Louth Goalkeeper Reveals Harsh Treatment From Mickey Harte In Team WhatsApp Group

The 2025 season proved to be a remarkably successful one for Louth, with the county securing their place in Division 2 before going on to claim their first Leinster title since 1957.

Ger Brennan did a fantastic job after taking over the side in late 2023, having entered the role at what looked as though it could be a tumultuous period.

Mickey Harte had been in charge for the previous three seasons, a time when Louth made plenty of strides forward on the pitch. It was expected that his term would continue into the 2024 campaign, only for the Tyrone native to unexpectedly leave when he was offered the Derry job.

It was a move that did not necessarily go down all that well in the Leinster county, with one current key Louth man summing up the harsh treatment he received during Harte's tenure.

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Niall McDonnell has proven to be a key player for Louth under Ger Brennan, playing a big role in their Leinster title victory this year.

However, he was someone who struggled to break into the inter-county setup under the previous coaching ticket.

Speaking on The GAA Social, McDonnell recalled the harsh way in which Harte cut him from the panel without any previous warning while he was away on holiday.

I was aways on holiday in London with the missus. Mickey [Harte] just removed me from the WhatsApp group.

I was on trial obviously and I just got removed. That was a kick in the stones obviously, but I said it couldn't be all his fault, it had to be something to do with me...

There was a development group. There was probably probably eight or ten lads that he was looking to add. I was there for probably five or six weeks.

Everything I was there was going well, or so I was told. Then I went away for three days to London. That was on the first day and the holiday was kind of destroyed then, because I got removed from the WhatsApp group.

I text in then and asked 'are we getting added into a new one or is that me?'

Then the phone started ringing (from Mickey Harte), saying 'I didn't want to ruin your holiday'. But the holiday was already ruined.

A quite abrupt way for his inter-county ambitions to be brought to a halt.

McDonnell's dismissal from the panel on this occasion would inspire him to overhaul his fitness regimen, with Ger Brennan bringing him back into the Louth setup on the back of his form at club level.