Football

Unbreakable bond between Derry men who won Sam Maguire celebrated in Ballymena

The Men who won Maguire: Derry's All-Ireland SFC champions of 1993, who were honoured at a celebration dinner in Tullyglass Hotel at the Derry GAA 25th Anniversary Dinner in the Tullyglass House Hotel, Ballymena on Saturday evening.<br />Picture by Declan Roughan.
The Men who won Maguire: Derry's All-Ireland SFC champions of 1993, who were honoured at a celebration dinner in Tullyglass Hotel at the Derry GAA 25th Anniversary Dinner in the Tullyglass House Hotel, Ballymena on Saturday evening.
Picture by Declan
The Men who won Maguire: Derry's All-Ireland SFC champions of 1993, who were honoured at a celebration dinner in Tullyglass Hotel at the Derry GAA 25th Anniversary Dinner in the Tullyglass House Hotel, Ballymena on Saturday evening.
Picture by Declan Roughan.

THE Tullyglass Hotel in Ballymena had a very special guest booked in to stay the night on Saturday... Sam Maguire.

Twenty-five years after their famous victory over Cork in Croke Park, Derry again had their hands on Ireland’s most prestigious trophy, for one night only. In the occasion organised by Club Derry as a celebration for the 1993 All-Ireland SFC winning team, over 600 people packed into the Tullyglass Hotel for the culmination of a series of events to mark the jubilee year.

In a night hosted by BBC sports presenter Thomas Niblock, guests enjoyed a series of live interviews with players, specially commissioned interviews with prominent GAA figures from across Ulster, as well viewing previously unseen footage from the 1993 run to the final.

Derry’s first, and to date only, Championship winning campaign included a battling win over the reigning holders of Sam Maguire Donegal in the Ulster SFC final at a waterlogged St Tiernach’s Park, Clones and a one-point victory over Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final.

The captain fantastic from that famous year Henry Downey, who also won an Allstar along with Johnny McGurk, Tony Scullion, Gary Coleman, Anthony Tohill, Brian McGilligan and Enda Gormley, was among the veteran players who attended the celebration and he spoke of the bond which still exists among that squad.

"Watching some of the previously unseen archive footage of ’93 was a truly unique experience and one we all really enjoyed doing together,” the Lavey man said.

"There is an unbreakable bond between the players from ’93. We might not see each other all the time or meet up regularly but, when we all get together, we just pick up where we left off. It's a sign of real friendship, the bond is as strong today as it was in ’93.”

Saturday night wasn’t all about nostalgia though, with Club Derry, which exists to support county panels in their preparations for various competitions, ensuring there was a strong representation from the county’s underage teams.

Downey, who was the Texaco Footballer of the Year in 1993, is positive about the young talent that is coming through in the Oak Leaf county today and reflected upon the influence the late Éamonn Coleman would have had on the young crop of players who were at the Tullyglass Hotel.

Coleman, who managed Derry to that All-Ireland success a quarter of a century ago, passed away in 2007 after a battle with cancer. His son Gary, who partnered Downey in the Oak Leaf half-back line in the All-Ireland winning campaign, was also present on Saturday night.

"When I was chatting to some of our younger players tonight, who weren’t even born when we won the All-Ireland and are now part of our under 20 team, I couldn't help but think of Éamonn Coleman,” Downey added.

“Éamonn Coleman would have been in the middle of them young boys having the craic, but also letting them know in his own inimitable way what was required to be the best they can be.

“Tonight was a celebration of what we achieved 25 years ago and, looking around the county, there is plenty to be excited about over the next 25 years.”

Derry’s 1993 All-Ireland winning team: Damien McCusker; Kieran McKeever, Tony Scullion, Fergal McCusker; Johnny McGurk, Henry Downey (captain), Gary Coleman; Anthony Tohill, Brian McGilligan; Dermot Heaney, Damien Barton, Damien Cassidy; Joe Brolly, Séamus Downey, Enda Gormley; Subs: Dermot McNicholl, Éamonn Burns.