Tharla Sé Daichead mBliana is an Lá Inniu | It Happened Forty Years Ago Today
Forty years ago today, 20 July 1986, we won what was then just our fifth Ulster Senior title (we now have 16 of them) with a 1-11 to 0-10 win over a highly fancied Down team at Clones.
“Classy Tyrone Swamp Down for Fifth Title” was the Irish News headline the next day, though Plunkett Donaghy’s goal in the last minute of the first half was absolutely crucial, the umpire holding that Down’s Pat Donnan stepped back over the line to field Plunkett’s long speculative ball from mid-field.
Mickey McClure top-scored with four points, and Mickey Mallon added three.
For the third year in a row Tyrone had met Derry in the SFC opening round, this time in Healy Park. It took Derry 22 minutes to get their first score, but with just five minutes left they led, following a Damian Cassidy goal. But then came a score that’s gone into Tyrone GAA folklore when Damian O’Hagan fed Noel McGinn, now at centre-forward, to crash a spectacular shot to the net and win the game, 2-6 to 1-7, for Tyrone.
Next day out, Tyrone cruised through a 2-16 to 1-12 Semi-Final win over Cavan at Irvinestown to reach that Ulster Final against Down.
For the first time ever, Tyrone’s campaign did not end with the Ulster title. Thirty years earlier our first-ever All-Ireland Semi-Final had ended in defeat to Galway, but this time a final ten-minute surge, including Kevin McCabe’s penalty goal, drove us on from two points down to a 1-12 to 1-9 win.
There can never be another ‘first all-Ireland Final’ and probably the only thing wrong with Tyrone’s 1-10 to 2-15 loss to Kerry was the result. Tyrone played so well for so long and had moved into a deserved seven-point lead with half-an-hour left to play. But it wasn’t to be and a number of key Tyrone injuries combined with a power-surge from Kerry produced a cruel 15-point turnaround. No title for Tyrone.
But people now knew what was possible.
And today forty years ago played a huge part in that realisation.
Our history-making 1986 players were: Eugene McKenna, Augher (Captain) | Aidan Skelton, Drumquin | Martin Dorman, Edendork | Joe Mallon, Edendork | Sean Donnelly, Trillick | Ciaran McGarvey, Aghyaran | John Lynch, Castlederg | Kevin McCabe, Clonoe | Noel McGinn, Killyclogher | Paddy Ball, Aughabrack | Plunkett Donaghy, Moy | Harry McClure, Clonoe | Mickey McClure, Clonoe | Sean McNally, Brackaville | Paudge Quinn, Ballygawley | Damian O’Hagan, Coalisland | Mickey Mallon, Edendork | Declan Muldoon, Dungannon | Enda Kilpatrick, Pomeroy | Liam Grugan, Fintona | Audie Hamilton, Dungannon | Peter O’Neill, Moy | Stephen Conway, Cookstown | Aidan O’Hagan, Derrylaughan | Paul Maxwell, Edendork | Pat McKeown, Galbally | Con Mulholland, Cookstown | Stephen Rice, Augher |
Art McRory managed the team, aided by Tom McKeagney and Pat McCartan.
And overseeing our County affairs were Jimmy Treacy (County Chair), Brendan Harkin (County Secretary), Vinny Beggs (County Treasurer), Tony McKenna (Activities Board Chair), Frank Rodgers (Activities Board Secretary) and Patsy Gallagher (Activities Board Treasurer).
Ulster Final Team Captains Eugene McKenna and Liam Austin along with match referee Michael Greenan (Cavan)
By Gerard Mon 20th Jul
