CENTURY BREAK FOR THE MIGHTY MURPHY
Among the fresh faces on show, a familiar one. The big man reaching a century of appearances for his native county and, patently, still as proud to pull on the green and gold as he was when he trotted on to the field of play for a McKenna Cup game against U.U.J. back in 2007.
Fitting then that the same competition should mark Michael Murphy’s 100th appearance but also difficult to believe that this particular milestone has been reached and it’s nine years since he stepped into inter-county action.
Typically, the Glenswilly forward was quick to remark on the “huge honour” it is for him to represent his county in whatever competition. Truly, the best of examples to all those young players who made their senior debuts at MacCumhaill Park last Sunday afternoon.
by Paddy Walsh
Afterwards, Murphy described the influx of the “young lads’ as being like a “breath of fresh air”. And indeed the quality on show – a half dozen new faces in the starting line-up – augurs well for both the immediate and long-term future.
But they should all look to the likes of Michael Murphy as guiding principles when they strive to make their mark at this level. They should all be equally as proud when they pull on that jersey – just as I’m sure they were when throw-in approached for Sunday’s clash with Down and Rory Gallagher’s team sheet showed their names pencilled in.
The commitment Murphy has given to the cause in those nine years has been nothing short of exceptional but you won’t find him resting on any laurels or growing complacent. “Some things went well for me and some things didn’t but that is something I’m going to have to work on over the next few weeks,” the full forward indicated after Donegal’s three point win over Down.
That’s the words of a player who gives his all and even then believes there’s more to give. An All-Star in every sense of the description and someone who remains rooted despite the honours he has achieved in his career to date.
As anyone who meets him will testify – and they come to his sports shop in Letterkenny to do just that and not alone to make a purchase – he’s as down to earth as they come and this despite being hailed as the best footballer of his generation.
And at just twenty-six years of age, he still has much of a career to go and more honours to add to the sideboard. There’s no doubt he has already proved an inspiration to the young players around him and to those now merging from minor into senior ranks.
A breath of fresh air, he describes those young lads and they now can play a part in the wind of change that is blowing around Donegal football and the transition that is being overseen by Rory Gallagher.
A solid win over Down was added to by those impressive displays by the young guns including man of the match, Ciaran Thompson, not the first polished player to emerge from Glenties but one who threatens to shine as brightly. That award could have gone to any one of the other starlets on show, not least Caolan Ward and Stephen McBrearty who showed maturity beyond their years.
And Frankie McGlynn? In at centre-half forward from the start and showing that such positional changes don’t ruffle someone of his experience and quality, a neatly executed goal inside the opening seventy seconds proving pivotal by the finish. But he’ll still be doing well to overhaul the points total for his county (424 at the last count) of fellow forward, Murphy.
It’s off to O’Donnell Park next Sunday for Donegal’s second McKenna Cup outing when St. Mary’s provide the opposition and surely another handful of outings for the footballing fledglings.
And a 101st appearance for the man they call Mighty Murphy.
A TRUE LOSS
Going along to MacCumhaill Park back in the day when All-Ireland glory was still only a dream, there was always one player who invariably stood out for this particular spectator.
Donal Monaghan may not have always got the plaudits he deserved at national level – though he did claim one All-Star Award – but in his home county and for his home club, Four Masters, he was a star all year round or at least that portion of the year when Gaelic Games was on the sporting agenda.
From his posting at corner-back, he inspired Donegal to two Ulster titles in1972 – this he described as the highlight of his career – and 1974 (when he claimed the Man of the Match award in the replayed Final against Down) and went close to adding a Railway Cup medal to his collection the following year.
That collection also included a Donegal Championship medal won by his club side.
To this young mind – young back then – he was a class act and a footballer and a person who stood out.
His enforced retirement from the game in 1984 represented a huge loss to his club and to the sport in general.
But it pales into insignificance at the news of his passing this week at the relatively young age of 65.
To his wife, Margaret, and sons, Don, Barry and Marcus, and sister, Madeline, and to the local footballing family, sincerest condolences.
TOOLAN WHISTLEBLOWERS MAKE HISTORY!
A little piece – actually make that a large slice – of history at Dave Gallaher Park in Letterkenny at the weekend.
On the main pitch, the local under-18’s in action against title rivals, Armagh. Referee: the well known sportsman, Shane Toolan, resident of Ballyshannon. And on the accompanying pitch at the same time, the Letterkenny under-16’s facing their Armagh counterparts. Referee: Claire Toolan, daughter of the afore-mentioned. And both doing a pretty good job in the process.
I headed to the Letterkenny Rugby grounds on Saturday morning primarily for the purpose of watching the under-18’s in that top of the table clash but also keeping an eye on the under-16’s fixture.
Not, of course, the first time Shane has ventured onto a pitch in the home town of his mother, Kathleen (one of the O’Boyce’s of the Port Road). Like his father, Jack, before him, he has featured in the colours of St. Eunan’s G.A.A. club, and has also played soccer and rugby in Buncrana and Carndonagh respectively,
He can obviously still get up and down a rugby field though nowadays with a whistle in his mouth and, perhaps, not as quick as he once might have been!
Certainly, his 21 year old daughter, Claire, would give him a run for his money in this regard and showed that she’s no mean referee either.
Great performances by both Toolans and, like I say, surely a prime slice of history in any code.
WHAT’S THIS? FREE FLOWING RUGBY?
Still on the under-18’s, a hugely impressive display by Gordon Curley’s young men who ran out 38-19 winners over one of their rivals for the top spot in the Ulster Carpet League with tries from Kevin Grant (3), Johnny Dunleavy (2) and Matthew Faulkner, and some expert goal-kicking from Peter Scott. And a flowing, passing game overall that would put some of our Provincial sides and indeed all club sides both here and abroad to shame. No sign of the rugged rugby that can too often slow the modern game close to a standstill.
Watching on was proud father, Mick Dunleavy, who has no less than five sons playing rugby at various levels.
The under-16’s, minus a few of their regulars, got a bit of tanking in their game but there were still some impressive individual performances.
And just when I arrived at the ground, a mini-bus was about to set off for Ravenhill with the Letterkenny under-12’s who featured in a half-time exhibition match against Derry during the PRO-12 clash of Ulster and Munster later on Saturday afternoon in front of an attendance of 15,000.
Just about 14,900 more than the under-18’s and under-16’s had watching their respective games!
YES SIR, NO SIR!
Sir Anthony McCoy, huh? Who would have believed it? Certainly not the all-time champion jockey himself who declared that he had been forced to read the e-mail again and again indicating that he had been awarded a Knighthood in the British New Year Honours list before even beginning to believe it.
It won’t change him, he insists, and says he’s sure he will still be answering to A.P. McCoy. Except when he’s lording it around the golf course with his old friends and former jockeys, Mick Fitzgerald, Carl Llewellyn, John Francome, Richard Hughes and Dominic Elsworth. “They will be calling me Sir Anthony, or they’re not going to be getting any kind of response,” he joked in his weekly column in ‘The Times’ (at least I think it was a joke).
McCoy does indeed deserve every honour there is going for his services to the racing industry and, perhaps, it’s easier to view him as a ‘Sir’ now that he’s hung up his stirrups.
But I always feel a bit uneasy whenever a sportsman or woman (‘Dame’ being their equivalent) is still participating in their particular sport with any such title hanging around their neck.
The one stand-out figure in this regard was former Manchester United boss, Alex Ferguson. After he was bestowed with his Knighthood, every interview, every match report, every feature, and just about every time he was mentioned, there it was reminding one and all of his new found status. And it invariably grated with me, not because Ferguson came from a socialist background but because it just didn’t seem to fit right in the sporting circles in which he was involved.
“….and there’s Sir Alex on the sidelines remonstrating with the fourth official…..well, Sir Alex, were you pleased with your team’s performance?……Sir Alex Ferguson has announced his retirement as manager of Manchester United….”.
It just never seemed right, somehow. And consequently, my conversations with him were always confined to ‘Alex’ or ‘Ferguson’.
Note: Those were the one-sided conversations I frequently had with him whenever I was bellowing at him through the television screen to bring on such and such and “take that fecking eejit off.”
Of course, if he, or indeed Tony McCoy, resided in certain part of Donegal, they would have long before they received their Knighthoods been afforded the title ‘sir’.
MICKEY AND FIONA SIGN ON THE KNOTTED LINE
So there I was harping on about Mickey Funston last week and the goal he got against Limerick in that famous play-off and neglecting to mention the little matter of him getting hitched in the meantime (neglecting to mention it only because I didn’t know, to be honest).
Anyway, may the column extend its very best wishes to the Letterkenny man and his new bride, Fiona Ferry, from Gweedore, on their wedding in Gortahork.
Truly, a marriage made in the Premier League.
BEATEN BUT UNBOWED…
Defeat in any Cup Final is hard to take but defeat through the lottery of penalties represents a real gut wrencher.
Thus was the case for the Raphoe women in the Ulster Ladies Senior Cup showdown in Coleraine when opponents, Ballymena, won out 3-2 on penalities after normal time and extra-time ended with the sides locked at 1-1.
Ballymena can thank their goalkeeper, Joanne Davis, who not alone stopped three of the penalties but also saved one from Sabrina Barrett during the game itself.
Tough luck for the Raphoe women but they’ll be back.
…AND BEATEN AND BLOODIED
And still on defeats, Joseph Duffy suffered a first U.F.C. loss when the Burtonport man ended up on the wrong side of the points dividends in each of the three rounds in his fight against Dustin Poirier in Las Vegas at the weekend.
Said it before and I’ll say it again, I don’t get this at all though it may not stop me from cheering on a Donegal victory should Duffy get his chance to come up against Conor McGregor again which, after this defeat, may be some way down the line.
FORMER L.O.I. STRIKERS ON TARGET
As a regular watcher of the ‘Football League Show’ on Saturday night – the warm-up for ‘Match of the Day’ though often with more thrills – I take particular interest when a familiar name emerges from the highlights package.
Two names, in fact, last weekend, and a brace of goals for each of them. Former Galway United and Bray Wanderers winger/striker, Jay O’Shea, netted twice for League One club, Chesterfield, in their 7-1 hammering of Shrewsbury Town, while in League Two, Rory Gaffney, on a month long loan from Cambridge United, was also on the double for Bristol Rovers in a 2-0 win over Luton Town (which won’t go down too well in a certain home in Ramelton, specifically that of Donegal League stalwart, Joe Duffy, who has been a self-confessed long-time supporter of the Hatters as he is happy to inform anyone in passing).
A former striker with Limerick F.C., Gaffney is currently involved in negotiations between his parent club and Rovers who are keen to hang on to him.
Our Joe would, of course, have been wishing that Cambridge hadn’t let him go in the first place.