Monaghan GAA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For more information on Monaghan GAA see Monaghan Senior Football Championship or Monaghan Senior Hurling Championship
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| Irish: | Muineachán | ||||||||||||||||
| Province: | Ulster | ||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s): | The Farney Men
The Boys In Blue |
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| County Colours: | White with blue trim | ||||||||||||||||
| Grounds: | St. Tiernach's Park, Clones | ||||||||||||||||
| Dominant Sport: | Gaelic football | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL: | Division 2A | ||||||||||||||||
| NHL: | Division 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| Football Championship: | Sam Maguire Cup | ||||||||||||||||
| Hurling Championship: | Nicky Rackard Cup | ||||||||||||||||
| Ladies' Gaelic football: | Brendan Martin Cup | ||||||||||||||||
| Camogie: | O'Duffy Cup | ||||||||||||||||
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The Monaghan County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (Irish: Cumann Luthchleas Gael Coiste Muineachán) or Monaghan GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Monaghan and the Monaghan inter-county football and hurling teams. Separate county boards are responsible for the camogie and ladies football teams.
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[edit] History
Gaelic football was recorded in Inniskeen in 1806 in a poem. Monaghan were prominent in Ulster championship competitions during the period 1914-30 and one of the first Ulster counties to contest an All Ireland final.
[edit] Gaelic football
In 1930 Monaghan beat Kildare in a well-merited if surprise semi-final victory, but the good evaporated on All-Ireland final day when Kerry beat them by 3-11 to 0-2 in the All-Ireland final without their goalkeeper touching the ball.
[edit] Recent Inter-county footballing history
In 1979 the Monaghan team came with an army of noisy supporters to Croke Park and were beaten by a devastating 5-14 to 0-07, again by Kerry. The huge support was understandable really as Monaghan had just won the Ulster championship for the first time in 41 years with a convincing defeat of Donegal. This followed wins over defending champions Down in the first round and a semi final win over 1977 champions and All-Ireland finalists Armagh in the semi-final. The Ulster final was remembered for Monaghans Kieran Finlays personal haul of 1-09, which was a record in an Ulster final for 20 years, until Armaghs Oisin Mc Conville bettered it with a 2-07 tally against Down in the Orchard countys 1999 Ulster final success. Remember the name Finlay as it is Kierans son Paul who is mentioned further down this page. Another notable feature of the 1979 Ulster final was that the ball was thrown in twice by the referee at the start. After the initial throw in, Donegal had got a point but it was disallowed and the game had to be restarted as the music band hadn't left the field. The Dr McKenna Cup was also won in 1979. Victories in the Ceannarus Tournament against Roscommon and Dublin in 1979 brought gloss to the countys finest year on the football field in almost half a century.
Defeats to Armagh in 1980 and a shockingly disappointing defeat to Down in 1981 in a replay (Down went onto win the Ulster title that year), Tyrone in 1982 left the county feeling as if they were back in the doldrums again.
In 1984 the Centenary cup final was reached following wins over Limerick, Mayo, Offaly (quarter final) and Derry (semi-final after extra time) The Offaly and Derry games were played in Croke Park as was the final against Meath which Monaghan lost by 0-10 to 0-08. Monaghan also won Division 3 of the N.F.L. that year and lost to Meath in the quarter final. A big Ulster championship win over Antrim was "rewarded" with a disappointing 2-08 to 0-09 defeat to Armagh in the semi final.
However 1985 was the countys greatest year to date when a National League final victory against Armagh in 1985 created a momentum that peaked in 1985 when current Louth manager Eamonn McEneaney kicked one of the most spectacular equalising points in many years from 48 metres out near the sideline beside the Hogan stand to draw the thrilling All Ireland semi-final against Kerry on a scoreline of Monaghan 2-09 to Kerrys 1-12. Kerry won the replay on a 2-09 to 0-10 score.
That National football league title of 1985 was won by Monaghan on a 1-11 to 0-09 score against pre-match favourites Armagh. The game was effectively settled by an Eamon Mc Eneaney penalty in the first half when referee John Gough from Antrim decided that an Armagh defender had taken too many steps in his own penalty area. Armagh got to within a point in the second half but a flurry of exceptional long range points from Bernie Murray, Eamon Mc Eneaney and Ray Mc Carron brought the trophy to Monaghan for the first time ever.
The Ulster championship was also a stirring success. An easy first round victory over Donegal in Castleblayney, marked by a spectacular Eamon Murphy goal, followed by a lucky draw against Armagh in the semi final and one point victory in the replay saw Monaghan meed Derry in the Ulster final. The first day against Armagh, Monaghan relied on pure luck to survive for a draw, as Armagh dominated the game from start to finish, doing everything but score. Paddy Linden saved a penalty, while and Armagh player saw the line barely 30 seconds after coming onto the field as a substitute, following an apparent high tackle on Declan Flanagan. The replay was a better match but a late Armagh goal had Monaghan concerned. However they won by 1-11 to 2-07.
In the Ulster final against Derry Eamon Mc Eneaney helped himself to 2-04 as Monaghan recorded and easy 2-09 to 0-08 win. As stated the drawn All-Ireland semi final against Kerry was athriller but the absence of David Byrne through injury in the second half probably cost Monaghan victory. Eamon Mc Eneaneys last gasp equiliser was something special but in the replay Kerry were ruthless and despite serious Monaghan pressure the Kingdom won by 5 points. Monaghans run that year was something special considering the fact that they were missing Declan Loughman, Gerry Hoey and Bernie Murray with broken legs. All three were prominent in the National football league win over Armagh while they would form the spine of the Ulster championship winning side of 1988. It could be argued that with these three players on board, Monaghan could have won the All-Ireland in 1985. Certainly their absence robbed the team of vital strength in depth.
The 1986 league final was reached once more but this time the opposition was Laois. Played in front of over 30,000 supporters the Laoismen edged out Monaghan by 2-06 to 2-05. Monaghans championship run in 1986 consisted of a draw against Down in Castleblayney thanks to a last gap Eamon Mc Eneaney free while in the replay Down emerged victors in Newcastle on a 2-11 to 0-11 score. A promising season was over before it had begun.
In 1987 the league semi-final was reached again where Monaghan and Kerry played out a thrilling game at Croke Park. A superb second half performance against the wind had Monaghan leading by a couple of points near the end but a Pat Spillane goal and a late point by Mikey Sheehy saw the Kingdom win by 2-11 to 2-09. Monaghans goals came from Mick O' Dowd and Hugo Clerkin. Disappointment followed in the Ulster championship with a shock 0-14 to 0-12 loss to Cavan in Breffni Park. The early promise of 1985 looked over as two successive seasons of flattering to deceive left the county in a state of gloom.
In 1988 the league semi-final was again reached but ended in a 4-12 to 1-08 drubbing from Dublin in Croke Park. However a good league run prior to that had rescued a season where relegation to Division 2 of the National Football League looked a distinct possibility. A change in management during that league run also added to the merit of the achievement. The 1988 All Ireland semi-final against Cork was even less memorable - Monaghan were holding out against a gale force wind in the first half and were 0-08 to 0-01 behind at the break. Goalkeeper Paddy Linden had saved a penalty from Larry Tompkins. Two early second half points brought Monaghan to within 5 points. A highly controversial goal following an apparent foul on Monaghans Brendan Murray rocked the Monaghan revival and Cork took over. Lindens display in that match was a significant factor in him being the first Ulster goalkeeper to receive an All-star award that year. As stated the game was decided when Cork scored a dubious goal and the All-Ireland dream died again. With that defeat, the successful team of the mid 80s started to break up.
However 1988 will be remembered for the Ulster title win over Tyrone when a "Nudie" Hughes goal following a fumble by Tyrone keeper Aidan Skelton saw Monaghan win by 1-10 to 0-11. An interesting facet of this particular game was that all Monaghans scores came from play. Previous wins over Cavan (0-16 to 0-14), again marked by a 5 star performance from Nudie Hughes and Down (1-11 to 0-09) had brought Monaghan to the Ulster final.
In 1989 Monaghan scraped home with an 0-08 to 0-05 win against Antrim in Casement Park, Belfast where the homesters literally kicked the game away. Down ended Monaghans run in Castleblayney a few weeks later.
The 1990s and early part of the 2000s were lean years for the county. Notable wins in that period were championship successes over Donegal in 1995 and defending All-Ireland champions Armagh in 2003. The Dr Mc Kenna Cup was also won in 1995 against Derry and in 2003 against Tyrone.
Another noticeable effort was a dramatic second half display against Derry in 1992, which saw a 9 point deficit hauled back to earn a draw. Wins were also recorded over Antrim in 1990 and Cavan in 1993 and 1994. After losses to Fermanagh in 1999 and 2000, a win over them was recorded in 2001.
The National football league run of 1998 was also memorable for Monaghan when they surprisingly qualified from a "group of death" that included Tyrone, Dublin, Kerry, Cavan and Sligo to qualify for the quarter finals against Down in Croke Park. Behind at one stage early in the second half by 1-05 to 0-02, the Down goal scored by James Mc Cartan, a rousing rally with goals by Darren Swift and Stephen Mc Ginnitty and a spectacular individual point by Peter Duffy saw Monaghan cause a mild surprise with a 2-05 to 1-06 win. The semi final against Derry was less memorable and defeat on a score of 1-12 to 0-08 was the result. The game had a bit of controversy too when a Mark Daly goal was disallowed and a Monaghan player was sent off. It set the tone for a niggly Ulster championship meeting between both sides a few weeks later. Monaghans Edwin Murphy was sent off on the advice of a linesman but video evidence subsequently cleared him later. However it didn't stop Monaghan suffering a heavy defeat on the day to Derry.
1999 was even less memorable at senior level, the big highlight being the county U-21 side winning the Ulster championship with a final success over Donegal thanks to a last gasp super point from Kieran Tavey. The run ended with a 2-10 to 0-08 defeat to eventual champions Westmeath in Croke Park.
At minor level there was an upsurge in fortunes with the county U-18 team reaching the Ulster minor league finals in 2000 and 2002 losing to Tyrone on both occasions by a point. The Ulster championship final was reached in 2001 for the first time in 18 years when a splendid effort fell short with a 2-13 to 0-13 defeat again to Tyrone. A missed penalty late on when only 4 points separated the sides was a big blow, however on reflection it was Monaghans misfortune to meet Tyrone sides that would backbone their senior All-Ireland winning sides of 2003 and 2005.
2005 was another memorable year for the county when they contested the Division 2 National football league final against Meath at Croke Park. However it took a last gasp point from Paul Finlay in the final league game against Longford in Clones to earn a draw and automatic promotion to Division 1 for the first time in 18 years. The league semi final against Derry in Clones was also a thriller from a Monaghan perspective. A goal within 15 seconds of the throw in by Tommy Freeman set Monaghan on their way and despite Rory Woods being sent off Monaghan held out for a 1-13 to 1-11 win.
The N.F.L. Division 2 final was a thrilling ding dong battle between two well match sides and was full of top drawer scores. It had the 40,000+ crowd on their feet from start to finish. Fortunes ebbed and flowed between both sides and in injury time Meath looked like holding onto a 2 point victory. However a Paul Finlay free with the last kick of the game (sounds familiar) from 40 yards out was deflected into the Meath net by a Meath player and Monaghan edged out 3-13 to 3-12 winners. This game preceded the National football league final which saw Armagh overcome Wexford to gain their first league title. This marked Monaghans first visit to Croke Park in 7 years, that resulting in a 1-12 to 0-08 N.F.L. league semi final defeat to Derry back in 1998.
Derry gained revenge in the Ulster championship with a 1-17 to 2-08 win, but back door wins over London, Wexford and Louth brought Monaghan to a last 12 meeting with eventual All-Ireland champions Tyrone in Croke Park. In a very entertaining game the tactic of isolating Tommy Freeman up front caused havoc for Tyrone in the first 25 minutes as they leaked 1-05, the goal a spectacular effort from Freeman. However a shrewd management move from Tyrone resulted in a player being brought back to double mark Freeman and the Farney threat was quashed. On the day Monaghan had no plan "B" and Tyrone took over. They ran out flattering 2-14 to 1-07 winners in the end, limiting Monaghan to a single point from a free in the second half. All the pre match hype surrounded the question as to whether or not Tyrones Ryan Mc Menamin would be playing having being suspended following an incident in the Ulster final. He missed the game but later returned for the quarter final against Dublin. Freemans exploits in the summer of 2005 brought him an All-star nomination and an "Irish News" Ulster All star award on the "40".
2006 saw Monaghan compete in Division 1A of the National football league but apart from a win over Dublin and a draw with Offaly, there was little else to celebrate despite battling displays against Kerry and Tyrone and relegation followed in the spring. The season ended in the championship qualifiers with a desperately poor display against Wexford resulting in an 0-08 to 0-06 defeat. The Dr McKenna Cup final was also reached early in the year but ended in a heavy defeat by Tyrone.
[edit] 2007
2007 sees Monaghan compete in Division 2A of the National football league. The positive results of the first six matches away to Roscommon and home to Longford and Carlow and away to Clare and away trips to London and home to Offaly have been fashioned out of great work ethic and spirit and no little skill. The final match is against Leitrim and then a probable semi-final against Cavan. The Ulster Championship sees Monaghan play in the quarter final against the winners of Cavan and Down; who meet in the preliminary round. If successful there they will play the winners of Derry and Antrim in the semi-final. Having avoided the "big 2" namely Armagh and Tyrone, this could well be viewed as Monaghan's best chance of reaching an Ulster final for the first time in 19 years. However in recent seasons they have flattered to deceive and have disappointed their supporters when something big was expected from them. This is a big year for the Farney county. Time will tell if the team management and players have the wherewithal to deliver on the big occasion. Monaghan reached the Dr McKenna Cup semi-final where they suffered a heavy defeat toTyrone under floodlights in Kingspan Breffni Park, Cavan on February 13 2007. They had initially qualified from Section A of the competition as runners up to Armagh.
[edit] N.F.L. Div 2A
Monaghan have enjoyed a fantastic start to the National football league so far, winning all their 6 games. The platforms for both successes against Roscommon, Longford and Carlow were excellent first half displays where big scoring returns were racked up. The second half display against Clare was probably the best of the season so far. Next up was an away trip to London which Monaghan easily won by 0-16 to 1-05. The game against Offaly in the penultimate round in Clones could well be called the defining match in the group. As it turned out it was and a last gasp Paul Meegan point in injury time was enough to give Monaghan a 0-13 to 0-12 win, guaranteeing them a semi final place as table toppers and an all important position in the revamped Division 2 in 2008. This was achieved with a game in hand against Leitrim scheduled for April 15th.
[edit] Under 21's
The under 21 side also managed by the senior team management reached the Ulster final following emphatic wins against Cavan and Fermanagh respectively. They await either Armagh or Derry in the final on April 14th.
[edit] Honours
- National Football League Division 1: 1
- National Football League Division 2: 1
- All-Ireland Junior "B": 1
- 1998.
- All-stars (football) 6
- Eugene"Nudie"Hughes 3 (1979,1985,1988).
- Ciarán Murray 1 (1985).
- Ray Mc Carron 1 (1986).
- Paddy Linden 1 (1988).
[edit] Hurling
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This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it. |
[edit] Honours
[edit] Ladies' Gaelic football
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This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it. |
[edit] Honours
- All-Ireland Ladies' Senior Football Championships: 2
- 1996, 1997.
- All-Ireland Ladies' Minor Football Championships: 1
- 1994.
- All-Ireland Ladies' Junior Football Championships: 1
- 1992.
[edit] Camogie
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This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it. |
[edit] Sources
- The Monaghan Gael by Seamus McCloskey 1967.
- Monaghan GAA Centenary History by Seamus McCloskey, 1984.
- Emyvale GAA History Seamus McCloskey, 1984.
- The memory of a loyal Monaghan GAA supporter.
[edit] External links
| Gaelic Athletic Association | ||
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| National Football League | ||
| Division 1 | A |
Cork | Donegal | Dublin | Fermanagh | Kerry | Limerick| Mayo | Tyrone |
| B |
Armagh | Derry | Down | Galway | Kildare | Laois | Louth | Westmeath |
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| Division 2 | A |
Carlow | Clare | Leitrim | London | Longford | Monaghan| Offaly | Roscommon |
| B |
Antrim | Cavan | Meath | Sligo | Tipperary | Wexford| Waterford | Wicklow |
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| National Hurling League | ||
| Division 1 | A | |
| B | ||
| Division 2 | A | |
| B | ||
| Division 3 | A | |
| B | ||
| Connacht | Leinster | Munster | Ulster | Third level | ||
| All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship - Nicky Rackard Cup (2007) | ||
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Armagh | Cavan | Donegal | Fermanagh | Leitrim | Longford | Louth | Monaghan | Roscommon | Sligo | Tyrone | Warwickshire |
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Liam McCarthy Cup (Tier 1) - Christy Ring Cup (Tier 2) - Nicky Rackard Cup (Tier 3) |
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