Mickey Galvin's Sligo team shone at Croke Park this afternoon as they lifted the Nicky Rackard Cup for the first time in the county's history.
The deadly accurate Keith Raymond (1-08) and Paul Severs (1-04) led the way for the first Sligo hurling side to play at Croke Park since the minors of 1986.
Incredibly, veteran forward Severs (39) and current manager Galvin were members of that 1986 minor side.
Sean Conroy's 15th-minute goal gave Louth some early hope, shooting them into a 1-03 to 0-01 lead.
But Sligo, with some lovely, clean striking, hit 2-07 without reply, including a Joe Bannerton major, for a 2-12 to 2-05 lead at half-time.
Ronan Byrne and Diarmuid Murphy goaled for Louth either side of the break, but Severs' late strike sealed the issue.
Their fitness, hunger and clever stick-work, allied to some slick forward play, saw Sligo deservedly follow in the footsteps of their Connacht rivals Roscommon, who were last year's Rackard Cup winners.
The Yeatsmen fielded the same starting line-up that saw them beat a much-fancied Fingal side by 1-16 to 0-11 at Markievicz Park last weekend.
Louth made one change from last Saturday's 0-18 to 1-13 extra-time victory over Monaghan at Clones - Ronan Byrne, back from holidays, came in at centre-forward in place of his Knockbridge club-mate Paul Dunne.
But the Wee County side were missing their manager Pat Clancy on the sideline as he has been given a five-week suspension for being sent-off against Monaghan.
Watching from the stands, Clancy would have been encouraged by Louth's display in the opening quarter this afternoon.
This was Louth's second appearance in a Rackard Cup decider - they lost heavily to London in the 2005 final - and they had eight players returning for their second bite at the cherry.
Diarmuid Murphy got them off to a solid start with a second-minute free and Gerard Smyth, who swooped onto the ball after a sideline cut from Shane Callan, doubled Louth's lead soon after.
The 20-year-old Keith Raymond, one of the most potent forwards in this year's competition, opened his and Sligo's account as he took advantage of some poor Louth marking.
But another Murphy placed ball and corner forward Conroy's snappy goal finish looked to have the Louth side firing on all cylinders.
Yet Sligo found an extra gear over the next 20 minutes to really put Clancy's men to the sword. Severs landed two frees on the bounce to put a goal between the sides.
A successful '65' from Murphy steadied his side briefly but Sligo then came with wave after wave of attacks.
In the 17th-minute, Raymond pounced for his goal when Louth goalkeeper Stephen Smith failed to clear his lines and the Sligo full-forward clipped home to the net.
The Louth defence was beginning to look stretched as Michael Gilmartin, Raymond and Joe Bannerton fired over successive points.
Clearly getting the better of their markers, the Sligo starting forwards had all pointed by the 25th-minute as their dominance was transferred onto the scoreboard.
Conor Kerrigan and Aidan Carter were giving it their all for Louth but they were being swamped as Larry Cadden and Damien Burke added to Sligo's tally.
The Connacht side moved 2-09 to 1-04 ahead in the 27th-minute when Bannerton got inside Kerrigan and, in a scrambled finish, he crept the ball over the goal-line with goalkeeper Smith unable to get a touch.
Severs (free) and Raymond, who was giving Brian Hassett a torrid time, tagged on further points to leave Louth 2-10 to 1-04 adrift and it was beginning to look like a rout.
The decision to pull Shane Callan back into the Louth defence gave Clancy's charges some room to breathe and to their credit, Louth made a game of it before the break.
Ronan Byrne gave Louth a lifeline in the 33rd-minute when he bulged the Sligo net. Free-taker Murphy started the attack by breaking the ball down, Shane Kerrigan gobbled up possession and his well-placed hand-pass allowed Byrne the time and space to fire home.
The point of the half arrived just seconds later when Sligo's Mark Burke won the ball in his own half-back line, surged forward on a 30-metre run and then split the posts.
Louth did have another goal-scoring chance, late on, but Shane Kerrigan's effort was scrambled to safety by the Sligo rearguard.
Injury-time points from Raymond and Aidan Carter (free) left the gap between the sides at seven for the second half.
The sides went point for point on the resumption with Donnacha Callan and Murphy landing Louth scores and Sligo ace Raymond taking his personal tally to 1-06.
Centre-forward Damien Burke also claimed his second point for Sligo but a series of successful frees from Murphy - including his well-struck goal from a close range free - whittled the Westerners' lead down to just four points.
Louth's decision to switch Byrne into full-forward and move Shane Callan out to the forty seemed to pay dividends as they increased the pressure on the Sligo backs.
But even though Murphy's accuracy from placed balls was keeping Louth in touch, man-of-the-match Raymond was still finding space at the other end.
After a good catch and point on the turn, the young number 14 sent over a relieving point on the hour mark as Sligo, ending a barren spell, stretched their lead to 2-17 to 3-09.
And Louth's hopes of a late comeback really died a minute later when their talisman Murphy was sent-off for his second bookable offence.
Cementing Sligo's win, substitute Mick Shelly added a quick point before a ball in from Severs from near the sideline dropped over Louth 'keeper Smith's head and into the back of the net for a very soft goal.
Severs tagged on a point from distance in the 67th-minute to complete Sligo's tally and Donnacha Callan's injury-time effort was only a consolation score for Louth.
Louth came into this third-tier competition with high hopes, after winning the National League Division 3 title and the Leinster Junior Shield, and they hammered Sligo by 6-12 to 2-11 in the league in March.
But Sligo, with their key men all playing to their potential, were simply too good on the day.
Sligo: C Brennan; F Coyne, W Gill, R Cox; D Clarke, M Burke (0-01), L Reidy; J Mullins, D Collery; M Gilmartin (0-01), D Burke (0-02), P Severs (1-04, 0-03f); J Bannerton (1-01), K Raymond (1-08), L Cadden (0-01).
Subs used: C Herrity for Cadden (46 mins), M Shelly (0-01) for Bannerton (59), C O'Mahony for Gilmartin (68).
Louth: S Smith; C Kerrigan, T Teefy, B Hassett; D Callan (0-02, 0-01f), A Carter (0-01, 0-01f), J Carter; T Hilliard, S Kerrigan; S Fennell, R Byrne (1-00), G Smyth (0-01); S Conroy (1-00), S Callan, D Murphy (1-06, 1-03f, 0-02 '65').
Subs used: M Kirwan for Teefy (32 mins), E McCarthy for Smyth, D Dunne for S Kerrigan (both half-time), C Connolly for Fennell (42), P Dunne for Conroy (67).
Referee: Sean Whelan (Wexford)
