GAA Top 20: Keenan, Farrell or O'Hanlon - who is the greatest Louth footballer of the last 50 years?

GOALKEEPER Gerry Farrell holds the distinction of being the only player in the 1970-2000 era to make the Louth Team of the Millennium, but if it were updated to take account of the last 20 years, Paddy Keenan would almost certainly be included too.

He holds the honour of being Louth’s first – and only – All Star, having been selected at midfield alongside Cork’s Aidan Walsh in 2010. It was well-deserved – indeed Keenan had solid claims for inclusion on a few previous occasions too. His All Star award came at the end of a season where Louth were denied a first Leinster final title since 1957 in the cruellest circumstances after Meath snatched victory with an illegal late goal.

Keenan was Louth’s captain, but instead of getting to make a victory speech he joined his colleagues in the depths of disappointment as they all recognised that a similar chance was unlikely to come their way again.

Keenan was one of the country’s top midfielders for over a decade, hoisting him to No 1 on our rankings, followed by Farrell, an immensely talented goalkeeper whose career spanned three decades (1970s-80s-90s).

Séamus O’Hanlon was on the Louth team for 18 years, having made his debut as a 17-year-old in 1985. An outstanding midfielder, he was an influential part of a team that reached six Leinster semi-finals in the seven seasons in 1991-98.

However, they couldn’t quite squeeze their way into a final and since that was pre-qualifier days, they had no opportunity to relaunch their All-Ireland challenge. That was a pity as they had a very good side, which also included O’Hanlon, Stephen Melia and Colin Kelly, three of our top six.

Melia, who died in 2015 at the age of 53, played a record 179 times for Louth.

LOUTH

1. Paddy Keenan

2. Gerry Farrell

3. Séamus O’Hanlon

4. Stephen Melia

5. Leslie Toal

6. Colin Kelly

7. Jimmy Mulroy

8. Aidan Wiseman

9. Benny Gaughran

10. Danny Nugent

11. Aaron Hoey

12. Liam Leech

13. Mick McKeon

14. Stefan White

15. Martin McCann

16. JP Rooney

17. Matt McDermott

18. Ray Finnegan

19. Terry Lennon

20. Mark Stanfield

See Tuesday's Irish Independent and Independent.ie to find out who has made the grade for each team in Munster and have your say on each county's poll below