Donegal’s first ever win in Croke Park - 40th anniversary this weekend

Donegal VS team 1984. Back: Charlie Bonner (Na Rossa/Rosses CS), Roger McShane (Kilcar/Carrick VS), Brian Mór O Gallachoir (Gweedore/Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair), Denis Carbery (Killybegs/Killybegs VS) Niall Campbell (Ardara/Glenties CS), Eamon Mac Niallais (Gweedore/PSG), Jimmy Brennan (Ardara/Glenties CS), John Joe Doherty (N.Columba/Carrick VS), John McConnell (Ardara/Carrick VS), Owenie Bonner (N. Muire/Rosses CS). Front: Joe Boyle (Dungloe/Rosses CS), Luke Gavigan (Ardara/Glenties CS), Manus Boyle (Killybegs/Killybegs VS), Cornelius McFadden (Gweedore/PSG), Rory O'Neill (St Naul's/Donegal VS), Patrick Gallagher (Ardara/ Glenties CS), Cormac McGarvey (N.Muire/ PSG), Donal Bonner (Na Rossa/Rosses CS), David Meehan RIP (Killybegs/Killybegs VS), Conor White (Killybegs/Killybegs VS), Paul Carr (N.Columba/Carrick VS), Brian Coyle (Gweedore/PSG).

It was a groundbreaking win for Donegal in Croke Park. Donegal Vocational Schools became the first side representing Donegal to win an All-Ireland final at headquarters on April 15 1984.

Patrick Gallagher from Ardara, a student at Glenties Comprehensive School, made history by becoming the first winning captain of a Donegal side at Croke Park. They defeated Longford in the final by 3-9 to 2-3.

Four years earlier Brian Tuohy was the first Donegal player to lift a trophy at the famous venue when he collected the Paddy Drummond Cup when De La Salle, Ballyshannon were successful in the Colleges B final.

Now 40 years on from 1984, the Donegal Vocational panel are hoping to mark the occasion ‘with a get together of the panel. Captain Patrick Gallagher is already making plans for that reunion.

“When you were ringing, I was in the process of contacting Owen Bonner regarding a reunion. We had a good night on the occasion of the 25th anniversary,” says Gallagher.

The Donegal side which created their own little bit of history was a very talented group. But captain Gallagher says that the brand of football played then would be scorned today.

“During Covid when there was nothing going on, I watched that game (the final against Longford). John McConnell was putting up videos on the Ardara GAA Facebook page. You wouldn’t realise it but in 1984 there was a lot of catch and kick.

“I’m in charge of the club U-16s now and if they were at what we were at, you would be shouting ‘keep the bloody ball’.

“Intercounty football was a lot like that in the ‘80s too. There was a lot of ‘let her long, let her long’. Get her out of the danger zone,” says Gallagher.

Of the final itself, Gallagher says it was a comfortable win, especially after the side got a goal before half-time.

“We got a penalty on the half-time whistle, which was a big score in that game. Luke Gavigan was fouled and Eamon McNiallais put away the penalty, so it put us six points up at that time, which was a good cushion.

“We had a lot of good players, a full-forward line of Manus (Boyle), Luke (Gavigan) and Donal Bonner. Eamon Mac Niallais was a good footballer from Gaoth Dobhair, a stylish footballer and a good freetaker.

“We had a dogged full-back line, Jimmy Brennan and (Denis) Carbery and Cornelius McFadden, they were solid, and we had a good ‘keeper, God rest David Meehan, a good shot stopper.

“We had good characters in the squad. We had five schools represented on the starting team. We (Glenties Comp) had five, Gaoth Dobhair had four, Killybegs had three, Dungloe had two and Donegal VS had Rory O’Neill. Then there are others like Carrick VS who had four players in the subs - Roger McShane, Paul Carr, John Joe Doherty and John McConnell.

The Donegal VS team after winning Ulster

The entire representation in the squad was from the west and the south and west of the county with no panel representation from the east or Inishowen, which was unusual.

“A lot of the group would have gone on to play either minor, U-21 or senior for Donegal. John Joe Doherty, Manus Boyle and Paul Carr went on to win an U-21 All-Ireland.

“I’m looking forward to meeting up with them again.

“John McConnell was at Carrick VS at that time, he was the sub ‘keeper. I think we had three goalkeepers, Joe Boyle from Dungloe,  who would have gone on to play in goals when the team won again the following year.

“PJ McGowan was manager and he would have been manager at U-21 at county level a few years later,” said Gallagher, who said that they defeated Tyrone in the first game, Down in the Ulster semi-final and Derry in the Ulster final.

“Our toughest game was against Leitrim in the semi-final. I remember there was a Brian Breen playing midfield for them that day and he went on to play senior for a good few years. He was strong.

“We were lucky to come out of that game, we won by a point. I think we won the other games easily.”

Gallagher said that the captain of the Longford side they met in the final was Brendan O’Sullivan and he had a sister married in Ardara. “I was chatting with him for the first time when he was up at one of her children’s first communions some years later. There are always connections.”

Patrick Gallagher lifting the cup in Croke Park

Getting to Croke Park was a great memory but there was to be no repeat for most of the squad. “ We thought we might get another run out in Croke Park, but a lot of us didn’t. You’re thinking at 18, you’ll get back up.

“I suppose the good thing was my father (Joe) was living at the time; he died two years later and he was only 62, but he got to see us in Croke Park, which was something. He was a big football man.”

For the captain, it was a great honour to be made captain of the side and to be first Donegal captain to  lift a cup in Croke Park.

“De La Salle might have won a cup, but it was the first Donegal team to win in Croke Park. I think the Vocational Schools ended in 2012. It started in ‘60 or ‘61 and it’s a pity, it was a good competition.  There were a good few Ulster winners, Tyrone won it a good few times. A lot of good players came through the Vocational Schools during that time.”

And did he have any special words written for his victory speech?

“I would be lying if I said I hadn’t. I had a few words written down but I can’t remember how I did in the speech because I never saw it since. I saw the game and Fr Seán was doing the commentary. I don’t remember if I forgot anybody.

“I remember us going out to Malahide afterwards. We had stayed there the night before and we went back there to get something to eat before we came down the road. There was a reception in Donegal Town and we would have gone to the Abbey Hotel that night.

The Vocational final was the curtain raiser to the National League semi-final replay between Galway and Meath, which Galway won by a point before an attendance of  13,777

“I remember we could enjoy the last eight or 10 minutes because we got two goals. Luke Gavigan got one and Manus Boyle got one and we were able to savour it a bit.”

One of the memories from the final is that Luke Gavigan was not able to travel with the team on the Saturday because of a bad ‘flu. “He came up the following morning. We weren’t sure what the story was and it was a bit unsettling as he was a big player with the team. But he got through it and got a couple of points that day,” said Gallagher, who is looking forward to the team reunion.

Of the panel David Meehan has gone to his eternal reward. Most of the others are living in Donegal or Ireland with Brian Mor Gallagher and Eamon Cunningham in the US. 

Of the reunion, he says: “There should be a good night’s slagging, especially if Niall Campbell is there.”

There was a reminder for Patrick ‘Larry’ of what All-Ireland success feels like just a few weeks ago when his daughter Jessica scored two goals to win an All-Ireland Colleges title with his old school, Glenties Comp. In an exciting final against Dunmore, the Glenties girls ran out eight point winners.

“They kept the ball better than we did in ‘84 anyway,” laughs Gallagher.

MANAGER MEMORIES

The manager of the 1984 Donegal VS team was PJ McGowan, who would go on to  manage the Donegal Vocational Schools to another All-Ireland the following year. Indeed, he would later manage Donegal and Fermanagh at senior level and also lead Donegal to U-21 All-Ireland success with many of the successful Vocational School players from ‘84 and ‘85 on board.

He was part of a wide-ranging backroom team who he recalled “included loads of helpers from all the schools involved”. Among them were Barry Campbell, Manus Brennan and Anthony Harkin.

Donegal VS manager in 1984 PJ McGowan

“The win was a big breakthrough for Donegal in Croke Park, the first Donegal team to win a final there,” says McGowan, who remembers that they did not have one prominent member of the team involved for the first game against Down.

“I remember Manus Brennan contacting me saying ‘I have a guy here who can play full-forward and he would make your team’.

“That player was Luke Gavigan and he came in and was a revelation.

“We had a good all-round squad, all very committed and we got great co-operation  from all the schools.”

Like Patrick Gallagher, McGowan remembers the All-Ireland semi-final against Leitrim as being the toughest game. “Leitrim were a very good side. I think it was in Irvinestown we played them and we got home just by a point.”

That point was scored by Donal Bonner, who McGowan says was a very good player. “He would have gone on to play minor, U-21 and Junior in the same year and but for injury would have been one of the great players. Eamon Mac Niallais, an uncle of Odhrán Mac Niallais, from Gaoth Dobhair was also a tremendous player.

“They were all a great group of guys. I remember one of the first times they were all together and they started to mix and create a bond. I figured then that we had the makings of a good team,” said McGowan.

“They were superb in the All-Ireland final against Longford.”

1984 CAMPAIGN

The Donegal VS team played five games in 1984. In their opening game in Ulster they defeated Tyrone 1-4 to 0-3; Down in the semi-final 2-8 to 1-6 and Derry in the Ulster final by 3-14 to 1-3.

They had a point to spare over Leitrim in the All-Ireland semi-final in Irvinestown - 0-8 to 0-7 - with Donal Bonner getting the winning point after the sides were level a number of times. Leitrim led 0-4 to 0-3 at half-time. Donegal ‘keeper David Meehan made a vital save late in the game.

Donegal team and scorers were: David Meehan (Killybegs VS); Jimmy Brennan (Glenties CS), Denis Carbery (Killybegs VS), Cornelius McFadden (Gaoth Dobhair CS); Rory O'Neill (Donegal VS), Niall Campbell (Glenties CS), Cormac McGarvey (Gaoth Dobhair CS); Patrick 

Gallagher (Glenties CS), Brian Mór Gallagher (Gaoth Dobhair CS, 0-1); Ownie Bonner (Dungloe CS), Eamon Mac Niallais (Gaoth Dobhair CS, 0-2), Eamon Cunningham (Glenties CS); Manus Boyle (Killybegs VS, 0-1), Luke Gavigan (Glenties CS, 0-2), Donal Bonner (Rosses CS, 0-2).

Subs used: Brian Coyle (Gaoth Dobhair CS), Roger McShane (Carrick VS)

The Leitrim team in the semi-final was: D Sheerin; D Kerrigan, D Flynn, B Flynn; P Rooney, H Gralton, P Murray; B Breen, P McTeague; B Flynn, K Darcy, D Connolly; C Mahon, J Casey, O Mitchell. Sub: C Murray.

The starting Donegal team that defeated Longford in the final in Croke Park by 3-9 to 2-3 was exactly the same as the semi-final. Just one sub used in the final: Brian Coyle for Luke Gavigan.

The Donegal scorers in the All-Ireland final were: Eamonn Mac Niallais 1-2; Luke Gavigan 1-2; Manus Boyle 1-1; Donal Bonner 0-3; Brian Mór Gallagher 0-1.

The rest of the Donegal panel included: Paul Carr (Carrick VS), John McConnell (Carrick VS); John Joe Doherty (Carrick VS); Joe Boyle (Dungloe CS) and Conor White (Killybegs VS)