Irish Sunday Mirror

Cup for a fight

ALL IRELAND FINAL

- BY SYLVIA POWNALL news@irishmirro­r.ie

TWO families with divided loyalties will stand in Croke Park today and bid to out-shout one another as they cheer on their teams.

The biggest day of the GAA calendar sees Jim Gavin’s Dublin team going for four All-ireland Senior Football Championsh­ip titles in a row.

Trying to stop the county will be Mickey Harte’s Tryone, going for only the fourth title in their history.

The Ulster side will be hoping to put memories of a crushing semi-final defeat at the hands of Dublin last year firmly behind them to take the Sam Maguire Cup.

Dublin’s Blues are odds-on favourites with the bookies to overcome the Red Hands, but Tyrone could take it to the wire.

Among the 82,000 in the stadium will be the Mansells and the Hunters – both divided for the match.

Dubliner Emer Mansell, 44, moved to Tyrone 18 years ago when she married Mickey Mansell, 45, a profession­al darts player from Dungannon ranked 66th in the world.

According to Emer their eldest son MJ, 14, is a “staunch Dub through and through” with his mum but Eoin, 11, has switched to Tyrone, and nineyear-old Laura “doesn’t really care”.

Emer said: “We’ve two chocolate Labradors and I dress them up in the Dubs colours as well but I don’t get away with it for too long.

“Tyrone people have been telling me for years the Red Hand is coming to get us – after every game they say it but it hasn’t got us yet. We’re going to the final with the boys and we’ll sit together in the Upper Davin Stand. Mickey put up a big Tyrone flag and a small Dublin one outside the house. I said, ‘You can have your big flag, we’ll keep our big performanc­e for the pitch’.”

Mickey was due to fly out for a darts tournament today but changed his flight to Monday at 5am so they can all enjoy the day out.

Emer said: “We will take the day out in Dublin and we’re looking forward to it. Dublin football has been a massive thing for my family all our lives.

“My granny lived on Tolka Road opposite Hill 16 and her best friend had a little shop there, that was our meeting point after the games.

“Yes there is slagging but I think that is the good thing about GAA, the banter is good and there’s a fair bit of

craic at the dinner table but we don’t fall out.”

Meanwhile, Tina Hunter, 46, from Ballymun in Dublin will be on Hill 16 with her 50-year-old Tyrone husband Paul and their four boys.

Ross, 19, is a Tyrone fan with his dad while Calum, 11, has switched allegiance to Dublin along with 16-year-old Gary who is a huge Dubs supporter.

Nathan, 12, can’t decide so wears a halfand-half jersey and dog Sparky is a Dub.

Tina said: “I’ve lived in Tyrone for almost 20 years. I met Paul in Turkey on a holiday romance and married and moved to Tyrone five months later.

“They’re all starting to come onto the bandwagon because Dublin keep winning. We’re on the Hill, two of us in Tyrone jerseys and the rest in blue.

“At last year’s semi-final Gary and I were on the Hill and Paul was in the Cusack Stand – that was the day Tyrone didn’t bother getting off the bus. They’ve been putting up red and white bunting all over. I said, ‘You’ll be taking that down soon enough’, but I could be eating my words.”

The banter is good, there’s a fair bit of

craic at the dinner table

EMER MANSELL

TYRONE YESTERDAY

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 ??  ?? HEAD TOHEAD Niall Sludden and, right, Paul Mannion
HEAD TOHEAD Niall Sludden and, right, Paul Mannion
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