Write a comment
Newry and Armagh MLA Justin McNulty has welcomed easement of Stormont Executive Covid-19 restrictions for the training and playing of GAA games. Training can officially commence from tonight.
The GAA have made the decision to hold the All Ireland Hurling and Football Finals in December.
Mr McNutly said, "Confirmation came this week from the Executive that contact sports training can resume from Monday 29th June and then games can recommence from Friday 17th July. This will be welcome news in every parish and townland across this island. Avid GAA fans have been eagerly awaiting the return of our sport and this will be welcome news for both players and supporters of all ages.
"This has been swiftly followed by confirmation from the GAA that the All Ireland Championship will be played, all be it in a streamlined format with finals scheduled just before Christmas. We all now know what every GAA fan in Armagh and indeed in every county in Ireland want for Christmas is Sam Maguire or Liam McCarthy in their county.
"The return of sport is very important, not just for those who play the game, but for those who follow it too. Mental health is equally as important as physical health and the return of our national game in terms of playing, club involvement and supporting will give people an outlet and a much-needed distraction from the news. This is a good week for the return of our games and I know the GAA will work with the authorities north and south to ensure crowds are managed, social distancing is observed and the health of players and spectators alike is protected."
The All-Ireland Hurling Final will take place Sunday, December 13 with the All-Ireland Football Final taking place the following weekend on Saturday, December 19.
All championship matches in both codes up to and including the All-Ireland Finals will be finished on the day. If the teams are still level after two ten minute periods of extra-time, the tie will be decided by penalties.
The provincial Championships have been retained in both codes but the Football championship is a straight knock-out competition with no second chances while the hurling championship will have qualifiers as part of the All-Ireland series for those teams who are defeated in their province.
Write a comment
News that the GAA have made plans to move out of lockdown and back to playing some games has been welcomed by MLA Justin McNulty.
The former Armagh player has expressed his excitement at the GAA’s announcement that club action will return on 31st July with an inter-county resumption on 17 October and said “the GAA's Return to Play Road Map out of the Covid-19 crisis gives players, supporters and communities great hope.”
“I can’t imagine how hard this period has been for players who have trained professionally and lived athlete lifestyles and who have been unable to participate in the sport they love. They have missed the camaraderie of the dressing room; they haven’t been able to see or train with their team mates and coaches and they will have missed the cut and thrust of big game battles." said McNulty.
“We all recognize that the competitions this year will have a unique schedule and duration and I think that will create an even greater interest and will maybe facilitate some teams coming in under the radar and potentially taking major scalps.”
“The GAA deserve massive credit for their Comprehensive Plan that covers all eventualities and it is very evident that they have left no stone unturned in in adhering to public health guidelines and in considering every potential eventuality.”
Commenting on how important the games are the MLA concluded “After this prolonged life and sports lockdown I think we all appreciate how important our Gaelic games are to us for players, mentors, club members and committees and for supporters. We cannot wait for the opportunity to get back to the nuts and bolts of our sport and to get out and cheer our teams on. Roll on the resumption of competitive games. I cannot wait for #GameOn!”
Write a comment
Reaching the heights of Mount Everest and walking the equivalant of around the world was all in a month's work for energetic members of Saval GAC who raised over £12,000 in the novel fundraiser. The walking and climbing were all achieved without the need for oxygen while staying in the comfort of their own townland's!
Throughout the month of May, over 350 members and friends of Saval GAC took on “Saval’s Everest Challenge” to complete the 104,094 steps equivalent to conquer the worlds highest mountain. The Challenge began with underage coach Damien Hillen who, having recently undergone major heart surgery and while shielding in his own home, undertook the challenge by completing the required distance walking around his own home and repeatedly climbing the 5 steps in his back garden!
Sunday 31st May saw the last day of the Challenge—not only did they surpass the original goal which was the equivalent of 80km —they then continued to complete an impressive total of over 41,000km, the equivalent distance required to circumnavigate the globe! Over £12,000 has been raised which will go towards much needed funds to support Chest, Heart & Stroke and the development of a new Community Walkway. Down GAA County Board Chairperson John Devaney visited the “finishing line” to congratulate the club on their fantastic achievement.
The Saval Challenge Community Jig-Saw is a 560 piece mosaic made up of individual photographs taken by participants throughout their challenge. Each participant received their vital piece and the final image was gradually completed mile by mile and piece by piece along the popular walking routes— “bringing people together while staying apart”.
Write a comment
THE brief was to select his personal Allstar side from the men he played with and/or managed. Brian Canavan played for Armagh for 14 years and was joint-manager of the Orchard County for another six, winning back-to-back Ulster titles and laying the foundations for the 2002 All-Ireland success during that time. Along with men from those two eras, he was able select from the Ulster University and Ulster Railway Cup teams he represented and the well-balanced team he settled on is packed full of Allstar winners. Andy Watters writes…
1 Brian McAlinden (Armagh)
THE first goalkeeper ever to place kick-outs. He told you where to run and how to run. Before that goalies just kicked the ball out as far as they could and they were still doing that up until recently. Brian was also a great shot-stopper, he had played soccer and he probably could have been an international goalkeeper but he concentrated on Gaelic football.
2 Denis Stevenson (Armagh)
HE started his career in the forward line but became a very tight, tenacious defender. Always very solid and dependable in the full-back line for Armagh.
3 Mark Turley (Jordanstown)
AN old-school full-back. He manned the square and put the fear of God into any forward he came up against. He went on to captain Down in 1983 when they beat Armagh in the National League final.
4 Joey Donnelly (Armagh)
PROBABLY the best man-marker I ever saw. He was always put on the best forward in the other team. I remember him marking the great Matt Connor (Offaly Allstar) on several occasions and keeping him very quiet. We marked Nudie Hughes (Monaghan) or Mikey Sheehy (Kerry) and did the same job.
5 Martin McQuillan (Armagh)
A VERY quick wing half-back. He could create scores with his pace, he was brilliant going forward and created a lot of opportunities. Once he found his best position – which was as a half-back – he was practically unstoppable going forward. He was unlucky that he came at a time when Armagh weren’t that successful.
6 Kieran McGeeney (Armagh)
A VERY strong centre half-back. His big thing was the leadership he brought to the team when myself and Brian McAlinden were managers. He was able to bring other players into the game and he was able to push them onwards and upwards.
7 Kevin McCabe (Jordanstown)
A STAR for Tyrone and I played with him at ‘the Poly’. The most athletic player I ever played with, he could have played anywhere on the pitch but I always thought his best position was going forward from the half-back line. Maybe not the best man-marker in the world but he made up for it with his ability to get up the field and score himself or create opportunities for the forwards. I played with him for Ulster as well. A great player.
8 Colm McKinstry (Armagh)
ONE of the best fielders of a ball I’ve ever seen. He knew his limitations in that he stayed in the middle of the field, won possession and then got the ball to one of the forwards. He was an Allstar in 1980. He worked between the two 45s and he wasn’t a great score-taker but he knew that and he did a great job defensively. He was able to win a lot of ball against all the top midfielders at the time.
9 Mark Grimley (Armagh)
AN outstanding fielder of the ball with great physical strength. Again, he put the fear of God into a lot of players he came up against because he was very, very physical. He played for Ireland in the International Rules Series and was man of the series in Australia. A very strong, impressive player. I played with him and against him but him and his twin brother John were just finishing up when I came in as manager. We tried to get them back but they thought it was time for the next generation to take over. I first came across Mark in club football. He played for Armagh Harps when I played for Carrickcruppen and we had been very strong in midfield. Then, all of a sudden, the Grimleys appeared. The came in as young fellas and progressed steadily and learned good discipline. If the ball was in the air, Mark Grimley got it, that’s all there was to it. He was so strong, I remember playing Dublin in Croke Park and Ciaran Whelan was playing for the Dubs. Mark completely over-ran him.
10 Paul McGrane (Armagh)
A VERY strong midfielder who won a lot of possession. He was a real workhorse up and down the pitch and his distribution was very good. He knew where to be and what to do with the ball. Remember the goal against Kerry in the All-Ireland final in 2002? He was the man who played the ball to Oisin McConville. A great competitor, he never gave up. He was raw talent in his early years and he worked hard on his game. He started off with us at wing half-forward and he became stronger as he got older, which is normal for midfielders. Around the middle you need that strong physique and he developed it. His workrate was as good as you’d see because he was up and down the field so much. A strong player and a very brainy player.
11 Joe Kernan (Armagh)
ONE of Armagh’s greatest-ever players. He could have played in midfield but he was always a targetman at centre half-forward from Brian McAlinden’s kick-outs. If he wasn’t man of the match, he was always close to it in every game. Won a couple of Allstars (1977 and 1982). He could win possession because he was so strong and he could also have scored points and, on many occasions, goals as well. He was a leader in the Armagh team when I came into it. He was a guy people looked up to and he was always a great help to me, he would have put an arm around your shoulder and guide you as best he could. A great leader.
12 Fran McMahon (Armagh)
FROM Culloville. Another very strong player with all the physical qualities. He could have played in midfield but I always thought his best spot was in the half-forward line. He had the strength to go in and win a ball but he could also take the ball on and take a score with either foot. He had great feet. A skilful player with a great eye for a score.
13 Diarmuid Marsden (Armagh)
HE was the best forward we (the two Brians) had in our time as the management. He was a shy guy when he first started and he needed that wee bit of a push, a bit of encouragement, because he always had the ability. He had a lot of injury problems at the start but once he got over them and became stronger physically he could win his own ball, he had the brains to pass it when the time was right and he could kick a score. He had everything.
I remember the first round of the Ulster Championship against Donegal in 1999, Diarmuid had been injured, he hadn’t played at all, but he was doing rehab and was fit enough to be on the bench for that game in Ballybofey. We conceded two early goals and we were losing 7-1 after about 10-15 minutes. It looked like we were out of the Championship, we were gone at that stage. I looked into the dugout and said to Diarmuid: ‘You’re going to have to go on, we need to make a change or we’re going out here’. He says: ‘If I go on I mightn’t play any more matches this year if I knock this injury back’. I said: ‘If we don’t win today there’ll be no more matches’. So on he went and we were able to re-jig the team around and come back from the dead and force a draw. We won the replay and went on to Ulster.
14. Ger Houlahan (Armagh)
A GREAT targetman and a brilliant goalscorer. He scored some wonderful goals for Armagh in his time. An Allstar in 1993. Unfortunately for us (as managers) he was coming towards the end of his career when that team of ’99 was coming to fruition because if he had been three or four years younger he would have been the final piece of that jigsaw. If you put a ball in front of him he had the pace to break out and get it and when he got possession he was strong he couldn’t be de-possessed. He had good hands, he knew where to run and he had great skill. He had played a bit of soccer and he knew where to run to get the ball that would suit him – he was ahead of his time in that way. One of the best full-forwards Armagh ever had.
15 Peter Loughran (Armagh)
THE best Armagh forward in my time as a player. He was a small guy but he could certainly win his own ball. He could have scored from play and he was a great free-taker. Many a time in my early days, you would have looked at the scoreboard and Armagh might have had 12 points and Peter would have scored nine or 10 of them. He was the go-to guy and he got most of our scores.
I always remember a game against Galway in the Athletic Grounds, They were playing with the wind in the first half and they were leading 11-1 at half-time. We beat them 13-12 at the finish and Loughran scored 10 points in the second half. That’s the type of player he was.
Substitutes:
Oisin McConville (Armagh)
IF Peter Loughran hadn’t been in, he would have got that position. A great player and as he progressed he was able to get on the ball more and more. A superb finisher, if he got a chance for a goal or a point he was able to take it.
Jim McConville (Armagh)
A super footballer. He could win possession, he had an eye for goal and created a lot of scoring opportunities. If the ball was played right to Jim he always got it. He played for Ulster too and scored goals upon goals.
John Grimley (Armagh)
HE could come in at centre half-back. A big, strong guy and another one who’d put the fear of God into opposition attackers.
John Corvan (Armagh)
PROBABLY the most naturally-talented player I ever played with. When he didn’t get on the team it was simply because he came and went. If he played Gaelic Football all his career I think he would have been up there with the superstars of the game. He scored the best goal I have ever seen – a volley from about 25 yards into the top corner against Cork in 1983 in the National League. An extremely talented guy.
Kieran McNally (Armagh)
FROM St Paul’s in Lurgan. A very talented centre half-back. A very imposing figure who was afraid of nothing or nobody. He got his hands on a lot of ball.
Stevie McDonnell (Armagh)
I remember him coming into the panel when he was only a young fella. He was light but you could see the natural ability there and he wanted to work at it which was a big thing. He worked hard and he worked on the physical side of his game. He was two-footed and became one of Armagh’s great footballers over the years.
Overview
I WAS involved at senior level with Armagh for 20 years between management and playing. I played for 14 years and then managed for six so I saw a lot of very good players coming into the team. Plus I played for Jordanstown as well and four of us went on to play for Ulster one year which shows you the level that team was at. Eugene Young, Kevin McCabe, James McAfee… It was a super team and I could have picked any of those as well.
I came into the Armagh panel in 1978 so I played with the boys who had got to the All-Ireland final in 1977 and when they retired in the early 1980s you had the likes of Martin McQuillan, Neil Smyth and the Grimleys coming in during the mid-’80s.
I tried to balance it between the team I managed and the guys I played along with.
Write a comment
THE brief was to pick his best side from the men he played alongside or managed and Pete McGrath has come up with a truly formidable, star-studded line-up that spans over 60 years from the late Leo Murphy, a team-mate in his early days with St Bronagh’s, Rostrevor, to Stephen Cluxton, who remains a key part of the all-conquering Dublin team of today.
In between those two, Pete had the difficult task of selecting players from the Down, Ulster, St Colman’s, Fermanagh and Louth teams and the club sides he was involved with. Andy Watters spoke to the vastly-experienced All-Ireland winner as he selected his best XV.
1 Stephen Cluxton (Ireland)
I managed Stephen in the 2004 International Rules home series. At that stage he hadn’t yet become the iconic figure that he now is but even then the International Rules player had to be an extension of an outfield player in how he used the ball. Cluxton played exceptionally well against the Australians and, given what he has become since, it would be impossible for anyone asked who was the greatest ’keeper they ever managed not to say ‘Stephen Cluxton’.
I also had to consider Neil Collins, given all he did in the 1990s, Mickey McVeigh who was another very good goalkeeper and Niall Morgan, who did goal when I managed the Ulster team, but I have to go with Cluxton.
2 Ryan McMenamin (Ireland)
AUSTRALIA in 2005 was a very difficult tour, the matches were brutally physical but he was one of the Ireland players who certainly stood up to the Aussies. By that time he had won two All-Irelands with Tyrone and went on to win a third.
When you look at corner-backs, Ryan had everything – he had the aggression, he had physicality and he was a good footballer, he could go forward and mentally he was very, very strong.
There were good footballers in the Down full-back line like Paul Higgins and Micheal Magill but I’ve decided to go for Ryan.
3 Leo Murphy (Rostrevor)
I CAME into the Rostrevor senior team in 1969 and I played with the great Leo Murphy for six years. He was an iconic Down full-back from the 1960s and by that time he had retired from inter-county football but he was still a relatively young man.
Football then was a bit more physical than it is now and you had big Leo at the edge of the square and he was a very dominating, physical and controlling figure. He was a hero to me given that he was an All-Ireland winner with Down and he was a marvellous man as well as being a marvellous footballer.
4 Tom O’Hare (Down)
AS A young guy coming into the Down senior team in 1972/73 Tom (an All-Ireland winner in 1968) was still playing. Gerry O’Neill, the former Armagh manager, said Tom O’Hare was ‘the Beckenbauer of Gaelic Football’ and he was. He could read the game so well and he made playing left corner-back a cool position to play in because he had the attributes of a really classy footballer – the sense of anticipation, fielding ability, use of the ball… A man who was ahead of his time.
5 Tomas O Se (Ireland)
HE was in the Ireland team in 2004 and 2005. In what was a very physical tour of Australia, Tomas got stuck into it and played with his usual verve and energy. He is one of the outstanding Kerry players of all time and when you’ve managed a man like that, it would be very hard to keep him out of your all-time greatest team.
6 Barry Breen (Down)
AT centre-half backs it’s Barry Breen. He played there in the ’94 Down team, he was midfield in 1991. I managed Barry at minor level as well and he resembled Tom O’Hare in many ways in that his reading of the game and his use of the ball was superb. He was someone who always seemed to have a lot of time in possession. He wasn’t fast but he was very deceptive in his movement and the ground he could cover. A very intelligent player and a natural footballer who didn’t need coaching, he just seemed to fit into whatever position you played him in. In 1994 his contribution at centre half-back was very important.
7 DJ Kane (Down)
AN understated footballer in certain ways, he had drive and focus and a ruthless streak, in the good sense of the word. He was very good on the ball, you just have to watch the Ulster final of 1994 to see how often he got forward.
I couldn’t go past DJ at number seven.
8 Sean Cavanagh (Ireland)
HE played for me in 2004 and 2005 and he loved the International Rules game. His contribution to the Tyrone successes was immense. He had running power, fielding ability and scoring ability and as the game evolved from the ‘noughties’ on it suited him even more. It became a running game where positions weren’t that important and it was about covering ground, anticipating and getting forward and he had all those qualities.
In my time with Fermanagh, Eoin Donnelly was in that mould in the sense that he is a high fielder, he can cover ground and has good vision.
9 Colm McAlarney (Down)
ANOTHER player I played with. In all the midfielders I have seen down through the years to the present time, I think McAlarney would be right up there with the best of them. Jack O’Shea himself said that he modelled his game on Colm McAlarney. Colm’s running ability, his athleticism, his accuracy in possession for scoring and passing… It was his sheer infectiousness, he had such great enthusiasm for the game, he just wanted to play and he played with such energy and vibrancy. A marvellous footballer.
10 Brian Dooher (Ireland)
ANOTHER International Rules man. He never let me down in the Ireland series. He was the ideal team player, the amount of work that he did, his selflessness on the ball, his scoring ability and tackling ability… For any manager Dooher would be a dream player to have in your squad because of what he did and for the example he would show.
After long deliberation I went for him but Ross Carr was a great man and a great player in the ‘90s. He was a similar player to Dooher and an expert free-taker as well. It was a tough call.
11 Greg Blayney (Down)
THE ultimate number 11 in how the position was played then and probably how it is still played today. A playmaker, very strong, very courageous, his ability to win breaking ball was almost uncanny and his physical strength in retaining possession, breaking tackles and then delivering the inch-perfect pass… A man who found it so hard to take defeat, he was just an absolute winner from day one.
12 Padraig Joyce (Ireland)
FROM Galway, he played for Ireland in the two years I was manager and he was the captain of the team. Led by example, a wonderful footballer. Like all the top forwards he had vision, he had scoring ability and the facility to find space and of course his performances for Galway in the two All-Ireland finals would make him stand out as a very accomplished, first rate forward.
13 Mickey Linden (Down)
WHEN I look back at all the players I managed or played with, if you’re looking for a corner-forward then Mickey would be a no-brainer. The man’s pace, his scoring ability, the fact that he taught himself how to kick better with his left foot than his right foot! In 1994 Mickey was 31 and his performances that year, right back to the classic against Derry at Celtic Park through to the final against Dublin on an awful day at Croke Park were superb. His scores, his strength on the ball… By that time Dublin knew that Linden was the man they had to stop but they failed, they couldn’t stop him. He put in another really top-drawer performance as he had been doing all year. At top of the right, Mickey Linden is the man.
14 Sean O’Neill (Down)
ANOTHER Down player I played with. Ask anyone who played alongside him: ‘Who is the greatest player you ever played with?’ I would say they would go for Sean. I personally think he’s the greatest forward that ever played the game. His pace, his ball-winning ability, his uncanny ability to do the unexpected – defenders never knew what he was going to do. He could go right, go left, lay it off, take them on… He could rise, flick the ball on. The sense of menace that Sean O’Neill created whenever he had the ball close to goal is second to none although Peter Canavan might come close. O’Neill would get on any team no matter what era and you had to play with him to realise his determination to win. The sense of mission that he brought to every game he played was something that I have never experienced in any other player. He was a unique player and in many ways a unique person.
15 James McCartan (St Colman’s College and Down)
I MANAGED James at St Colman’s College and minor, U21 and senior level with Down. You could take certain qualities that Mickey Linden and Sean O’Neill had and you would find them in James. He was totally fearless, his ball-winning capacity for a small person was exceptional. On the ball his balance was superb and he was almost impossible to dispossess and he could think his way through a game. I saw matches where James was being neutralised by an opponent but he would always find a way and it took just three or four flashes from him and he could change a game by taking a man on and laying the ball off for a critical score or finding the net himself.
The ’94 performance at Celtic Park was exceptional and his scores in the All-Ireland final of 1991, when Meath physically threw everything at him, was superb. The harder they hit him the better he got and I always feel that really great players save their greatest performances for the biggest occasions and James did that. Himself, Greg and Mickey were probably the best triangle of forwards that you would ever see on any team.
Overview
I HAD three or four contenders for every position but I had to ask myself: ‘Who is the guy that I really can’t leave out?’ So that is what swung the decision in that person’s favour.
Those are the marginal calls you have to make in picking any team, I had to make them in real life when I was picking real teams for really big matches and for this team I still tried to apply the same principles.
There are so many great players who I had the privilege of playing beside and managing, and ‘privilege’ is the word I would use. Whenever you sit down and think about it, you begin to appreciate the whole array of great players as well as great people you had the privilege of playing with or coaching.
Write a comment
Former Principal of St Ronan's Primary School, Newry, Frank Dawson is one of a select few to have managed at inter-county level in hurling (Down) and football (Antrim), Belfast-born Frank Dawson has had a long and successful career at club and college level starting with his native St Gall’s and including stints at clubs in Derry, Tyrone and Down.
He selects his Allstars side from the many fine players he played alongside and/or managed. Andy Watters writes…
1 Martin McCrory (UUJ)
HE was on my first Freshers’ team at Jordanstown in 1988. We won the All-Ireland that year. I called him ‘Mr Cool’ because he was always so calm and reliable under pressure. He was a good shot-stopper, comfortable on the ball and he could organise the defence. The confidence he gave the defenders was outstanding. He also played Sigerson that year (Freshers could do that in those days) and he came at the last minute when Cathal Canavan got injured before the game. He produced a ‘Gordon Banks’ moment in that game and that won it for us. An outstanding, unflappable goalkeeper.
2 Mark Doran (Longstone)
MARK just thrived on the job of stopping opposing forwards and the bigger the forward the more he rose to the challenge. As well as that, he loved nothing better than attacking – he would launch attack after attack and he was very comfortable on the ball. He was a nightmare for any forward and a dream player to manage.
3 Mattie McGleenan (UUJ)
HE played at full-back in the Poly Freshers team for me. I don’t think he’d ever played there before you but never would have that it the way he played that year. He was outstanding. He commanded the square, he protected his defenders, he just neutralised everybody he marked and for a big player he was very sharp in the tackle and very strong in possession. He epitomised the mantra: ‘Do the simple things right and often’. He a man mountain, I remember in one game he drop-kicked the ball on our 21-yard line and it went wide at the other end of the field. A huge, huge player.
4 Paul Donnelly (UUJ)
THIS is Paul of James-McCartan’s-boot fame. He marked him in the Ulster Championship when Tyrone played Down and James’ boot came off during the game and he grabbed it and threw it into the crowd at Clones! That was the third time that year he had marked him – he also marked him when we played Queen’s in the Ryan Cup and the Sigerson. Those three battles between the two of them were three of the most compelling battles I ever saw on a football field. Paul was so competitive, he didn’t give an inch even though he was very slight of build. He never gave a forward a moment’s peace or space and he always gave 100 per cent and relished every challenge that was put in front of him.
5 Kevin McKernan (Burren)
I MANAGED Kevin for three years at Burren and he was undoubtedly one of the easiest footballers I managed such was his dedication and commitment to the team. In 2010, when we won our first championship, Kevin was at his ultimate best for club and county. He was marauding all over the pitch, making blocks and interceptions and launching attacks and he also contributed very consistently on the scoreboard. He has the full repertoire of skills and his performances were always of the highest quality. In 2011 I made him captain when we retained our Down title and he was at the forefront of that too. Just a complete footballer.
6 Kieran McNally (Bellaghy)
HE never let the team down. Very solid at centre half-back and a very driven player who demanded the best from everyone, no-one moreso than himself. A man of few words but he led by example and when he did speak the players really listened to him, he had that aura about him. He was very comfortable on the ball and loved nothing more than driving down the field and attacking with the ball. A very accomplished footballer, a leader and a very good person.
7 Mickey Gribben (St Gall’s)
I PLAYED with Mickey throughout my career. If you wanted a prototype for a modern wing-back, he would be the mould you would use. Hugely-talented as a basketball player as well and he always strove for perfection and he approached training and games with 100 per cent commitment. He seemed to stroll through games but he was a tremendous defender. He had very quick feet and hands and he used them repeatedly to intercept and dispossess forwards before threats even materialised. He had the ability to be in the right place at the right time and that allowed him to go about his business quietly and efficiently. I made him captain when I managed St Gall’s and he led by example every time he took the field. It was no surprise that he went on to captain the county too.
8 Fergal Doherty (Bellaghy)
A WARRIOR. One of the most committed and fearsome competitors I’ve had the pleasure of managing. He just thrived in the engineroom and would go from his own 14-yard line to the opposition 14-yard line relentlessly, right throughout the game, taking all the hits, all the knocks and never saying a word. His efforts were always driven to helping the team, it was never about personal things. A great fielder of a ball with an engine that never stopped, he was the type of guy you wanted in the trenches with you.
9 Kalum King (Bryansford)
IT was only when I worked with Kalum at Bryansford that I realised how good a footballer he was. Everyone knows about how big and strong he was but I came to admire the more subtle qualities of his game – the way he would use his hips to steer opponents away, how he would place his feet to provide cover for a team-mate to win breaking ball, the way he spread his arms to make space to win the ball… For such a big man he was very nimble on his feet, very subtle in his interventions. He had a calming effect on his team-mates – he never got flustered on the field and he went about his business very quietly but he was an extremely effective midfielder for both club and county.
10 Mark Poland (Longstone)
THEY always say that good things come in small packages and it’s definitely true of this man. He was my captain at Longstone for three of the four years I was there. He was a leader who demanded everything, firstly from himself, and then those around him. He had the great ability to win his own ball no matter what possession he was under and once he gained possession he rarely lost it. He was a brilliant playmaker and he had the ability to see the right pass and, more importantly, execute it and it always led to scores for us. A stalwart for his club and county; an outstanding player.
11 Ross Carr (Clonduff)
WHAT can I say about this man? He first played for me when I was at Clonduff in 1990 and I returned 10 years later in 2000 and made him captain – he’d never been captain in all the time he had played! We won the championship that year and Ross played centre half-forward surrounded by five kids in the forward line. Ross drove that team forward with his top drawer performances and determination and made sure that my gameplans and instructions were carried out to the letter. His left foot was so good, whether he was taking a score or delivering a defence-splitting pass, that he really didn’t need a right foot. Probably the best captain I ever had and I’ve had some really good ones. A brilliant player and an even better person who I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know.
12 Eamon McGovern (Burren)
IT’S always said that you need a man in your team to do the heavy-lifting and put in the hard yards and Eamon was that player – Mr Consistency. He worked relentlessly all over the field in order for the team to succeed. Strong, athletic and he had an engine that allowed him to run all day. No challenge that I presented, or the opposition presented, was ever too tough for Eamon and he thrived on doing that dirty work, the unselfish role that every team needs. He was a major contributor to Burren winning two championships.
13 Ronan Fitzpatrick (UUJ)
HE played in the UUJ Freshers team and he didn’t need to be told that his role was to score. He would defy any number of opponents or lack of space to produce a score when you didn’t think it was possible. Hard-running wasn’t his game but smart-running was and he was a very confident player who never doubted what he could do. The number of times he saved us in that All-Ireland campaign were just too numerous to mention. A committed team player, he used the ball well and winning the game was all that mattered to him. I remember many times thinking to myself: ‘Don’t shoot’ as he lined up a shot only for him to come up with a score out of nothing. He had a killer instinct on the field.
14 PJ O’Hare (St Gall’s)
A SUPERB player who had to get the number 14 jersey. He is the only player on this team that I never managed but I was lucky enough to play with PJ and also play under him when he became player/manager of our Ulster Championship-winning St Gall’s team in 1982. He played full-forward in that team and he was a very accomplished basketball player which helped him become a very effective ball-winner. He could score from anywhere but the thing that stands out for me was his awareness of where other players where on the field and his ability to bring them into the game. He had a football brain many years ahead of his time. In recent years we’ve seen goalkeepers coming out and soloing up the field but PJ had our goalkeeper doing that in the late 1970s.
15 Collie Curran (Clonduff)
I WORKED with him in 1990 when he was around 19. Even at that point you could see he was something special. A total team player who was a joy to coach, he had tremendous ability, great strength and belief in himself. I played Collie as part of a two-man full-forward line and he wasn’t the biggest in the world but he was physically very strong in possession and always had the ability to make something happen. He could often do the work of two or three people to get us over the line. He lost his life in a car accident but I’ve never forgotten watching him perform that year and being in awe of what he did.
Substitutes:
The strength of a team should be gauged by the bench and there’s a lot of talent on this one. I offer my apologies to all these players who didn’t make the final 15 and also to the many other wonderful players who names have not found their way into print.
Gerry Moore (St Gall’s), Cathal Murdock (Burren), Gareth O’Neill (UUJ), Chris Lawn (Moortown), Sean Kelly (Antrim), David O’Neill (Bellaghy), Ambrose Rodgers (Longstone), John Kennedy (St Gall’s), Kevin Diamond (Bellaghy), Conor Maginn (Bryansford)
Overview
I’D love to have a virtual-reality game with my team against any of the other teams that have been picked in this series and I would fancy my team. Doing this has made me feel very lucky to have worked with these players. Originally I thought I’d just pick from the four clubs I managed to win championships with to make it easy for myself but then I thought about all the other players I would be leaving out! So I decided to pick from all the teams – 18 of them – that I’ve managed but if somebody featured in another team in this series I left them out.
When I started I came up with a list of 74, I brought it down to 34 and then finished with this team. What sets these 15 players apart is that I still talk about all of them today – their talent and ability still shines for me and that makes them stand out. Doing this made me realise the great players I had the privilege of coaching but not only are they players, they became friends and they still are to this day.
Write a comment
Newry and Armagh MLA Justin McNulty has called for a coordinated all island sports recovery plan from the Covid-19 crisis.
Mr McNulty said, ‘Many sports and sporting bodies here are organised on an all island basis and they are eager to get back to some sense of normality in the weeks and months ahead. However the diverging recovery plans produced by the Executive and Irish Governments could see various sports permitted in one jurisdiction and not in the other. This is causing concern and confusion among many in sport.’
‘Sport, be that as a participant or indeed as a spectator is a great way of improving our physical and mental health. At a time when we hope to see communities gradually emerge from lockdown, it’s important that we have a designated recovery plan for sport so it allows the various sporting bodies and codes to come out of lockdown in a coordinated way.’
Covid19 and indeed social distancing will be with us for quite some time and it is important we put public health first and that is why we need to see a coordinated plan published to allow that to happen. We have shown that when we work together we can get through the restrictions so let us work together to get through the recovery.’
Write a comment
THE GAA is about more than the games and the games will return says Caroline O’Hanlon reassuringly but the Newry-based doctor cautions that over the coming weeks and months “your health and the health of the people around you” is the priority.
Throughout her sporting life, Ladies’ football with Armagh and Carrickcruppen and netball have been a twin focus but now the three-time LGFA Allstar has had to leave her boots to one side and throw herself into the frontline of the battle to slow the spread of Coronavirus.
Northern Ireland international O’Hanlon played her most recent netball match (perhaps the last of this season) last weekend for reigning Super League champions Manchester Thunder who beat Surrey Storm 60-42. Fixtures were suspended after that game and since it the Ireland International Rules star has concentrated on maintaining ongoing health provisions at her busy GP practice while preparing for what Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described as “the storm”.
“All this puts sport into perspective and I think everybody is aware of the bigger picture and where our priorities are,” she said.
“It highlights what’s important for you – your health and the health of the people around you.
“Sport is an outlet but it’s not the be-all and end-all. I hope sport will be back later in the year and in the mean-time it’s important that when we’re not having group sessions people continue to do exercise because everyone knows the value that has, not just on our physical well-being but on our mental health.
“It is important that we try to keep that up as much as we can. We’re lucky in this country that there are a lot of open spaces and we can utilise them.
“Sport has gone through difficult times before but it will bounce back. The GAA has that flexibility to change its format so there will be some sort of competition at some stage.”
O’Hanlon praised the leadership shown by the GAA at national and community level. With games, activities and training all in lockdown, Croke Park is being utilised as a testing centre while clubs are doing all they can to make life a little easier in their localities.
“We’ve been in a bit of a limbo getting conflicting advice from the UK and Ireland but the GAA have been great,” said O’Hanlon.
“They have been very strong in terms of their messaging and their outreach through the WGPA and the GPA. Everybody is singing off the same hymn sheet and saying: ‘Look, this is not about you and your team, it’s about doing all we can for each other’. I’d like to think that the message is coming across and from a personal perspective that has been the case – my club’s message has been very clear that we’re not to organise group sessions and that we’re here to support everyone in the community.
“That’s the unique position the GAA is in – it’s bigger than the games, it’s more about the community. Those messages that have been going out about providing support to neighbours in terms of delivering their shopping or checking in on them… We’re in a unique position and I feel that gives you a little bit of a safety net, it’s a bit more reassuring. I feel a bit for people who maybe don’t have that.
“The messaging from the GAA has been very clear and I’d like to think that people are getting it. Anybody reads reports from Italy or China, or if you’re following the World Health Organisation, the advice is really clear and we all have a responsibility to do our bit and we need everybody to follow the guidance.”
Ordinarily, O’Hanlon would be gearing up for the conclusion of Armagh’s Division Two campaign – the Orchard women have outstanding fixtures against Cavan and Monaghan – and the remainder of the Super League season with Thunder, who top the table with four wins from four games.
“Nobody really knows what the path is,” she says.
“As Leo Varadkar said, we have to learn from the countries that are going through it – learn what we should do and what we shouldn’t do.
“We still have to wait and see what happens to some extent and we’re trying to make sure we have provisions for people who have long-standing illnesses, they’re not going to stop because this new thing has come on the horizon. We still have to provide for the people with chronic illnesses and other illnesses.
“We’re trying to maintain a service that is as proficient as possible and as safe as possible and hopeful the community understands what we’re trying to do and people do what they can to help us.”
Write a comment
An All-Ireland winner with Armagh in 2002 and with his club Crossmaglen Rangers too, Tony McEntee was also part of the management team that took Mayo to within touching distance of the elusive Sam Maguire in 2017.
The Crossmaglen native chose to wind the clock back to his school days at the Abbey CBS in Newry and pick an Allstars side from his team-mates and the players they took on in their quest for a MacRory Cup.
The MacRory Cup scene in the mid-1990s was dominated by St Patrick’s, Maghera. The Derry students completed a three in-a-row in 1994, 1995 and 1996 and to do that they had to withstand everything their rivals could throw at them. The action was fast-flowing and ferocious as emerging players battled to get their hands on the biggest prize in Ulster Schools’ football.
Abbey Days
Tony McEntee enjoyed his footballing days at the Abbey CBS where he was in the company of a number of players – including twin brother John – who would progress to unforgettable achievements on the inter-county scene.
“I had a very good experience in schools’ football generally,” says Tony.
“At the Abbey we had a good balance of players from south Armagh and Down and at that time both were quite progressive counties in a lot of ways in relation to the players they were developing and the way they were making progress.
“I’m thinking particularly of my Armagh team-mates like Enda McNulty. Aidan O’Rourke, Barry Duffy, my brother John and myself and Oisin (McConville) who was there for a while but left to do his A-Levels in St Pat’s, Armagh before we went to MacRory Cup level. We had a lot of players from Crossmaglen as well and a good group from Ballyholland in Down – Shane Mulholland and Ben Cunningham and other people.
“The downside to my time in schools’ football was not winning a MacRory Cup. We never won one and we had some superb teams. We came up against a good (St Patrick’s) Maghera team and we fell short simply because we never had a really reliable free-taker. A number of people, including myself, hit frees at different points but when it really mattered we fell short because we had no free-taker.
“But we had good times, we had a good coach in Val Kane and we had an excellent experience. We trained really hard, some people thought we over-trained but I didn’t. We had really solid teams but we simply weren’t good enough at different stages of the campaign.
“It was a much more enjoyable time for me playing football than college football (at Jordanstown). I didn’t like college football to be honest, I didn’t enjoy the training or the approach to it. Obviously I had good relationships with different people but schools football was much more memorable for me.”
McEntee describes Maghera as “a serious team” and their stats support that theory. The Coleraine Road school completed a three in-a-row in Ulster and reached the Hogan Cup final each year, winning the competition in 1995.
“They won three in-a-row and not only did they do that, they were dominant all over,” says Tony.
“They were very strong, very solid defensively and they had the likes of Mark Diamond who never made it through to county football but, at least from our perspective looking in, he was the outstanding fielder of his generation. We put people up against him – the likes of Barry Duffy and John and myself - but the fella was big and strong and mobile. If a ball needed to be won, he won it. They had Paul Diamond as well and Sean Marty (Lockhart) and they were a solid team, well trained at that stage by Adrian McGuckin, and they were a good outfit.
“To be fair, Derry schools would have very good underage structures and very good underage teams but Derry at that time wouldn’t have been strong at inter-county level. I suppose it shows you that good schools teams don’t guarantee good county teams.”
Among the other challengers during that were St Michael’s, Enniskillen who were backboned by the Gallagher brothers, Rory and Ronan, and Colm Bradley.
“St Michael’s had pace and power and they were then, and probably still are now, very confident about themselves,” said Tony.
“They were probably seen as arrogant out on the field but they were superbly athletic and confident in their ability and they delivered and that was the important thing. They delivered whenever they needed to.”
Interestingly, there are no players from the Abbey’s Newry rivals St Colman’s College on Tony’s side. He explained that the Violet Hill school had temporarily fallen off the pace during his time.
“St Colman’s wouldn’t have been strong then,” he said.
“Before my time they would have been strong with Diarmuid Marsden and Barry O’Hagan and people like that but in my time they weren’t particularly strong.
“Maghera were our rivals and at that stage they were everybody’s rivals. We were the team that should have won but never could win. Every year we underperformed to be honest whereas every year Maghera performed.”
The Team
1 Karl Archie Kimmons (Abbey CBS)
HE learned his trade in the old Corrinshego playing fields and he was a fabulous shot-stopper. Played county minor’s for Armagh in goals against Derry and was busiest man on the pitch which earned him a call-up to the senior team. Coached by a Crossmaglen man called Frank Harvey. Played the most fabulous rendition of ‘Lonesome boatman’ on the tin whistle.
2 John Heaney (St Patrick’s, Maghera)
HE captained that great Maghera team. A small but teak-tough corner-back who was aggressive and rarely beaten. Often marked our best forwards and came out on top.
3 Seamus Duffy (St Patrick’s, Armagh)
ONE of many superb Cullyhanna players in a team which also included Aidan Lloyd and Des Mackin. Seamus was surely destined for big things but he discovered that the lure of girls along the Armagh Mall was irresistible. Got me out of trouble many a time and that was even before he became a solicitor!
4 Sean Marty Lockhart (St Patrick’s, Maghera)
MADE from the same mould that produced Tony Scullion. From his early days he wanted to excel and worked tirelessly at his game. He practiced those short, fast feet movements constantly when he was off the field. Without doubt the most dedicated footballer I've had the pleasure of knowing.
5 Conleith Murphy (St Patrick’s, Maghera)
NOW works as a consultant cardiologist in the Belfast Trust, back then he was a dynamic, pacey half-back with floppy hair who had no end of energy on the field. Bellaghy's Paul Diamond is also worth a mention as someone who I went on to have many battles at club level with Cross and who I became good friends with in UUJ.
6 Aidan O'Rourke (Abbey CBS)
SOLID and reliable, despite playing all his career without a left foot. Aidan always found space and rarely got into trouble in possession. He often carried our defence and would never give in. Went on to win an All-Ireland with Armagh in 2002 and is forever remembered for his inch-perfect pass to Stevie McDonnell for the winning score.
7 Damien Teague (St Patrick’s, Dungannon)
NEVER one for the fancy football or flashes of brilliance but he knew how to hit and he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. He was incredibly strong and a great reader of the game. I don’t recall that he had huge pace, though Francie Bellew didn’t have great pace either and it affected neither of them much. .
8 Mark Diamond (St Patrick’s, Maghera)
IT’S a mystery to me that Mark Diamond never played much after schools football at a competitive level. He was completely dominant at schools football and without doubt the best of his time at fielding and dominating his position. When it came to the MacRory his performance was the difference between the Abbey winning and losing.
9 Tom Brewster (St Michael’s, Enniskillen)
PERHAPS he was over-shadowed by his older brother Paul but by my estimation he was a better footballer. Classy left foot, composed in possession and he could certainly field a high ball. Was the driving force for school, club and county throughout his entire career.
10 Michael McCormick (St Patrick’s, Maghera)
YET another Derry maestro who fell off the radar but who, at that moment in time, was a joy to watch as he dominated the middle third. He had size and power and from memory was really direct. A force to be reckoned with.
11 Shane Mulholland (Abbey CBS)
A SUPERB athlete with unbelievable fitness and buckets of style and class. The MacRory fitness training under Val Kane was the stuff of legend (and nightmare to some) and no one could better Shane in distance running. The Ballyhollland native dabbled with the foreign game and then went onto represent his county with pride and is now SVP of operations at First Derivatives. It’s no surprise that he has been so successful in life.
12 Colm Bradley (St Michael’s, Enniskillen)
THIS guy was good, really good. At MacRory level he was powerfully built, seemed more physically mature than most and he had the Enniskillen arrogance in abundance. Scored goals for fun. Had a short county career afterwards.
13 Paul Cunningham (Abbey CBS)
THE best school footballer I know that didn’t go on to have an inter-county career. He was phenomenal throughout school years. Pacey, dynamic and brave he was a joy to play with. Earned the nickname 'rubber' as when he was knocked to the floor he'd bounce straight back up - unusual for a Down man, I hear you say.
14 Rory Gallagher (St Michael’s, Enniskillen)
RORY and Raymond tortured defences for years and while Raymond was strong, powerful and extremely direct, Rory was composed, stylist and uber confident. His free-taking was exemplary and crucially won many games. If the Abbey had had a Rory Gallagher we would have won two MacRory cups for sure.
15 Brian McGuckin (St Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon)
THE only one of the McGuckin clan represented but in truth they could all have featured. Perhaps he stood out because of his unique ability to poach goals, or his ability to turn on a six pence, or maybe it was just his red hair. In any event, he was virtually impossible to mark and a real thorn in the side of opposing defences.
Overview
I WANTED to stay away from putting more predictable people in that I had spent a lot of time with since school – the likes of Enda McNulty and John (McEntee) and Oisin. I wanted to be fair to the people of that time who would have been very good at that time but who would have disappeared since.
 |
 |
 |