Magic moment of Donegal's first Ulster in 1972 will be recalled on Sunday

On Sunday, I am looking forward to Donegal's first ever Ulster title beng recalled when the 1972 Donegal  team gets together in Ballybofey to watch what should be a great county final  between St Eunan’ s and Naomh Conaill and spend some quality time together. 

The day will be tinged with much regret as great footballers and great friends, who played a significant role in that year’s success have gone to their eternal reward. 

Alan Kane was an excellent goalkeeper and a great clubmate, Donal Monaghan an All-Star corner-back, and a great character, Seamus Bonner a good midfielder and a great full-forward was nature's gentleman and Michael McMenamin from MacCumhaill’s was a top class midfielder.

Joe Winston who scored for fun and was ice cool with free-kicks and the real character of our dressing room, with an infectious personality, and my brother-in-law Ray Sheerin who was a top class defender, and an exceptional kicker of the ground ball.

In my life the GAA has brought some days of triumph and some days of tears and the loss of those great friends at a comparatively young age will see them all remembered with great affection when we get together on Sunday.

Even though many years have passed since that historic year I have some vivid memories of a year to remember. We played Down in the first match in Ballybofey  and we went into that game with a sense of going on a mission. Everyone was totally up for the Down match and I still remember some of the team in the dressing room pale from pre-match nerves.

Donegal had suffered at the hands of Down far too often and it was time to put the record straight. Having won, we believed that our first Ulster title was achievable and we progressed to the final against Tyrone in Clones.

After quite a battle we beat Tyrone and it was unique to have finally got to the pinnacle in the province. Going into the dressing room was sheer bliss. The atmosphere inside was one of total and absolute contentment.

There was no need for a word to be said between each other. The downside was that you knew that there would never be a day like that again, but it was a feeling that would last forever. We didn’t want to leave the dressing room because the magic was inside. But it was great going out and meeting our relatives and everyone else from Donegal, and those fans were simply brilliant. Even to this day you sometimes ask yourself “Did it really happen?”.

Everything that day was just bliss. It wasn’t the All-Ireland final, but back then the Ulster final was more important to us.
Maybe some people would find that hard to understand. Ulster is magic because of the local rivalries. You look at the Ulster championship and see the passion that it generates.

There is something spiritual about the Ulster championship. No sociologist can ignore the power of Gaelic games to harness the communal values of loyalty, self-discipline and sacrifice all for the glory of the club and your county.

As a child growing up in Donegal, Gaelic football helped me see the county in a different light. And some years later as we dreamed about better days to come success even at a modest level increased our self-esteem. When the county team is going well it does not seem to hurt as much if the summer is wet, or if the price of sterling is prohibitive.

In Donegal supporting our county team is no sport for the emotionally unfit, but the joy that winning the first Ulster championship brought to our county seemed to cast all our disappointments to history. Sentiment always plays a huge part in the GAA but the unique power of the organisation is its power to lift the shadows of the hearts of even the most troubled of supporters.

As we recall our absent team mates on Sunday we will do so with much affection because we will be reminiscing about six very fine men who were great footballers but most especially great people.

Eunan’s survive torrid test
The Letterkenny men showed much character to overcome Kilcar’s traditional grit and determination in a most enjoyable championship semi- final on Saturday night.

It was worth going to Ballybofey to see the excellence of Paddy McBrearty in the Kilcar attack. McBrearty looks fitter than at any time in his career and his ability and hunger for victory in this game was top class. Shaun Patton in goals for the winners was also superb, and his display of dead ball kicking was of the highest order. St Eunan’s prevailed because of their all-round balance while the fact that Kilcar had only one forward other than McBrearty on the score sheet, which cost them dearly.

Final to look forward to
Naomh Conaill and St Eunan’s has the makings of a very good SFC final on Sunday in Ballybofey. St Eunan’s are the form team in the county this year, but on occasions their tendency to play lateral football can come unstuck and no better outfit than Naomh Conaill to capitalise on any mistakes than the county champions may make.

However, I do believe that the strength of St Eunan’s panel and Rory Kavanaghs options from the bench may see the Dr Maguire Cup spend another winter in the Cathedral Town.