Donegal v Armagh holds special memories for Martin Shovlin

Martin Shovlin was 28 years of age in 1990 and in the prime of his football career. Having lost the Ulster final to Tyrone after a replay the previous year, Brian McEniff had replaced Tom Conaghan as manager and by July’s third Sunday, they were back in Clones for another Ulster final - this time against Armagh.

It is 34 years ago now and it seems like a lifetime ago. Donegal defeated Cavan in the quarter-final and before just 5,000 supporters they had an easy win over Derry in Clones in the semi-final, a game which clashed with the Ireland v Egypt World Cup group game.

"Armagh were one of the big guns that time in Ulster,” said Martin Shovlin, who had broken into the Donegal team when Tom Conaghan was in charge.

It was the time of knock-out championship football and one slip and you were gone.

"It's interesting if it was today, what the story would be. Boys playing 140 or 150 games. That's what it's going to now. But that time once you were bate, it was goodbye. It was a long summer then.”

But it proved to be a successful summer in  1990 with Donegal back in the final and Martin Shovlin remembers the day and that summer fondly.

"I remember the day. I think it rained before the game. As far as I can remember it was slippy, but it cleared up. It was a humid kind of day.

"We travelled up in the morning. There was a golf club out the road from Clones. You would have the talk out there and the tea or soup. And then drive into the game. There were no overnights that time.

"We would meet up in Donegal Town. There would be the usual couple of car loads from Glen, Kilcar, Killybegs and myself.”

The game itself proved to be a very close affair with Donegal always ahead, although Armagh came back to level on six occasions before Donegal edged the contest 0-15 to 0-14.

"Armagh were wile big, they were very physical. You look at the two Grimleys, they were monsters of men. Niall Smyth in the middle of the field. Martin McQuillan was missing that day, he was injured and was a big loss to them. He played wing half-back. I think his son, Ross, is involved with the present team.

"Martin McQuillan was a great footballer. I knew he was injured that day and I think we were glad he was missing.”

Shovlin remembers who he was marking on the day.

"He was the boy by the name of Ollie Reel, a curly haired boy. He was a freetaker. 

"I was happy enough, he was taken off. At that time you seemed  to have done alright if your man was taken off. It's different nowadays.

"But I remember then they took on a fella by the name of Shane Skelton. He was only on for 15 minutes but he kicked three points, three unreal points. Anywhere he kicked from, they went over the bar.”

When asked who was supposed to be marking Skelton, he replies: "He came on for Reel so it must have been me," laughs Shovlin. "I don't know why he didn't start, he was unreal.

"Ger Houlihan at full-forward was a good bit of stuff as well and Jim McConville,” adds Shovlin who was surprised to hear that current GAA President Jarlath Burns and Colm  Hanratty were unused subs on the day.

"We got stuck in and it was a great win to be honest. We were beaten the previous year after a replay (against Tyrone) and it was nice to get the first medal.”

Donegal went on to play Meath in the All-Ireland semi-final in Croke Park. "That game does stand out, my first championship game in Croke Park. I might have played one league game but that was all.

"We were with them until the last 15 minutes. There was an unfortunate goal. You don't forget them things too easy,” said Shovlin, who said there was a great buzz that summer as it was his first Ulster medal and the first for a good number of the panel.

Asked about playing under Brian McEniff, he says:  "Brian  was fair, he gave you your chance and it was up to you to take it. He would give you a couple of chances in fairness to him. He wouldn't judge you on one day.”

It was a good year in other ways for the county as Barry McGowan and Tony Boyle both made their championship debuts, as did John Ban Gallagher.

And at the end of the year Martin Shovlin was selected by the Ulster GAA Writers’  Association as the Player of the Year.

"It was nice. Anything like that was lovely at the time.”

Now on Sunday next the counties will meet again in Clones in an Ulster final and it’s one that Shovlin is looking forward to.

"It will be interesting. It will depend what way Armagh sets up. We can imagine it will be defensive. He  (Kieran McGeeney) will be ultra defensive this time. Look, he needs to win something shortly, he's there long enough now.”

But he believes Jim McGuinness will have his plans made.

"That's the way Jim  is, he wants to win silverware, that's what it's all about. The Ulster final is nothing to be sneezed at. Ulster medals, they are not easy got.”

Are  Donegal as good as we're making out after Derry and Tyrone?

"They are improving all the time. They all seem to know their jobs and they all stick to it and they are getting it done and it's working for them.

"The thing I like about them, it was nearly in  injury time when they got the leveller (against Tyrone) when McCole equalised.  They kept going and didn't throw in the towel and fair play that's another good thing about them.

"They kept the cool and worked it until it came about. Their fitness, they are in great shape," said Shovlin, who said he would love to be involved in the modern game.

"There were some of our men who wouldn't be too fond of it," laughed Shovlin.

But at the end of the day, it is about desire and that is something Martin Shovlin was never short of. "You have to put the head in an odd time where you wouldn't. We loved that."