DERRY football legend Tony Scullion is the subject of the second episode of the latest series of ‘Laochra Gael’, airing Thursday nights at 9.30pm on TG4.
Growing up in a rural area of Derry, near Draperstown, football was always at the heart of Tony’s life. Despite the beauty of the area around them, the Scullions had a hard life and it was often difficult to keep hunger at bay.
Tony Scullion: Fighting the feeling of inferiority
As a young teenager with the Ballinascreen club Tony’s dream was to play football for his county and in 1987 Tony Scullion won his first Ulster senior football championship. He also earned his first All-Star award and by this time was a cornerstone of the Derry football team.
By 1993 Derry was one of the best teams in the country but disaster struck when Tony broke his ankle in a league game. With the team steadily improving Tony was focused on winning back his place on a team that was destined for glory, and that he did, going on to win his All-Ireland medal in 1993.
Scullion talks about his life in football, the impact of ‘the Troubles’, and the successes he achieved with Derry.
Contributors include family members, Derry colleague Enda Gormley, and opponents such as John Joe Doherty of Donegal and Dublin’s Vinny Murphy.
Uachtarán CLG, Larry McCarthy said: “Few could have predicted that when TG4′s excellent Laochra Gael series first aired, that in 2024 we would welcome the 22nd edition of what is an incredibly popular programme. To say that it has stood the test of time is an understatement.
“While games lie at the heart of the allure, the personal stories of some of the biggest and most popular names in Gaelic sports adds immeasurably to the offering and it is a credit to the programme that so many former players have agreed to provide context to careers that have illuminated Irish sport. This series will see the 200 programme milestone passed. Here’s to the next 200.”