THE Troubles helped the GAA in Northern Ireland "flourish like never before", according to All-Ireland winner Joe Brolly.
In a wide-ranging interview with Eir Sport, the former Derry footballer spoke about the success of Ulster teams in the 1990s.
He called the players "children of the Troubles" saying the conflict helped drive people together.
Mr Brolly spoke about the impact of the hunger strikes and Bloody Sunday and recalled the internment of his late father Francie.
"There's always been the discussion on what impact did the Troubles have on Gaelic games in the north, and the common myth is it had a very damaging impact - a lot of GAA members were killed and there are some very vivid examples," he said.
"But in truth, if you look at it, the Troubles started in 1969. If you take 22 years to 1991, Down are the All-Ireland champions. They are fellas born or being brought up right at the start of the Troubles. You have Donegal winning the following year, then Derry, then Down again, then Tyrone narrowly beaten. That era of football all came from 1969, they were all children of the Troubles.
"The Troubles made us extremely cohesive as a community because all we had was the GAA."
