NostalGAA: Mullaghbawn’s flight cancelled as Tyrone steamroll Derry

10 years ago…

DAMIAN Barton’s first day in charge of Derry was one to forget as they were hammered by Tyrone, the Red Hands winning 1-18 to 0-10 in the O’Fiaich Cup semi-final in Crossmaglen.

Patrick Quinn’s early goal gave Tyrone the perfect start and they were in control from start to finish. Ronan O’Neill hit seven points for Tyrone with Derry debutant Shane Mulgrew hitting four points for the losing side with Ryan Bell grabbing three scores.

The other semi-final saw Louth get the better of Armagh in a game that had to be postponed initially due to the poor weather conditions.

The refixed game was still played in an enveloping fog, Louth winning 4-10 to 0-17 with Conor Grimes, Gerard McSorley, Jim McEneaney and an own goal from Mattie McNeice seeing the Wee County through.

Armagh’s Clann Eireann emphatically claimed the Paul McGirr tournament with a 2-10 to 0-4 final win over Antrim’s O’Donovan Rossa in Dromore.

The Lurgan side’s starting 15 included future All-Ireland winners Conor Turbitt and Tiernan Kelly with the latter top-scoring with 1-3. Ruairi McConville was the other player to raise a green flag for the champions, who would turn that success into glory at senior level in the years that followed.

20 years ago…

CENTRAL council delegates overwhelmingly voted in favour – somewhere in the 90 per cent range – to relax Rule 42 and allow international soccer and rugby to be played at Croke Park as the Aviva Stadium was being built.

A few hours earlier, the GAA’s management committee looked like they could vote against the move before it eventually got the green light. If that had gone the other way, central council votes may have followed a different path.

The first non GAA match to be played there looked set to be the 2007 Six Nations clash between Ireland and France.

Monaghan Harps booked their spot in the All-Ireland JFC semi-finals following a 1-14 to 0-7 win over London’s Harlesden Harps in their quarter-final clash.

In what was the club’s centenary year, Nicholas Treanor grabbed 1-7 while Shane Smith landed three points in what was a comfortable day’s work for the Oriel outfit.

Nemo Rangers were crowned Munster football champions after a 2-12 to 1-6 win over St Senan’s.

The most successful football club of all time were always in control with James Masters (1-5) and Paul Kerrigan (1-1) powering the Cork side to victory over their Clare opponents.

30 years ago…

MULLAGHBAWN’S incredible adventure continued as they defeated Tara in the All-Ireland quarter-final in London.

Due to be played in Ruislip, heavy fog and frost saw it moved to Parnell Park where the English side failed to score in the first half.

Declan Crawley and Fergal McDonnell shared six points in the 0-11 to 0-5 win, and the celebrations were extended as the flight home was cancelled and a hotel was found back in the English capital.

Regardless of when they got home, Mullaghbawn were in an All-Ireland Senior semi-final a decade on from playing Division Four football in Armagh.

The McGrath Cup final was also switched from Ruislip to Parnell Park with Clare defeating London. Conditions were so bad that both sides agreed to play 20 minutes a half.