10 YEARS AGO

IT’S not often teams are happy after a loss, but Fermanagh certainly weren’t too disappointed having left Donegal with a one-point defeat in their McKenna Cup group game.

The margin of defeat, chiselled down from an eight-point deficit at one stage, ensured that Pete McGrath’s side topped Section B and would advance to the semi-finals due to a better scoring average following the 0-12 to 2-5 loss.

At times, that outcome looked unlikely as the Tir Chonaill side took control.

Donegal led 0-10 to 0-3 at the break, and Frank McGlynn extended that on the restart with a point. It was all one-way traffic at that point, but from there the visitors fought gamely.

Marty O’Brien got them going when he fired past Paul Durcan in the 43rd minute and Sean Quigley added a second to put the game in the balance.

Donegal did hold on for the win, but it was Fermanagh who left the happiest with goalkeeper Thomas Treacy making a series of great saves.

There was a victory for students as Queen’s got the better of a very experimental Derry side.

Antrim’s Ryan Murray was the star as he hit 1-5 – equal to Derry’s total on the day – with the Malone Road men winning by four points.

It was a big week for female sport in Ireland as the Women’s Gaelic Players Association was launched in Dublin.

A statement said that the WGPA “has been set up to represent, listen to, and support ladies footballers and camogie players who represent their county at the highest level in their sport.”

20 YEARS AGO

THERE was fowl play in the O’Byrne Cup semi-final between Kildare and Laois as a cockerel pranced around the pitch for the majority of the first half.

He would have had a good view of an exciting contest with the O’Moore County eventually progressing to the final on a 2-10 to 2-9 scoreline with goalkeeper Fergal Bryon converting a crucial penalty.

Up north, the new trialling rules – including the sin-bin – were not in play. If they had been in Newry, there would have been plenty of departures as Derry earned a far from entertaining 0-9 to 0-5 win.

In a feisty affair, Paddy Bradley’s 0-5 tally sent the Oakleafers to victory with the home side hampered by Joe Doran’s dismissal midway through the second half.

Mickey Harte’s Tyrone racked up a massive 4-21 as they hammered Antrim – Stephen O’Neill, Sean Cavanagh, Mickey Murphy and Martin Penrose with the goals.

Armagh had to be sharp to prevent a Queen’s comeback in Crossmaglen, Joe Kernan’s side eventually emerging with a 0-8 to 0-7 win.

Martin O’Rourke top scored with a brace of points for the hosts with Gareth Swift also impressing, but the likes of Gerard O’Kane and James McGovern kept the students in it, but they just ran out of time.

Monaghan were too strong for Donegal with Dick Clerkin kicking a series of points in their 2-15 to 0-13 win in Clones while Fermanagh eased past UUJ with Raymond Gallagher, Rory Gallagher and Mark Little finding the net.

30 YEARS AGO

DOWN became the first county in the north to vote to remove Rule 21 – the controversial decree which banned members of the British security forces from membership of the GAA.

It was not all plain sailing at the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle with Barney Carr leading opposition – stating that the rule would go but only when the time was right. (Ultimately, he was correct as it would remain in place until 2001).

After a vigorous debate – described as “high quality” by media at the time – the motion, moved by Loughinisland, Glen and Mayobridge, passed 59-57.

On the same weekend, Kilkenny voted for the removal of the rule on a one-year trial basis with Dublin having done likewise a week earlier.