior squad.

But the wait went on, and on – and on so much that Clarke thought his club career could be another hard luck story on that challenging sporting road.

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