Donegal’s great managerial link to Fermanagh recalled

It will be 20 years this summer since Fermanagh enjoyed their greatest ever All-Ireland Championship getting within a kick of a ball from a first All-Ireland final.  

Many Erne county followers making the trip to Letterkenny for this weekend’s Allianz National League clash with Donegal will be reminded that the now famous journey back in 2004 was under the guidance of one of O’Donnell Park’s favourite sons.

In 2004, after losing their Ulster championship first round tie to then All-Ireland champions Tyrone, the Erne County went on a magical journey through the backdoor championship ending with an All-Ireland semi-final replay defeat by Mayo. 

Charlie Mulgrew, a star player with St Eunan's in his playing days was the man at the helm for Fermanagh. He  was a senior championship winner with the club, both as a player and manager. He was also an All-Ireland winner with Donegal at both U-21 and senior level.

He took up the Fermanagh job in January of 2004 after Dom Corrigan, in a surprise move, stepped down. At the time the renowned St Michael’s, Enniskillen coach had guided Fermanagh to Division Allianz League 1 football the previous season. 

“It all came about after I was approached by Tommy Corry, the Fermanagh PRO. I knew Tommy well and used to meet him regularly on the road. We were both reps at the time,” says Mulgrew.

“I was apprehensive because I did not know much about Fermanagh  football and the club scene in the county. 

“The Sunday after I was appointed Fermanagh were playing Queen’s University in the first round of the Dr McKenna Cup in Lisnaskea.

“I spoke to the players after the game and we were training the following Tuesday night. 

“We had only a few weeks to prepare for the start of the league and facing the likes of Kerry, Dublin, Mayo, Galway, Tyrone and Cork. All the top teams! 

“We only won one game in the league that was against Longford, down in Pearse Park and we drew with Dubllin and Westmeath in Brewster Park, and ended up being relegated along with Longford.”

Facing the prospect of taking on the All-Ireland champions Tyrone, in Omagh, in the first round of the Ulster championship was a daunting one.

“They were the All-Ireland champions and were naturally the hot favourites. We played well and really put it up to them. They pulled away in the second half and won by three or four points.” 

The performance against the All-Ireland champions gave the manager and his backroom team of Philip Courtney, Sylvester Mulrone and Pat Maguire something to work on ahead of the start of the All-Ireland Qualifiers.

Fermanagh drew Tipperary in the first round of the Qualifiers but received a walkover.

Meath, the beaten Leinster semi-finalists, were Fermanagh’s second round opponents with the game to be played in Brewster Park.

“In what was a very close game throughout, Colm Bradley kicked a late equalising point to draw with Meath and send the game to extra-time.

“It was a brilliant point from the sideline on the 14 yard line, kicking away from the town end goals.

“He nailed it to level the game and we went on to win by a point in extra-time. Brewster Park went crazy and the journey began.”

Charlie Mulgrew and Fermanagh went on to beat Cork and Donegal in the Qualifiers and Armagh in the All-Ireland quarter-final before facing Mayo, in the All-Ireland semi-final.  

“Like for all of our games we went into the Mayo game as the underdogs. 

“Players like Stephen Maguire, Mark Little, Eamon Maguire, Barry Owens, Marty McGrath, Liam McBarron, Colm Bradley were all playing  out of their skin and they had moulded into a top class team.  

“Stephen Maguire, I think it was that scored the last gasp point to snatch a late draw against Mayo. 

“The replay was a close game too with Mayo edging it by a couple of points in a game that could have gone either way. 

“But it was the end of an amazing and magical journey for a great bunch of players and for Fermanagh supporters who were brilliant.

“It was a great time and it was great to be involved. The only game I didn’t enjoy was the Donegal game.”

Fermanagh beat Donegal 1-10 to 0-12  before a crowd of 16,581 in a fourth round Qualifier in St Tiernach’s Park, Clones. 

“It was a really tough day.”

Charlie remained on with Fermanagh for a further three seasons but the heady days of 2004 were not revisited. 

Just over ten years earlier Fermanagh turned to another Donegal man, P J McGowan when looking to fill the top job in the Erne County. 

The Sean MacCumhaill’s clubman and All-Ireland Vocational Schools and an All-Ireland U-21 winner with Donegal, had an impressive CV.

“I had been unsuccessful for the Donegal senior job. The board opted instead for Brian McEniff,” says McGowan. 

Fermanagh had not won a championship game in Ulster when P J McGowan was appointed at the end of 1990. 

And two years later before P J stepped away Fermanagh had recorded back-to-back first round wins over Antrim in Ulster.  

However for both years, in 1991 and 1992, Donegal were their semi-final conquerors, in Healy Park, Omagh. 

“Personally, those Donegal games, I found difficult first of all because I was a Donegal man and secondly I knew the players well and in particular because I had won Vocational Schools and U-21 All-Irelands with them.  

“Players like Manus Boyle, John Cunningham, Barry Cunningham, Barry McGowan and John Joe Doherty.  

“But otherwise I enjoyed my time in Fermanagh and received great support from the county board and the Fermanagh supporters. 

“John Vesey, the county chairman, was a member of my management team along with Mannix McGee from Irvinestown.

“Malachy O’Rourke, a young Paul Brewster, Mark Coyle, John Rehill, Fergal McCann, Michael and Bart O’Brien and Collie Curran were all top class players. 

“Cormac McAdam was among the top goalkeepers in Ulster at the time. “That was a very good Fermanagh team but probably lacked the strength in depth to compete with the top teams in the province at the time,” said McGowan.