Sam Mulroy is standing in the middle of his gym explaining something about rowing machine efficiency or skiErg technique or clean lunge reps. Truth be told, it’s all a bit hazy.
It’s three days out from the Louth senior county football final and Monasterboice is decked out in flags and bunting. Naomh Máirtín are back in the decider. Mulroy’s year of years continues.
He has just put a small group of us through a training session for Red Bull’s Road to Hyrox. We are all gasping for air and guzzling water, but standing serenely in the centre of the room is a man Louth folk will have you believe could walk on the stuff.
It’s five months now since Mulroy captained the county to a landmark Leinster SFC title – their first since 1957. For some Louth fans, that day will go down as the highlight of their lives.
RM Block
“My life hasn’t changed much really, but I think lots of people’s lives got such a lift from it,” says Mulroy on the impact of that provincial decider win over Meath.
“For the county, it was such a monumental moment. It’s a day that is going to be etched in history.
“I suppose the only thing I can think of at the moment is that it was great to be part of a team bringing so much joy to people.”
He hasn’t watched the final back yet, not in its entirety. Clips here and there, but he just hasn’t felt the urge to sit through it all. Not yet. But he knows that day will come. Remembering the day the Delaney Cup arrived at Naomh Máirtín’s grounds during the summer, he points outside to where swarms of excited kids welcomed the trophy to the parish.
Mulroy’s life is rooted to this place. His gym is at the club grounds, establishing Sam Mulroy Fitness in a hall adjacent to Naomh Máirtín’s pitch. His family home is just a few minutes out the road. He couldn’t tell you the number of times he made the journey from his house to the club. The Jocks. His club.
“I’m here the whole time, I say sometimes that my bed is upstairs,” he smiles.
“I have a great relationship with my club. I grew up here, running around with my dad and my grandad. I have played here since I was a young boy, so it’s very cool to have my work life in the heart of Monasterboice.”
The All-Star nominee set up the business at the beginning of 2020. He opened the doors and then the world shut down. But he started doing some free fitness classes online during Covid, got some traction in that space and was eventually able to start charging for online programmes.
“I made enough money to reinvest back in here and kit the place out. That’s how it really started and thankfully it has grown since then.”
Sunday will be Naomh Máirtín’s third Louth senior final in as many years. They lost the last two to Ardee.
This year’s opponents, Newtown Blues, are the most decorated club in the county, with the Drogheda side having won the Joe Ward Cup a record 23 times. For their two most recent triumphs, in 2018 and 2019, the Blues beat Naomh Máirtín in the final.
Naomh Máirtín finally got over the line to win a maiden Louth SFC in 2020 and collected a second the following season. That’s been their lot.
“I think this will be seven out of eight finals we’ve been in, so we’re in a good stretch of it but we just haven’t won enough of them,” adds Mulroy.
“It has been a great period for the club and great for the young kids get to see Naomh Máirtín constantly competing at the top table, but again I suppose we just haven’t won enough of the finals we’ve been in.”
It would be quite the flourish to the closing chapter of his incredible season to finish it off with a county title.
But it hasn’t been a season without its challenges for the Louth forward. He suffered a hamstring injury towards the latter stages of the National League and missed their Leinster SFC opener against Laois. He has been nursing knee and Achilles problems too.
“There were difficult periods but I think every player has to deal with that kind of thing. It’s definitely something that I’ve had to adjust to over the last three years, leaving the football at the door because it does affect your mood, but I think I’ve got better at it.
“You have to show up for work the next day in good form, no matter how the weekend has gone or if you’re injured.”
When he does find himself back in the red of Louth again, there will be a new man at the tiller. Ger Brennan stepped away as Louth boss in early July and has since been appointed manager of the Dublin senior footballers.
“I suppose there was a lot of noise about at the time with Dessie Farrell stepping down (in Dublin) and Ger probably was the most natural replacement for him.
“Obviously, it’s his home county too so there were no problems from our side. Look, we had a great two years with Ger and he’s going to go down in Louth history as well.”
Gavin Devlin, who was a coach and selector with Mickey Harte during his stint in Louth, has succeeded Brennan. Peter Dooley, who was involved with both Harte and Brennan’s management teams, will be assistant manager.
And there is a sense of a rising tide in Louth. Their under-20s won the Leinster title this year too while the minors contested their provincial decider.
[ Gavin Devlin appointed as Louth manager on a three-year termOpens in new window ]
“Really exciting times,” adds Mulroy. “We know Gavin and Peter well, and they know us. Gavin’s been working with the minors the last number of years and the 20s too, so he has a good knowledge of who’s about so these are exciting times for Louth.”
Before all of that though, there’s a county final to try conquer. Mulroy captained the club for several seasons, including their last county title win in 2021, but this year Eoghan Callaghan has taken over the role.
“Call is a really experienced player, he was away the last few years so it’s great to have him back,” adds Mulroy.
“For me, not having that pressure of being captain, it’s actually been weirdly nice, it’s been enjoyable just to rock up and go training and not have to worry about anything else.”
And because of his work in the gym, he has also gravitated towards another challenge for his sporting output in recent years – participating in Hyrox races, which combines running and functional workout stations.
“I’ve done two so far, it’s a great event and it’s something different. It can almost be GAA for 12 months of the year, so when you can squeeze something different in, it’s a nice change.”
However, when Hyrox takes place in the RDS next month Mulroy hopes to be unavailable to participate. The eventual Louth champions are scheduled to play a Leinster club quarter-final on the same weekend so Mulroy would like to be still lacing up his football boots at that stage.
“We’ve had some great battles with the Blues over the last few years and I expect Sunday to be the same, we’re really looking forward to it.”
It has been a year of years for Sam Mulroy.
And it’s not over yet.
