10 YEARS AGO

LONGFORD club Dromard were fined €3,000, later reduced to €2,000, by the GAA for staging a Jamie Carragher soccer summer school.

The Liverpool legend was prepared to help out with the fine, with the club first hoping to have the fine removed on appeal – although administration issues saw those plans come under pressure.

Cushendall upset the odds to secure a spot in the All-Ireland Club final as they hammered Sarsfields of Galway 3-12 to 1-6.

Neil McManus ended up with 1-7 for the Antrim and Ulster champions with Sean McAfee and Karl McKeegan also on target on a famous day for the club.

Donegal signed off on league action ahead of a team trip to Tenerife with a convincing 2-14 to 1-7 win over Cork.

The rain was ever-present in Ballyshannon and perhaps more used to such conditions, the Tir Chonaill men tore through the Rebels. It was their second double-digit win in two games having beaten Down by 17 points the week before.

The goals arrived in either half through Martin O’Reilly and Odhrán Mac Niallais with Patrick McBrearty contributing four points and also blasting a shot against the crossbar.

Antrim’s unbeaten record stayed in place, but only after a late goal from Matthew Fitzpatrick gave them a 1-8 to 0-7 win over Wexford at Corrigan Park.

The game was tight throughout with Wexford fighting back to get within a point late on, but Fitzpatrick – who would soon turn his attentions to soccer – settled the matter with a neat low finish.

Monaghan kept out a late Down fightback to win their Division 1 clash 0-13 to 0-11.

A score from Rory Beggan – a novelty back then – put Monaghan five ahead midway through the second half in Clones, but Down fought back well with Darragh O’Hanlon, Packie Downey and Connaire Harrison all on target, but Monaghan held on.

20 YEARS AGO

THE league meeting between Tyrone and Dublin was marred by disgraceful scenes in what became known as ‘The Battle of Omagh’.

Four red cards were issued with Dublin’s Alan Brogan and Denis Bastick and Tyrone’s Collie Holmes and Stephen O’Neill dismissed. In truth, many more could have followed.

The fiery nature was evident following an unseemly row four minutes in, while the most serious incident happened 10 minutes into the second half – the action kicking off close to the stand and spilling over thesideline after Brogan and a Tyrone official got involved with each other.

The away side won 1-9 to 1-6 when the action did resume. In the aftermath, a number of suspensions were proposed but were struck out with only Holmes ending up facing a ban.

Pay to play has been a source of debate in the GAA for decades, but Offaly players were literally made to do that as they had to cough up parking fees at Tullamore GAA’s club ground before making their way to O’Connor Park for the league match with Cork in the football league.

The county board was set to reimburse them.

Fermanagh earned a noteworthy derby win over Monaghan, Johnny McGurn and Damien Kelly with the crucial goals in Clontibret.

30 YEARS AGO

DOWN were facing the threat of relegation from Division Two of the National League following a 1-8 to 0-6 loss to Cavan.

The Mourne County had been struggling pre-break, and it didn’t get much better with Gary Mason the only player in red and black to manage more than one score.

Down actually led 0-4 to 0-1 by the 12th minute, but would only manage two points from there with Anthony Forde (1-1) and Peter Reilly (0-3) outscoring them.

Des Mackin was the Armagh hero as they beat Leitrim 3-8 to 1-10.

The big Cullyhanna man, now residing in Barcelona, hit the net twice for the Orchard County.

Tyrone and Donegal eked out late draws against Kerry and Meath respectively. In Dungannon, Ciaran Corr punched over a late equaliser against the Kingdom while Tony Boyle struck late in Navan.