Footballers of the no
AS the new millennium arrived, we witnessed a decade of unprecedented success for the aristocrats of Gaelic football, Kerry.
Alongside this, Ulster’s dominance came to the fore again with Tyrone’s golden era, and meteoric rise to the top. A change to the qualifying system in 2001, also brought a second opportunity for those that failed to make the grade first time round, with counties eliminated from their provincial championship getting a second bite of the cherry in the All-Ireland competition. (More about this in future weeks.)
Kicking off the new century, the Kingdom, with their machine on fire, defeated Galway in 2000, after a replay. Even before kick-off, the match was subject to controversy over the decision to hold the replay on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday.
A re-energised Galway, captured the title in 2001, after a hard-won battle with Meath. The Tribesmen are the only county West of the Shannon to have won senior All-Ireland football titles since Mayo in 1951.
2002 was the year of the underdog, and the Orchard County, Armagh, finally sauntered to success over Kerry. The season ended with wild scenes at Croke Park as they lifted Sam Maguire for the first time. It was good to see another name on the trophy after the heartbreak of previous decades. They had a long tradition of football stretching back to the 19th century but despite early successes at provincial level and All-Ireland appearances in 1953 and 1977, it took until 2002 to claim the ultimate prize.
The qualifier system was now in full flow as Tyrone brought a new dimension to Gaelic football with their success in an Ulster All-Ireland final, when they dethroned the champions, Armagh. Three All-Ireland titles for Tyrone in the space of six years completely changed the football landscape.
Like the dawn, the county had risen and blossomed for a few years before finally reaching the heavens in the first decade of this century. Certainly, the introduction of Mickey Harte as the new manager was a master stroke. He developed a strong ethos to get the ball at any cost, defend in packs, and take every available scoring opportunity. Not to the liking of everyone, but it worked then and in fairness, other counties have since followed suite.
The Kerry-Tyrone rivalry of the noughties saw them carve up nine All-Irelands in the decade. Despite the relentless spotlight on Kerry and pressure to perform at all times (unlike other counties.) Boy did they deliver. Dominant, and so successful for so long.
Mayo, the sleeping giants of Gaelic football were hoping to bridge a gap that stretched all the way back to their All-Ireland winning team of 1951. After losing four finals inside ten years it was back to the drawing board after decades of heartbreak and near misses.
I always felt that all the hype got to the players. Some of them were giving interviews days before All-Ireland finals, and not focusing enough on what lay ahead. It is my fervent wish that, one day, Mayo will rise to the challenge and banish the damned curse of long ago.
Laois footballers created their own history after a lapse of fifty-seven years, by grabbing the Leinster football title in 2003.
The year 2004 was a memorable one for Westmeath, who clinched their first ever Leinster football title in a replay against Laois.
Hyde Park, Roscommon, was the setting for the 2007 Connaught final between Sligo and old rivals Galway, a match I managed to get to. Wanting to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the craic, I remember arriving early with my brother Pat and some friends.
I recall my brother dusting off his wallet and removing the padlock, to buy me a burger. He’s the only man I know who can peel an orange in his pocket! Anyway, enough of the brotherly love, and back to the match... As the sound of the final whistle drifted into the air over the stadium, Sligo had won and, after a barren spell of thirty-two years, were Connaught champions once again.
Not seeing the funny side of Eamonn O’Hara’s goal, some Gal
way supporter beside me, let fly a litany of expletives that shocked not just me but some priests who were sitting nearby. Match over, it was time for me to saviour all the excitement of this glorious triumph. On the way out of the stadium, a banner caught my eye, with the words emblazoned, ‘Sligo for Croke Park, Mayo for
Croke Patrick’!
Cork made use of the back-door system to reach All-Ireland finals in ’07 and ’09, only to be beaten by near neighbours Kerry on both occasions.
Now, let’s get on with the footballers who made the noughties such a wonderful decade.
GOALKEEPERS
Alan Quirke, Cork
Alan was a commanding goalkeeper who dominated his penalty area. A player with a safe pair of hands, together with alertness and quick thinking saved many a goal.
Pascal McConnell, Tyrone Pascal was between the sticks on two of the occasions when the Red Hands brought home Sam Maguire. A big man, who was cool under pressure, and made every save look simple.
DEFENDERS
Enda McNulty, Armagh
A versatile player with a good work ethic in the back line, Enda was both physically and mentally one of the true greats of the game.
Kieran Fitzgerald, Galway
A big man, with a big heart, would describe Kieran, who was a fantastic servant to club and county. He played with passion and was the bedrock of the Galway defence for many years.
John Keane, Westmeath
John was a formidable defender and a specialist man marker. A true Lakeside legend, with good balance and equally at home in other positions.
Barry Owens, Fermanagh
A tough footballer, and one of the players who excelled in the Erne County’s finest run in the championship for years.
Graham Canty, Cork
A talismanic figure for Cork in the noughties, Graham was a huge man, with toughness running through his veins. Very few attackers got past him.
Charlie Harrison, Sligo
Charlie was a resolute, dependable player, with bags of energy. He remained focused every game, not easily rattled.
Tomás Ó’Sé, Kerry
Like the wind, Tomás was great to have at your back. He was a magnificent footballer with his hard tackling and fearless solo running the length of the field.
Tom Kelly, Laois
A good footballer, with plenty of style and an incredible work rate. Tom was good in the air, strong and comfortable on the ball.
Kieran McGeeney, Armagh
An outstanding player and the driving force behind Armagh’s All-Ireland success in 2002. Kieran was a born leader, who played with an exuberance that was exciting to watch and agony for his opponents.
Aidan O’Mahony, Kerry
Aidan played in nine All-Ireland senior football finals for Kerry, winning four of them. He had huge upper body strength, that allowed him to tackle hard and run through opposing players.
Conor Gormley, Tyrone
What he lacked for in style, he made up for it in determination and graft. Conor was the lynchpin in the backs during the glorious spell of Tyrone’s dominance.
Seán Óg De Paor, Galway
A marauding half-back with a flair for scoring long range points, Sean was a sportsman of genuine ability, who played with fire in his belly.
MIDFIELD
Darragh Ó’Sé, Kerry
Darragh was schooled in the catch-and-kick tradition, which Kerry did so much to foster in earlier decades. A tall and powerful figure, with a high level of skill, and great hands.
Seán Cavanagh, Tyrone
A central figure in Tyrone’s tour-de-force in the noughties. Sean was a sublime player, who oozed class with every act he performed. An absolutely sensational footballer.
FORWARDS
Michael Donnellan, Galway The family name has been synonymous with Galway football over many generations with Michael’s grand-father and father winning All-Ireland medals. I don’t think anyone could argue that Michael was the greatest of the family dynasty. Stamina, speed and running at defences were his biggest assets.
Conor Mortimer, Mayo
Conor was on the losing side in two All-Ireland finals, in 2004 and 2006. A colourful character, with a terrific scoring record for Mayo in every game he played.
Eamonn O’Hara, Sligo
A powerful and exciting player, who lit up the crowd with his exceptional runs into the opposition square. Who can forget his goal against Galway in the Connaught final?
Ross Munnelly, Laois
Laois’s top scorer over two decades, made him one of the greatest footballers in the O’Moore county’s history. Great vision, and an eye for goal.
Colm (Gooch) Cooper, Kerry
It’s difficult to select the greatest Kerry footballer of all time, because there’s so many of them. The slight looking Gooch, must rank in their top ten. He won