Clare and their understated role in Donegal’s 1992 triumph 

Clare might have come up short in their 1992 All-Ireland semi-final encounter with Dublin but The Banner County still had a part to play in Donegal’s shock decider win. 

Clare - fresh off their five-point semi-final loss to the Dubs - accepted an invitation to travel up to Donegal to help open the new Naomh Brid pitch in Ballintra. 

Speaking in his 2022 memoir ‘Life, Glory and Demons’, Donegal captain Anthony Molloy picks up the story. 

“At the end of a 3-9 to 1-7 win in Ballintra, Myself and McEniff hung back and shared some thoughts and words with our opposite numbers John Maughan and Francis McInerney. 

“It was another small but significant moment for us. Both men were adamant we'd be beating Dublin. And it wasn't just lip service. Maughan, in an unguarded moment, held his hands up and said he'd gotten a few match-ups wrong in their 3-14 to 2-12 win.  

‘Get things right on the line and that side there will do Dublin real damage. Vinnie Murphy is a savage, an unbelievable target man. We didn't deal with that. 

‘They are a supremely confident side. But had we got to grips with Murphy I'd have been very interested to see what their Plan B was or, had they one at all ..?’

“The weather was atrocious so I jogged off to finally grab a shower. By the time I'd towelled off and looked back out the door, Brian was still there, and still deep in conversation with the knowledgeable Maughan.

And in the next fortnight, the Ardara man explains that McEniff tailored Donegal’s approach to sniff out Hill 16 talisman Murphy. 

“Brian went into what was a simple enough gameplan. But if we applied it like he directed, he believed it wouldn't fail. We were to isolate big Vinnie and do our best to limit the supply of ball going into him. 

“Whenever Dublin were awarded a free around the middle third, I was tasked with dropping back in front of him. 

“Matt Gallagher was assigned to staying in behind and trying to break as much ball as he could. Noel and Barry McGowan were backed one-on-one to get the better of both Dessie Farrell and Mick Galvin”.

Truth be told, Donegal didn’t get off to the best starts in Croke Park as Murphy majesticlly fielded a number of early ball. 

Dublin were also presented with a generous chance to strike an early blow when they were awarded an eighth-minute penalty only for Charlie Redmond to blaze wide. And from then on, Donegal began to gain confidence. 

Getting to grips with Murphy proved crucial in all of that. And like Maughan explained, there was no Plan B as Donegal ran out deserving 0-18 to 0-14 winners.