The old Board didn't have a Donegal thread. So i'm putting that right now. Post everything about the club sence here so.
Good luck Cloughaneely & Naomh Brid in the Ulster championships.
The draw for the u-21 "A" championship quarter-finals has been made.
Sean MacCumhaills/Killybegs v Glenswilly
Buncrana v Naomh Conall
Gaoth Dobhair/Cloughaneely v Glenfin
Ardara v Kilcar
I see buncrana were put out of the u21 championship today by naomh conall
Would have thought they would have a strong side in this competition.
Also Fanad beat by robert emmets inthe 'b',would have said the same about them too!
About time we'd a few more Donegal men!
Hear Hear....welcome Hedgehog.
Lets hope 2007 is a great year for the Herring Gutters.
We'll need to find a few scoring forwards if that is to be the case!
Have'nt been posting since the exit to the rebels but with Naomh Brid flying the flag,the new forum and one or two more county posters about i'll try and contribute more before the start of next season on the 8th January.Good win yesterday in Irvinestown against a physically bigger Coa side but could have lost towards the end when they levelled at 10 points each having lead 0-10 to 0-5 at one stage.All will have to play above themselves if they are to overcome Bredagh who hammered Drum.Looks like its in Newcastle? on Sunday.
By the way we have found no one to strengthen the county squad at this stage and my auld username is short due to the limited charachters spaces available!!!
Well we played very well today to beat the competition favourites by 9 points.We won both halves and the turning points were Dermot Langan's goal,John 'Lefra' Gallaghers point blank save and a point by David Walsh follwing a sweeping move up the stand side in the second half.Late changes were enforced due to injuries picked up against Coa with Dermot Curristan making way for Pauric Rooney at full back and Ronan Gallagher starting for young John Mc Nulty.An early fisted goal following a free set us on our way early on and when the captain rattled the net midway thru the first half it looked like we might have enough of gap going in at half time to defend against a strong wind in the second.All played well with special mention to the Walshes,John Paul Langan,Pauric Mc Daids freetaking and Paul Mc Grory and Dermot Langan in midfield.Owen Gorman played at his impish best and John Gallagher was sound in goals.The full back line steadied up as the game wore on and if we turn in a performance like that in the final well it'll take a helluva team to beat us.This is all in the context of a club from two small rural villages with a total club membership of less than 150.The support in Breffni was magnificent and we'll have the same again and more in the final.
Up Ballintra,Up Laghey,Up Drumholme and Mon Naomh Brid!
JHE, I'd assumed you were a Eunan's man, given your name! Laghey area or Ballintra? I wore the St Naul's colours in my long-lost teenage years, so I came up against your boys a few times! Fair play to youse! Can't be easy sitting right between Aodh Rua and Four Masters! The Donegal Town boys certainly don't let us forget our relative lack of success!
J70.
Love your post which says it all about smaller clubs succeeding dispite struggling between the geographical squeeze of larger more successful and glamorous clubs. I bet a lot of your younger talent has been tempeted away over the years?
Indeed, listing such examples of such clubs to acknowledge their efforts is a subject worthy of a separate Discussion Thread.
In Down for instance I can think of several small, usually rural clubs, that provide good examples including: Longstone, Kilcoo, even Bredagh (although they compete mostly with the larger more glamorous Antrim city clubs). Even the current county champions Mayobridge (a rural village sanwiched on all sides by big hitter Co Down clubs like Burren, Clonduff, Rostrevor, and the best of Newry provide a good example. Just 20 odd years ago they had to fight their way out of the lowest Division in Down.
Another club in Down deserving praise for suceeding despite the odds is St Paul's. In the not too distant past they had to operate on a 'keep-your-heads-down-and-hope-the loyalist-hoods don't notice-us basis. Having their pitch 'glassed' and posts cut down was a regular occurance. Their recruitment rate was badly affected by this eventhough they are located in perhaps the heaviest populated region. This in turn lead to weak teams that invariably suffered plenty hammerings. Despite all this, today this year they won promotion and the furure looks good.
Opps, going on too much about Co Down on the Donegal thread, sorry. Anyway, I was at the match today and, althought not happy about the result, I can congratulate Naoibh Brid played on playing a very cleaver game, one that prevented Bredagh getting their style of game going. Naoibh Vrid have a sound gameplan backed up with lots of good talented players and a great team spirit. I hope this takes you farandgood luck in the final.
Bye the way your keeper's 2nd hald save was imense and deserves special mention. It came at an important time and seemed to say that "Naoimbh Brid could take anything Bredagh could throw". He's only a young lad too.
Quote from: ITOB on November 19, 2006, 07:44:00 PM
Another club in Down deserving praise for suceeding despite the odds is St Paul's. In the not too distant past they had to operate on a 'keep-your-heads-down-and-hope-the loyalist-hoods don't notice-us basis. Having their pitch 'glassed' and posts cut down was a regular occurance. Their recruitment rate was badly affected by this eventhough they are located in perhaps the heaviest populated region. This in turn lead to weak teams that invariably suffered plenty hammerings. Despite all this, today this year they won promotion and the furure looks good.
That's a type of story that we from the south don't always appreciate. I'm sure its been repeated all over the north.
Naomh Brid 0-9 Greencastle 1-7
Never been so angry and depressed after a defeat like this.No one can have any gripes if the better team triumphs but the least we merited today was a draw.By half time we knew it probably was'nt going to be our day with our frees not going over and conceding a sickener of a goal midway thru.A miscued free that somehow managed to trundle between two of our full back line and John Gallagher in goal.The opposition had started the better and we were second to most ball.Michael gallagher started the same line up as the semi final which was to cost us as dermot Curristan and possibly Stephen Walls should have started.
We went in four points down at half time with the wind advantage against us.
However after the goal with the fantastic vocal support by what seemed most of Drumholme we began to slowly peg back the deficit.But for some wrong options by our full forward line we should have equalised.greencastle were holding on for all of the second half with their only scores coming from frees.
Best for us was Fermot Currisatn,Sean Gormley,John Paul Langan,the Walshes,Paul Mc Grory and Owen Gorman. The average age of that team is 21 so next years aim must be promotion as progression from this year is paramount.The pain of a narrow defeat for your county pails by comparison with the void of despair when your club are edged out.
Good luck to Greencastle
MON NAOMH BRID
Hard luck JHE. Was hoping youse would do it.
Yeah J70 it's gonna take at least a week to get back to some kinda equilibrium but what a journey to go thru in the depths of Winter.For all concerned it was like Italia 90 and September 92 times 10!!!.I drove up from Waterford today and was never as nervous before a match.Close defeats are such absolute sickeners.
Hard luck Naomh Brid. The Salmon Inn will be subdued tonight.
Pictures of Greencastle's (Tyrone) victory over Naomh Brid in yesterday's Ulster Junior Championship Final at Casement Park are now available to view on Greencastle's website. Almost 100 pictures to see!
In relation to the new Donegal panel do you think your name sake John Haran should be recalled, he had a good county final,surely as good as some of the muppets Mc Ivor has involved.Reading the local papers i see the county secretary is in love with Mc Ivor.Everyone in Donegal seems to be bending over backwards to praise him and what has he achieved,nothing not even as good as poor old Mc Eniff and he was a joke at the end. For f**k sake he mishandled the Kevin Cassidy case and off our best player went to America.Think of the Cork game and Nicholas Murphy cleaning up in midfield, or Thomas Donahoe making that simple mistake that cost us dearly,if Cass was there i think we might have won.
Anyway i am not that sure at all about Mc Ivor,i see he has now brought in Adrian Mc Guickin as an adviser, the sign of someone not too sure about their own ability.Just count his list of advisers now, Michael Kelly, Francie Martin, Pierce Coyle, Ryan Porter, his son Paul Mc Ivor, and now Adrian Mc Guickin counting himself that is seven different opinions he needs to make a decision, how capable is this man?
And to put the tin hat on all this he appoints big Neil as the new Captain for the year. Does he think this will keep him off the sauce? When we needed Neil this year against St Michael's in the third game in 'O'Donnell Park he couldn't even run because he was fucked from partying.
Welcome to our small cohort of posters.In relation to Eunans captain and having watched him in the county final I personally would'nt let him within an asses roar of the panel as he has consistently failed at county level over the years.Too slow,too awkward and a yella streak to boot.I'm glad the captaincy was taken off Toye as it clearly affected his form this year and he gave no leadership at all.The captain has to be vocal and lead by example.I can see big Neilly doing the latter but he strikes me as fairly quiet onfield and if as you say he's fond of the lemonade and like Toye has been given responsibility solely to dissuade him from the gargle then mc Ivor has repeated his mistake again.Barry Monaghan is the obvious choice or from left field possibly devenney as it might curb his propensity to go it alone on the pitch and contribute to play more as a team player.Hoping that Dermot Langan and David Walsh impress in the trials from our own club and that the Mc Kenna Cup throws up a midfielder maybe Sweeney from Fanad could surprise us - lose some weight and find some pace.
This Mc Iver's second year is the crunch year.I'd say most people will be happy with a top four place in Division 1A and winning Ulster - could nearly settle for beating Armagh in Mc Cumhaill.
I think the Cassidy affair was a mess orchestrated by poor communication between management,County Board and local media.
Donegal club Championship draws 2007:
Senior
Prel - Aodh Ruadh v Ardara
Round 1:
Naomh Conall v St. Eunan's
Glenswilly v St. Michael's
Glenfin v Termon
Killybegs v Gweedore
Cloughaneely v Aodh Ruadh/Ardara
Buncrana v Kilcar
Malin v Four Masters
Dungloe v Naomh Columba
Intermediate
Round 1:
Downings v Muff
MacCumhaills v St. Naul's
Burt v Bundoran
Moville v Fanad Gaels
Byes for Urris, Na Rossa, Naomh Bríd and Milford.
Junior A
Naomh Mhuire v Red Hugh's (Killygordon)
Naomh Padraig (Lifford) v Pettigo
Letterkenny Gaels v Carndonagh
Robert Emmets v Convoy
Naomh Padraig/Pettigo v Naomh Ultan
Naomh Mhuire/Red Hugh's v Naomh Colmcille
Naomh Conall v Eunan's probably the tie of the SFC, Aodh Ruadh v Ardara a big game also. Will Gaoth Dobhair make it back-to-back titles?
Glenties v Eunan's definitely the tie of the round! Both sides have a fair sprinkling of lads on the county panel.
Looking at the senior draw, there's definitely been a shift in power away from the south of the county over the past while. Surprised to see McCumhaill's in the intermediate draw as well!
Hopefully Gaoth Dobhair will do the business, times have changed as J70 says the balance of power has shifted! 8)
Boys, I'm just wondering what the reserves teams are like up there? I mean, what level/standard is it at and how can all clubs manage to get a reserve team? It's the only thread I could find on Donegal club affairs!
Hows the Championship shaping up in Donegal, is it groups or straight knock-out?
Seems to have been an incident packed weekend anyway, Bonner must have got quite a doing, shocking injuries apparently
Our boys might be looking a competitive friendly next week if someone can help me out.
We are hoping to get a game in Donegal preferably against an Intermediate side to help us prepare for a Junior Championship clash on the 21st July.
My Club is called Owen Roe's just outside Strabane.
buncrana were very unlucky they have some very good young players.. heard the n conail eunans game was rough?? anyone see it
Glenswilly defeated kilcar 2.11, to o.11, in the Donegal senior championship quarter final tonight , at Ballybofey , with the second half -played under floodlights.
St Eunans Letterkenny 2.10, to 0.9 forBallyshannon in tonights championshio quarter final replay , at Ballybofey. The semi final draw is St Eunans v Glenfin and Dungloe, v Glenswilly.
good to see a small club like glenswilly do well.. but overall having seen both games i thought the standard was very poor.. too much cynical off the ball pulling and dragging, to many men behind the balls, negative tactics ie stop them scoring rather than attacking the oppisition, the standard of kicking both passing and scoring was poor. to much handpassing as well.. on a positive note the lights definetly have added a new diension and atmosphere to the championship
should be a well contested final given the local derby rivalry!
Well done to Eunans - hard luck again to Swilly.
Will that relegation play off take place? If it does will it mean anything?
http://www.ofonebelief.org/
Get registered boys its our chance to show the prima donnas what we think and to stop the central council going over our heads
Following a request by the family of the late Emon Coleman, a special day of celebration to mark the life of the man himself is currently been organised for Saturday 7th June 2008, the first anniverasry of his death. On the day there will be a game between Derrys 93 All Ireland winning team and an Irish select of past and present players who played for and against Eamon.
Later in the evening an Informal Dinner will take place in a specialised marquee on the premises of St Treas Ballymaguigan Co Derry, which of course was Eamons home club. Cost of this event is £1000 per table, but in the event that you may not wish to avail of a table a donation of any kind would be very much appreciated.
The charities being supported which were close to Eamon are: Marie Curie Cancer, GOAL, Adoption UK, SMA and Foyle Hospice.
To book a table or make a voluntary contribution you can contact myself on 07875 400 839 or email me on: ronan@moltools.co.uk, or contact Jim Crozier on 07841100141 or email: jimgcrozier@msn.com. Jims address is 246 Shore Road, Magherafelt, Co Derry, BT45 6LH.
Any contributions via cheque can be made out to "Eamon Coleman Memorial Fund"
Many thanks.
I've added a new Live Scores feature to GAA Radio. If you're at any Donegal club games it'd be good if you could text score updates to 447624804328. This service is free for everyone to view at http://www.gaaradio.com/scores/liveScores.jsp . Thanks.
(http://antrim.gaa.ie/saffron-sweep-2008/docs/sweep-advertising.gif) (http://antrim.gaa.ie/saffron-sweep-2008/)
Full details and you your ticket online at: http://antrim.gaa.ie/saffron-sweep-2008/
Feel free to ask questions on the main thread (http://gaaboard.com/board/index.php?topic=7182.0).
Sunday 11th May 2008
Raidio na Gaeltachta Senior Football Championship
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue
Glenswilly 1-11 0-10 St. Eunans Glenswilly Pairc Naomh Columba Preliminary Rd. 2nd Leg
Daly Brothers Lifford Intermediate Championship
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue
Naomh Mhuire 1-13 0-11 Burt The Banks Mullachdergh Preliminary Rd. 2ndLeg
Downings 0-7 0-8 Bundoran Downings Preliminary Rd. 2ndLeg
Junior B Football Championship
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Aodh Ruadh 1-5 1-6 Red Hughs Fr Tierney Park Preliminary Rd. 1st Leg
Donegal Senior Reserve Championship
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Glenswilly 0-7 4-11 St. Eunans Glenswilly Pairc Naomh Columba Preliminary Rd. 2ndLeg
Intermediate Reserve Championship
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Naomh Mhuire 2-6 2-8 Burt The Banks Mullachdergh
Downings 1-8 0-4 Bundoran Downings
Donegal Senior Football Division 1A (Sponsored by Brian McCormack Sports Letterkenny)
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Gaoth Dobhair 0-12 1-11 Glenfin Machaire Gathlan
Naomh Conaill 1-6 0-18 Kilcar Glenties Davy Brennan Memorial
Four Masters 0-9 1-12 Dungloe Tir Chonaill Park Donegal Town
Donegal Senior Football League Division 1B (Sponsored by McGlynns Restaurant Castlefin)
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
St Michaels 1-14 0-7 St Nauls Pairc Naomh Micheal
Malin 1-12 2-13 Termon Malin
Donegal Senior Football Division 2
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Urris 1-8 0-8 Na Rossa Urris Pairc Ui Chraimhsaigh
Donegal Senior Football Division 3
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Naomh Padraig 0-9 1-12 Robert Emmets Lifford
Donegal Reserve Football Division 1A (Sponsored by Brian McCormack Sports Letterkenny)
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Gaoth Dobhair 3-17 2-10 Glenfin Machaire Gathlan
Naomh Conaill 0-12 2-7 Kilcar Glenties Davy Brennan Memorial
Four Masters 1-7 1-7 Dungloe Tir Chonaill Park Donegal Town
Donegal Reserve Football Division 1B (Sponsored bt McGlynns Restaurant Castlefin)
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
St Michaels 0-11 3-12 St Nauls Pairc Naomh Micheal
Malin 1-12 1-9 Termon Malin
Donegal Reserve Football Division 2
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Urris 1-14 0-7 Na Rossa Urris Pairc Ui Chraimhsaigh
Donegal Reserve Football Division 3
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Naomh Padraig 2-19 1-5 Robert Emmets Lifford
Saturday 10th May 2008
Raidio na Gaeltachta Senior Football Championship
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Cloughaneely 4-12 0-10 Naomh Columba Pairc Naomh Fionnan Falcarragh Preliminary Rd. 2ndLeg
Donegal Senior Reserve Championship
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Cloughaneely 2-13 0-9 Naomh Columba Pairc Naomh Fionnan Falcarragh Preliminary Rd. 2ndLeg
Division 4 North
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
St Michaels 0-1 3-11 St. Eunans Pairc Naomh Micheal
Division 4 South
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Kilcar 1-12 2-5 Ardara Pairc Tamnaigh Kilcar
Donegal Senior Football League Division 1B (Sponsored by McGlynns Restaurant Castlefin)
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Killybegs 0-14 0-9 Aodh Ruadh Fintra
Donegal Senior Football Division 2
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Naomh Brid 2-10 0-1 Moville Naomh Brid
Donegal Senior Football Division 3
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Carndonagh 1-5 0-7 Muff Carndonagh
Letterkenny Gaels 3-3 4-14 Convoy Letterkenny
Milford 2-12 1-10 Naomh Ultan Moyle Park Milford
Donegal Senior Hurling League
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Setanta 3-16 1-10 Four Masters
St. Eunans 2-5 3-22 MacCumhaills O Donnell Park
Donegal Reserve Football Division 1B (Sponsored bt McGlynns Restaurant Castlefin)
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Killybegs 1-9 0-10 Aodh Ruadh Fintra
Donegal Reserve Football Division 3
Team 1 Score Score Team 2 Venue Comment
Carndonagh 3-16 2-3 Muff Carndonagh
Letterkenny Gaels 0-8 1-11 Convoy Letterkenny
------------------------------------------------------------------------
St Eunan's won there play off game against Glenswilly on Saturday last on a score line of 2-8 to 1-5. Rory Kavanagh returned for the Letterkenny lads to score 2-1 in the first half. Michael Murphy scored a good goal for the Glen just before half time to leave 3 points in it at half time. St Eunan's dominated the second half scoring 4 points In a row to open up a seven point margin and held out to win by six but should have won by a lot more. Devenney played well for Eunan's and should really be in the county squad at least as an impact sub. Eunan's now play Ardara in the first round proper the weekend after the Donegal Derry match.
Glad to see Kavanagh back, great player.
Thought Devenney was in the county squad now?!
GAA
Local rivalry that led to greatness
Kieran Shannon
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I COME from the rushes. That's what I tell people. I got this coaching job with the Ulster Council four years ago and at this convention of theirs Danny Murphy says to me, "Tony, say a few words." I nearly fell through the floor. I says to myself, 'What the hell am I going to say?'
I just went up there and I said, "You know this, and I'm going to tell you and I'm proud of it - I come from the rushes!" You know what rushes are? Long green things that aren't supposed to be growing in a field if you look after your fields. Well, I come from the rushes.
He's that guy. The one that was on telly the other week, the one Brian McEniff brought in to help Nell McCafferty and Faughanvale, and, in the words of the celebrity bainisteoir herself, "practically levitated" them with an intensity that would make that mister motivator from the lucozade sport ads look as mellow as a Rastafarian.
Nell would hardly have been the first to be mesmerised by that exuberance. A couple of years ago Mark McHugh from Kilcar was part of an Ulster under-16 development squad, and to this day, vouches his father, Mark still talks about the talk Tony Scullion gave them in Jordanstown.
Here they were, among the 45 best in the province. When he was their age, he could barely make the Ballinascreen under-16s.
He never even got a trial for the county minors. "I was told I was too small, not good enough, that I was a failure."
Three years later he was called onto the county under-21 panel. The day of their first round against Armagh, a bag with togs and socks was dropped into the middle of the dressing room and Scullion, being a "backward wee boy from Ballinascreen" and certain he'd be just a sub, let everyone else rush in before gratefully taking the last pair. He soon realised why his socks had been the last pair. There was a hole in both heels. But he gladly put them on, before Mickey Moran and Sean O'Kane named out the team, with a certain Tony Scullion at corner back.
"I could have dropped through the floor.
Oh! Talk about winning the lotto! I was the last out the door, and as I ran out, Jim McGuigan, a great county board stalwart, shouted, 'You, boy, you can't go out there with a pair of socks like them!' And he went to another wee bag and gave me a spanking new pair."
That backward wee boy Jim McGuigan watched frantically slip on those socks and tear towards that field for fear of being late for his own debut would four years later receive an All Star. Scullion was so overwhelmed, he nearly dropped it, but over the years he'd come very familiar with that statute's weight. He'd pick up another three. He played 15 years for Derry. From 1989 on, Ulster won six Railway Cups on the trot. Only Scullion and Martin McQuillan from Armagh started on all six teams. The most anybody else played on was four. In fact, only one other man in the history of the inter-provincials has collected six winners' medals in a row. A fella by the name of Christy Ring.
"Now, boys, " Scullion told McHugh and his peers, "you can achieve more than I ever did. But the law of averages tells us many of ye will fall by the wayside. I don't have to leave my own parish to find far more talented players than I was when I was 18. You can take two roads. The road which leads to high stools and bright lights, or the one in which you go for it and have no regrets later in life."
Martin McHugh could relate to that. It's hard to believe but the man Brian McEniff rightly described as the greatest Donegal football ever was never picked to play minor for the county. He was "too small" as well - and too dogged to leave it at that. On the evening of his 21st birthday, his mother Kathleen had prepared a meal and baked a cake for him after his shooting practice on the club pitch. Down there he had this routine. He'd throw five footballs down at difficult angles and imagine his side were four points down and he had to kick all five over to win the match. If he missed the fifth, he'd start all over again. By the time McHugh returned home that night, his brothers and sisters had finished his meal and cake.
Last Wednesday Martin McHugh - on crutches, unable to drive after a recent operation - made the four-hour round-trip from Kilcar with his loyal friend and neighbour Hugh Shovlin to meet Scullion at Padge Quinn's Corner near Dungannon.
Of course, they had met plenty times before. On the pitches of Ballinascreen and Ballybofey; on the hard - and one notorious day, the treacherous - ground of Clones; in Cavan, Casement, and one time, even Scotland. So intense were some of those Donegal-Derry battles, it appeared they were fuelled on mutual hatred. Not so, Scullion and McHugh claim. They were founded on ambition, desire and mutual respect. McEniff was Scullion's manager for all those Railway Cup wins. In Ulster he might have been ready to kill one of McEniff 's men but for Ulster he would have died for him.
Because what you must appreciate is this. Compared to Dublin and Meath and Cork who formed the more famed, blueblood rivalries of that era, both counties came from the rushes.
A few years ago Tony Scullion had a good chat with John Somers, the old Derry goalkeeping great, who told him how Derry teams used to prepare before Scullion's time. "They'd do a couple of laps of the field in Ballinascreen, kick about a wee bit, then head down to Timoney's for tea and sandwiches and then across the road for Regan's for a few pints. That was Derry training." And they were happy enough with it. Weren't 29 other counties exactly the same?
In the '80s, they picked it up a bit, but it was only when another boy from the rushes, a bricklayer called Eamonn Coleman, took over that they started to train and think like the sport's elite. In 1991 they pushed Down to a replay and Down went on to win that All Ireland. The following spring they won the national league. Then they dumped Down out of the championship. Heading to Clones for the Ulster final, they were ranked the best team in the country.
There, that irresistible force would meet an unmovable object. In 1982 Donegal won the under-21 All Ireland final, McHugh, aptly, kicking five of their eight points. The following year McHugh and five of his under-21 teammates won an Ulster senior title and were within two points of reaching an All Ireland final. "We thought in '84, " smiles McHugh, "it was just a matter of coming back to win something. We didn't get back to an Ulster final until 1989." And they lost that final. In 1991 they lost another to Down. "Walking down the hill in Clones that day, I thought - we all thought - we'd never walk down it again as players."
The following year, they had qualified for another final, but after their semi-final win over Fermanagh McHugh stood up on the dressing-room bench and declared that they were a shambles and that he had no interest in disgracing himself in another Ulster final. It was the cue for Anthony Harkin's famous six weeks of shock training. "Horses, " Anthony Molloy would later say, "wouldn't have done the training we did."
At half-time it looked as if it had been in vain. John Cunningham had just been wrongly sent off. Heading into the dressing room there had been some pushing and shoving, in the midst of which McEniff got a clip, and when he stormed into the dressing room he kicked a bottle of water which flew across the room and busted above Joyce McMullan and Donal Reid.
Then he pinned Joyce McMullan up against the wall. "Do you think that crowd are going to intimidate us?"
What followed was, as Matt Gallagher says, "the best half of football Donegal ever played". They started to run with the ball and at Derry. Gary Coleman didn't know what to do as the spare man. Danny Quinn didn't know what to do with Tommy Ryan.
Scullion didn't know what to do with Declan Bonner. And none of them knew what to do with McHugh, who kicked one of the greatest points Clones ever witnessed. The 14 men had beaten the 15 men by two points, and soon were All Ireland champions for the first time.
Coleman was shell-shocked leaving Clones. "I just can't believe it, " he'd tell reporters. "It will take us a long time to get over this." By the following spring though, they were gunning again for Donegal. In the national league quarter-final in Cavan, Tommy Ryan was stretchered off with a broken jaw and Kieran McKeever was sent off. McEniff got a dig from another Derry player when trying to make a switch. And Anthony Molloy and Brian McGilligan in midfield were going at it again.
The pair of them personified the rivalry.
Before the 1992 Ulster final Molloy attributed his rather subdued displays against Cavan to the fact his marker, Stephen King, was a friend. "The problem I had with Stephen, " he smiled, "is one I won't have with Brian." Thing is, they were friendly, off the field. McHugh and Scullion, like them, were Railway Cup and All Star veterans and noticed how often McGilligan and Molloy gravitated to one another.
Brian Murray noticed how before and after every game, they'd make a point of shaking hands. Between those handshakes though, it was war, and Breffni was their Flanders.
"It got so bad, " Martin Shovlin would tell Damien Dowds and Donal Campbell in Sams for the Hills: Donegal's All Ireland Odyssey, "McGilligan stood in the middle of the field, took off his gloves and said, 'Alright, Anthony, me and you.'" Whatever about Molloy, Donegal shaded that battle and went on to contest the league final. "Looking back, " says McHugh, "we should have forgotten about the league that year because we were an ageing team.
But we were just having so much fun, playing games in places like Longford and Carlow after being out 'til five in the morning, while there was no way we were going to back down to Derry that day."
Derry had resolved to never back down either. "Training leading up to that Ulster final was unreal, " says Scullion. "Two men went fisticuffs and the wee man himself [Coleman] came running on. One of them turned round, 'Were we not told to fight for our place?' Coleman did that wee snigger of his and dandered off with that wee dander of his."
Scullion had his own battle in those weeks. In a league game in Drogheda he broke his ankle, leaving him on crutches.
"The week before the Down game, the wee man said to me, 'Well, what do you think, boy?' And I said, 'I'll go for it if you go for it!' And he says, 'Well, I'm going for it! I want you in there.' I lasted 10 minutes in Newry. I went down to pick up a ball and I fell on my f****n' mouth and nose. I swung a boot at the ball, it trickled to Mickey Linden and he kicked it over the bar. I looked up and saw someone warming up along the line. Derry went on to hammer Down but afterwards I was disgusted. The wee man came over. 'Scully, you have four weeks to get right for Monaghan.'" Scullion wasn't one for the sport sciences. He didn't do weights ("Many's the day I lifted and put in them big brutes of road curbs myself; if you do that, you don't need weights"); didn't do stretching ("[Dermot] McNicholl was really into it - Jesus, he would be down on the floor in a ball before a game, like a hedgehog - but I never stretched in my life - and I'm paying for it now"); didn't believe in "them boys for the head" (I can't remember a thing Craig Mahoney ever said. Coleman might have had him going to certain players but he never came to me. I don't think I needed him, to be quite honest"). The only way he knew was to grit the teeth.
"I'll tell you this, and I'm not telling a lie, any night Derry weren't training that month I went to Dean McGlinchey Park [Ballinascreen's local pitch] and ran round it lap after lap after lap. The doctor gave me this bandage and to this day, if I play a bit of fun football, I still have to wear a strap around that ankle. And he said to me, 'Tony, you have to run the pain out - keep going.' After a while the ankle would warm up and the pain would go out of it, but the first four laps out every night was a killer!"
Nothing was going to stop him winning that Ulster and All Ireland.
He takes umbrage with any Donegal supporter who questions whether Derry would have won that 1993 Ulster final if it hadn't been played in those monsoon conditions. "Sun, snow, rain, hurricanes - we were going to win that game!"
Across the table, McHugh nods.
"Derry were the hungrier and fresher team, just as we had been the year before. But I remember John Joe Doherty winning a ball 15 yards inside the line and he slid out over the line. I was captain that day and I'd said to [referee] Tommy McDermott going up for the toss, 'This game should not be played.' It didn't affect the outcome but football lost out. You were talking about the 1992 All Ireland champions against the 1993 All Ireland champions. The following year the 1993 champions [Derry] and the 1994 [Down] produced the greatest game of the year. Maybe we could have as well. I would always liked to have seen the two teams on a good day, 15 against 15 and a good referee just letting the two of us at it."
Both teams broke up soon after that, even if they would clash in a couple of league finals in the middle of the decade. At the end of '94 McEniff stepped down. That same year Coleman was forced out. In a way neither county has fully recovered from those dark months and in some quarters, some have never forgotten. Scullion noticed how recently Joe Brolly resurrected the fact that Scullion was the first senior player to return and play for Mickey Moran.
"Joe described me as a blackleg. I laughed it off, I'd take anything Joe says with a pinch of salt, but I tell you one thing - I'm very proud that I never refused the Derry jersey. I wasn't going to say no to Mickey Moran, I wasn't going to say no to nobody!
"I was playing for my county, whoever was in charge. I've done everything I could to get my second All Ireland medal and if Joe thinks he did everything to get it and can live with it, then I can live with it."
To the end he remained that backward wee boy with those holed socks that day in Bellaghy.
Today 30 other Derry men will put on that jersey to face Donegal in the first box office face-off of the summer. It won't be open football, he reckons. "I can see a lot of bodies working hard, getting tackles in, a lot of breaking ball, bodies around the ball. A man or two might even walk."
He hopes though today's soldiers will share the same bond with their adversaries like his generation do now. The year before last he was up in Noel Hegarty's club and stayed in John Joe Doherty's house. McEniff and himself team up to coach the Ulster Railway Cup team, not just Nell's. Two years ago those Donegal and Derry players from '92 and '93 played a charity game in Fanad and there was over 5,000 at it.
For McHugh, the respect is mutual. He notices how all the Derry lads, just like their Donegal counterparts, have given back to the game. "Enda Gormley is travelling down from Belfast to train his club under-14 team. I said to him, 'Have you a brother on the team or something?' He says, 'No.
But sure they're my own club.'" For all their differences, they shared and still share a passion, be they from the Glen or from the hills.
Because in a way, they all came from the rushes.
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Championship Semi Final Draws
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta Senior Football Championship .
St Eunans v Four Masters
Termon v Gaoth Dobhair ;)
Senior Reserve Football Championship
Kilcar v Dungloe / Malin
St.Eunans / Killybegs v Four Masters / Cloughaneely
Daly Brothers Intermediate Football Championship
Na Rossa v St. NaulsMcCumhaills v Naomh Mhuire
Intermediate Football Reserve Championship
McCumhaills v Burt
Na Rossa / Urris v St Nauls
Daly Brothers Junior A Football Championship
Naomh Ultan v Carndonagh
Robert Emmetts v Naomh Padraig
Junior B Football Championship
Robert Emmetts v St Eunans
Convoy v Naomh Conaill
Under 21B Football Championship
Bundoran v Carndonagh
McCumhaills v Naomh Mhuire
Lads anybody know anything of the Killybegs Eamon Byrne Memorial Tournament, I believe our club are heading down to it, on the 20th.
TG4 are showing the County Senoir Final live between St Eunan's and Termon. Not sure of the time but they are showing it for sure.
See in the Irish News this morning the Donegal Club Stars of the year or whatever they call it!
Some poor calls. Why the hell doesn't he just name the Donegal starting 15? It should be about up and coming players in the county who have shown potential all year!
Couple of dodgy calls, particularly in the forward line and boys getting picked on their so called "county reputation" Jesus I seen a brave few games this year and these boys wouldn't be next nor near my team!
Wednesday 15th July
Senior Hurling League @ 8.00pm
Setanta V Aodh Rua Hugo Wallace
Senior Hurling League @ 7.30pm
Burt V St Eunans Rory McGonagle
Under 21 A Championship
Preliminary Round @ 7.30pm (E.T. if required)
Gaoth Dobhair V Mac Cumhaills Robbie O'Donnell
Under 21 A Championship
First Round @ 7.30pm (E.T. if required)
Cloich Cheann Fhaola V Killybegs Francis McGuigan
Glenfin V Termon Trevor McBrearty
Malin V Buncrana JJ Lafferty
Dungloe V Kilcar Ian Molloy
Under 21 B Championship
First Round @ 7.30pm (E.T. if required)
Naomh Columba V Naomh Muire Connie Doherty
Downings V Moville Don Langan
Fanad Gaels V Naomh Colmcille Mickey Mulhern
Red Hughs V Bundoran Kieran McShea
Carndonagh V Naomh Pádraig Paddy McGonagle
Robert Emmets V Naomh Ultan Tony Gallagher
Under 21 B Championship
First Round @ 8.0pm (E.T. if required)
Convoy V Milford Sean Campbell
R.T.E Raidio na Gaeltachta Senior Football Championship Quarter Finals
Quarter Finals
Dungloe 1-13 2-07 St Michaels
Glenfin 1-06 1-09 St Eunans
Kilcar 1-13 1-11 Gaoth Dobhair
Ardara 1-08 0-11 Naomh Conaill Draw Replay Sun 6th Sep
Semi-Finals
Dungloe v St Eunans
Kilcar v Ardara / Naomh Conaill
http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/donegalsport/Kilcar-St-Eunan39s-and-Dungloe.5602794.jp
Kilcar, St Eunan's and Dungloe progress in senior championshipBy Alan Foley
There were no major deviations from the script in the Donegal RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta SFC quarter-finals over the weekend.
Kilcar's two-point victory over Gaoth Dobhair might be considered a surprise in certain quarters, although not a shock. In Glenswilly on Sunday afternoon, a 16th minute goal from Ciaran McGinley paved the way to a 1-13 to 1-11 victory. Although Gaoth
ADVERTISEMENT Dobhair rallied late in the game, with a somewhat fortuitous goal from Joe Duffy when he punted into the square and the ball went straight in, Kilcar held on.
That same evening in Letterkenny, neighbours Ardara and Naomh Conaill from Glenties played out what evolved into an interesting draw. Naomh Conaill dominated the first half, but a misplaced free from Dara Gallagher set up and Ardara break and Stephen Gildea netted. In the second half, Gallagher atoned for his error with a couple of fine points, but Brendan Boyle's leveller in the last minute made it 1-8 to Ardara, 0-11 to Naomh Conaill. They will replay next Sunday, back in Letterkenny at 6.15pm.
On Saturday evening, overwhelming favourites St Eunan's from Letterkenny produced an indifferent performance to squeeze part Glenfin, 1-9 to 1-6 in Ballybofey. St Eunan's were 1-4 to 0-1 up at the interval, with David McGinley bagging a 22nd minute goal from Rory Kavanagh's pass.
However, the contest altered significantly after the break as Glenfin's challenge ignited. Gerard Ward saw his penalty saved by Damian Martin on 42 minutes, but, seven minutes later, Kevin McGlynn was not so wasteful from a second penalty. Three points down, Glenfin were denied a replay when, in the final play of the game, Michael McGlynn's fisted effort on goal flew inches wide of the post.
In Glenties on Saturday, Dungloe got the better of St Michael's from Creeslough-Dunfanaghy on a 1-13 to 2-7 scoreline. Minus the services of Christy Toye, who severed an Achilles whilst playing for Donegal against Clare in the All-Ireland qualifiers, Colm McFadden took responsibility, scoring 2-4.
That wasn't enough though to get the better of Dungloe, who are currently top of the All-County League Division. With Adrian Hanlon registering a personal total of 1-4 drian Sweeney knocking over six points, Dungloe sealed their third semi-final in three seasons.
The semi-final draw was made, with St Eunan's, who are aiming for a third successive county championship, facing Dungloe, while the winners of Naomh Conaill and Ardara take on Kilcar. The ties are due to be played on the weekend of September 12/13.
Raidio Na Gaeltachta Senior Football Championship Semi Final
Dungloe 2-7 1-17 St. Eunans
Kilcar 1-8 2-15 Naomh Conaill
Senior Reserve Football Championship Semi Final
Glenfin 1-8 2-13 Dungloe
Kilcar 0-9 1-13 Ardara
Senior Hurling Championship County Final
Burt 3-13 2-12 Sean MacCumhaills
Donegal league final score Ardara 2.9 StEuans1.5 in Ballybofay.
Is the hydropool/ ice bath in letterkenny at the aura leisure centre?
in aura centre owned by former tyrone stalwart kevin mc donnell of aughabrack very competitive price
Ulster Gaels' big night out!
Tickets are now on sale for the 23rd Ulster GAA Writers' Association Banquet which will be held this year in the Slieve Russell Hotel, Co Cavan.
The Quinn Insurance Ulster GAA Writers Banquet is the only awards ceremony that honours players from all codes as well as grass-roots Gaels.
There is plenty to celebrate this year with Down's run to the All-Ireland SFC final, Tyrone lifting the minor title, Antrim's hurlers regaining their place amongst the sport's big guns, Armagh's rise up the hurling ranks, St Galls' march to All Ireland glory, the ladies of Tyrone and Donegal on the All Ireland stage, Paul Brady continuing to set the world handball benchmark and the Saffron camógs' All Ireland among the Ulster success stories.
As usual a star-studded guest list from all codes will celebrate all that is good in Gaelic games in the province in 2010. Tickets are priced £50 or €60 and are available by contacting Tony McGee at tony.mcgee@btinternet.com or visit www.ulstergaawriters.com for full details.
Accommodation in the Slieve Russell Hotel can be booked here: www.slieverussell.ie. Click here for a list of alternative accommodation in the area: http://www.irishtourist.com/directory/accommodation/north/cavan/