Remembering the all-conquering minors from Killybegs in 1984

Main Photo: Killybegs minors on county final day 1984. Back, l to r, Arthur Meehan, Cathal Doherty, Manus Boyle, Conor White, Denis Carbery, John Ban Gallagher, Barry McGowan, John Cunningham. Front, l to r, Barry Cunningham, Martin Murchan, Willie McCallig (RIP), David Meehan (RIP), Francis Murray, Gavin O'Rourke, Paul Carbery.

Last weekend the prestigious Ulster Minor Club Championship began, again hosted by the St Paul’s GAA club in Belfast, and it brings back memories of the all-conquering minors from Killybegs who were the first Donegal club to win the competition 40 years ago.

The side managed by a very young manager in 24-year-old Jimmy White were the launching pad for the senior team from the town to go on and dominate at senior ranks in the 1990s.

Last weekend in Belfast, Magherafelt from Derry and Mayobridge from Down advanced in the 2024 edition of the competition and on the weekend of the 7th/8th December Four Masters will set out to defend their title won last year when defeating Cavan Gaels in the decider on New Year’s Day.

Back in 1984, Centenary Year of the GAA, a youthful Killybegs minor team (only Manus Boyle and David Meehan were overage the following year) set out on an historic journey. They had been together from 1979 under their young manager, Jimmy White, and the success in 1984 actually came a year ahead of schedule.

They had won the U-12 title in 1979, the U-14 in 1981 and the U-16 title in 1983.

“It was a unique group. That team won two minor championships in-a-row. Most of them were U-12 in 1979. There was a huge number of them born in 1967 and then Manus Boyle and David Meehan, God rest him, were born the year before in ‘66,” said manager Jimmy white.

“They were nearly all the same age and they had great success. It was always building. When you had the likes of John Cunningham, for example, at 16 he was as good as an 18-year-old. They were all big men and flexible men and good footballers.”

Many of the side went on to win U-21 and senior All-Irelands as well as five Donegal senior championships.

“It was a step by step from our first ever U-12 team in ‘79, which was actually beaten in the semi-final by Downings, who were subsequently thrown out because of overage players.

“That’s the way it grew. We stayed together. We were also helped in 1984, the Donegal Vocational Schools won the All-Ireland that year. So you had the likes of Manus (Boyle), (Denis) Carbery, David Meehan, Conor White. They were all on that team.

“And in the same year, PCC, Falcarragh, won the MacLarnon with John Cunningham, Barry Cunningham, Barry McGowan, John McGuinness, Francis Murray.

“A lot of our minor teams of ‘84 and ‘85 had won Vocational Schools All-Irelands and established themselves at college level.”

It all amounted to a very talented group of footballers which made Jimmy White’s job as manager very enjoyable.

“Absolutely. They were all footballers. They wanted to win. We developed a kind of winning habit. We always knew that everybody wanted to beat us, whether it be at U-14, 16, minors. There were  a few close shaves along the way.

“That team won a minor title in 1985 very narrowly against Aodh Ruadh in Ballyshannon. People ask why it was in Ballyshannon. It was a late in the year fixture, they couldn’t get a venue. We offered to toss a coin but I don’t think Aodh Ruadh agreed, so I said right, we’ll play it in Ballyshannon. We were  lucky enough to win that day.”

In 1984 Killybegs met Glenfin in the county final and White says it was a very close encounter.

“They had a very good side too. Seamus Ward, Dermot Ward, Frank Ward, Joey McDermott, Johnny McGinty. There wasn’t a lot in it. They would have beaten anybody else but us. I think we were very hungry for that title in ‘84.”

It was a first ever minor title for the Fishermen and it launched them into an Ulster campaign.

“We played Enniskillen Gaels in the first round. Funny enough, if memory serves me right, we got word for the date and venue. It was a home game for Enniskillen. But it was funny what happened, we turned up and they didn’t. It was refixed. It had been called off but the message never got through to us. You would think it was 60 or 70 years ago.

“We beat Enniskillen and then we beat Gowna of Cavan, who had three or four Bradys.

“Then in the final itself we beat St Paul’s of Belfast, the host club. Anton Rogan, who went on to play for Celtic, was part of their panel.”

A youthful manager, Jimmy White in 1984

Jimmy White wasn’t sure where he played or not but captain, Manus Boyle, was pretty sure that he did play and that he was a handful.

“For all of us it was a first time experience, going that far into Belfast. It was a nervous enough time. That was our debut on the Shaws Road,” said White.

Going through the team list, two of the panel have gone to their reward, David Meehan and Willie McCallig. Nearly all of them are still living around Killybegs. 

“Cathal Doherty was the son of a schoolteacher in Killybegs, who was originally from the Moville area. He was with us up through minor and U-21 but didn’t play much football after going to college. He is living in Longford now,” said White.

“At that time we had a very strong 10 or 11 for the starting team; then we had four or five but after that we didn’t have that much depth. There were no 25 or 30 in panels back then. You would be lucky to have three subs. I know for a fact that all our subs in that year would have been U-16 and U-15.

“It was a good minor team. I have reffed a lot of minor teams since and I have yet to see better. I’m saying that with respect because there is a huge, huge change in the style of football between now and then.”

John Gough was the referee for the Ulster final and Jimmy says he would have had great conversations about that game when meeting the Antrim referee on various committees in Croke Park years afterwards.

The Killybegs team that lined out in the Ulster final win (4-9 to 3-5) over St Paul’s was: David Meehan; Paul Carbery, Denis Carbery, Gavin O’Rourke; John Cunningham, John Ban Gallagher, Francis Murray; Barry Cunningham (0-1), Barry McGowan (0-1); Martin Murchan (2-0), Manus Boyle capt (0-3), Arthur Meehan (1-0); Cathal Doherty, Conor White (1-2), Willie McCallig (0-2). Sub: Declan McMenamin for Doherty.

“I know from memory Stephen Cunningham, John Murray, Declan McGuinness and Denis Kinsella would also have been on the panel.

“We were the first club to win the competition twice in-a-row. I know Ballinderry might have won it three times in-a-row since.

“It is a very good competition. I think I have reffed two finals since. I have great memories and it was nice to be asked back to ref finals having been there as a manager,” said White.


Killybegs minor captain Manus Boyle being presented with the Donegal minor championship cup in 1984 by Gabriel Gordon, Minor Board Chairman. Also included from left, Gavin O'Rourke, Conor White, David Meehan (RIP), Willie Mc Callig (RIP) and Barry Cunningham

CAPTAIN MANUS BOYLE

Captain of the Killybegs side, Manus Boyle, would go on to win an All-Ireland U-21 and All-Ireland senior medal with Donegal, scoring 0-9 in the All-Ireland final win over Dublin in 1992.

In 1984 Boyle was centre half-forward on the Killybegs minor team and he has some good memories from the year.

“First of all we had a tight battle with Glenfin in the county final because while the boys had won U-12, U-14 and U-16, this was a year early for them. The fact that we won the Minor League and the Championship that year was huge.

“Glenfin had the Wards and Joey McDermott, who we would have gone on to play minor and U-21 with.

“The final up in Belfast against St Paul’s was a cold first day of January but it was dry. I remember the army flying over us. I just remember that we played extremely well. Martin Murchan got a couple of goals.

“I don’t think we were overawed. I suppose that would have been the thing that Jimmy (White) would have done especially well. He would have had us thinking that we were as good as anybody else in Ulster, whereas there was a perception in Donegal for years that we weren’t as good as everybody else when we went out of the county.

“Jimmy instilled in us that we were just as good, if not better than the rest.

“But when you look back we had all brutes all over the field. Myself and Croc (David Meehan) were the only two that were overage the following year.

“I know we played well because you always found it hard when you went up there (Ulster) that you would get the call. When you played the northern teams, generally you didn’t get the calls. But I think we played very well that day.

“The other thing I remember is that you went into the clubhouse afterwards and all the people from Killybegs were in getting tea and sandwiches, put up by the club. It was unreal.”

Boyle also remembers Anton Rogan playing for St Paul’s in the final and he thinks that he signed for Glasgow Celtic a week later.

“He was a blond lad. He played and I’m not sure who picked him up but he was a handful. In terms of a player he was James McCartanesque.”

The other great memory from the final for Boyle was the homecoming.

“Coming home to Killybegs and paraded through the town. The fact that Killybegs wouldn’t have been regarded as a GAA stronghold and being the first team to achieve that.

“And being welcomed as we were. Once we crossed the border there were fires for us, in Dunkineely, Donegal Town and Mountcharles, to be fair to them. 

“It was just a pity we didn’t have to go into Kilcar to reach Killybegs. Coming back into the town was special and the fact that I was captain. But there were a lot of captains in that team, you didn’t have to say a lot or do a lot.

“The next time we had that feeling coming into Killybegs was in ‘88 (when they won the Donegal senior title), especially after Eamonn Byrne and then coming into the town in ‘92 after winning the All-Ireland.”

Manus Boyle had already won a Vocational Schools’ All-Ireland that year with Donegal along with Denis Carbery, David Meehan and Conor White.

“It was a quiet bus coming home because every man was sleeping. There was a fair chance there were a good few of us out in Fintra on New Year’s Eve. We mightn’t have been drinking, but we were out. Because I know I was.

“I remember it being quiet until we crossed the bridge and until we got to the graveyard. There was always that tradition in Killybegs when you passed the graveyard, there was always a stop because everybody had somebody in it. Then we walked into the town from where the school is.

“The football game, you can remember bits and pieces and getting the cup but more so coming into the town. The number of people from Killybegs who made it up (to Belfast).

“I’m sure it’s the same for Four Masters last year. They won it last year and they will probably win it this year too,” says Boyle.