[2] Jackie Devine set up two goals for Longford in the last six minutes of the 1968 Leinster SFC final to beat Laois by 3-9 to 1-4, where Seán Donnelly and Jim Hannify were the scorers.

It was their only Leinster SFC title, and it came two years after a great victory over Galway on a scoreline of nine points to eight in the National League final.

[4] Victories over Westmeath and Wicklow in 1988 left the county on the verge of a Leinster SFC final after 20 years.

Team manager and sports psychologist Hackett cited what happened next as an example of lack of self-belief in extremis: Dublin drew level with twenty minutes remaining and won by 18 points.

Since first defeating Meath in the 1928 Leinster Championship, Longford has a decent record against that opponent in that competition and had a surprise victory in 1982.

Longford forced Offaly to a replay in 1984, but the promise of the under-21 teams that reached successive Leinster finals in 1981 and 1982 failed to materialise.

The league saw Longford win four from the first five games, but defeats to Monaghan and Kildare in the final round meant there was no promotion.

In Ryan's first year in charge Longford were knocked out in the first round of the Leinster Senior Football Championship by Wicklow.

The Leinster SFC campaign finally yielded a win over Offaly for new manager Jack Sheedy on a scoreline of 0-19 to 0-15,[8] but a 1-13 to 1-15 defeat to Wexford followed in the quarter-final, in the sunshine of Pearse Park.

[15][16] But he quit at the end of the 2021 season after losing to Meath by 22 points, referring to his family, his property market job and the difficulties of managing at that level.

[20] Mayo's 2016 All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship-winning manager Mike Solan replaced him, arriving from Sligo GAA club Tourlestrane.

[30] Longford's Team of the Millennium [31] was unique as it contained the only father and son combination in the country; Drumlish's Jim Hannify Snr and Jnr.