NOSTALGAA: Inniskeen crowned All-Ireland champions as Mackin leads Orchard charge

10 YEARS AGO

ARMAGH’S brilliant start to Division One continued apace as Ronan Clarke’s side made it three wins from three.

Key to their 2-14 to 2-9 victory over Monaghan was teenager Aimee Mackin who finished with 1-5 to her name.

The Orchard County, fresh in the top flight, conceded two goals in the opening minutes but controlled matters from there with Mackin’s goal bringing them back into it before the same player set up Lauren McConville for their second.

The standout moment, perhaps, was that Orchard stalwart Niamh Marley grabbed her first score ever for the team.

The Antrim hurlers racked up a massive 3-25 in their league win over Kildare in Ballycastle.

The side trailed after the first quarter when Jack Sheridan hit the net for the Lilywhites, but in the end they had 12 points to spare.

Saul McCaughan grabbed the first Saffron score and added another after the break with Ciaran Clarke adding a third 15 minutes from time.

Red cards proved costly for Donegal as they lost to Armagh, 2-14 to 1-8.

Conor Covan and Dylan McKenna raised green flags for the Orchard County but there was no doubting that Donegal’s indiscipline helped the visitors in Letterkenny.

Paddy Hannigan was sent off early in the second half along with Armagh’s Adam Toal, and Donegal went down to 13 players when Joe Boyle was dismissed.

Down found the net four times as they eased past Wicklow – Scott Nicholson, Danny Toner, Rian Brannigan and Caolan Bailie.

20 YEARS AGO

INNISKEEN were crowned All-Ireland Intermediate champions following a 2-10 to 0-11 comeback win over Caherlistrane at Croke Park.

The Galway side had led the way for the majority of the contest but Ronan Meegan got Inniskeen back into it was a goal before Gary Lynch palmed home in the final moments to put them in front before Niall Lennon sealed it.

Seven players were facing proposed bans arising from the Battle of Omagh.

Tyrone trio Mickey McGee, Owen Mulligan and Kevin Hughes and Dublin’s Ciaran Whelan, Kevin Bonner and Alan Brogan were facing eight weeks out, potentially ruling them out for four league games. Dublin’s Bryan Cullen was facing a month’s suspension.

Both counties were also hit with proposed €10,000 fines for the horrible scenes that marred their Division One meeting at Healy Park.

Tyrone and Dublin would go on to fight the proposed sanctions, with plenty of success.

St Gall’s upset the odds to dump Nemo Rangers out of the club championship in their All-Ireland semi-final in Portlaoise.

The Antrim champions prevailed on a 0-10 to 1-6 scoreline as they worked their vaunted opponents into the ground.

It took Nemo some 51 minutes to register their first score from play with St Gall’s always looking the better side, led by the brilliant Sean Burns who scored seven of their 10 points.

30 YEARS AGO

MULLAGHBAWN’S incredible season finally came to an end as Carlow side Éire Óg were much too strong in the All-Ireland final.

The victors won 0-12 to 0-6 in the end, but the Armagh side did battle gamely after the break with Rory McDonald and Kieran McGeeney battling to end.

Benny Tierney also had a stormer to keep his side in it. Some 8,000 people watched the game, but very few stayed for the second match – the Railway Cup clash between Leinster and Connacht.

The other semi-final at Clones, between Ulster and Munster, was called off after failing two pitch inspections. In the hurling league, Fermanagh pulled off a surprise win over Wicklow – 1-9 to 0-10 in Enniskillen.

Ollie McShea grabbed the crucial goal to bag their first win in Division Three.