First Clones Memories

[bcb1]

For me it was Ulster Final 1989. Senior game between Tyrone & Donegal ended in a draw (Tyrone won the replay) but we were really there to see Armagh minors play Derry.
McGeeney, Cathal O’Rourke and a young Neil Lennon playing corner forward for Armagh - Man City had granted him leave. Derry destroyed us though, big Tohill in the middle, Gary Coleman and Eamon Burns proved too much but no doubt we kinda froze on the day.
Myself & my cousin were sat on top of the toilet block behind the town goals on a scorching hot day wearing shorts. We brought a ball which came in handy after the game as we had to amuse ourselves while my da and others cooled down with some ‘refreshments’ in The Roost I believe. We kicked point after point against a gable wall that day in clones and were sure Armagh would’ve won had we been playing. Incidentally my cousin did actually win an Ulster minor championship a few years later with Armagh in clones - I’m pretty sure our prep that day in ‘89 laid the foundations for him though lol.

Remember that day well. Eunan O’Kane was FF for Derry that day and gave an exhibition. Here is a photo of the Armagh team. I’ll try to name them but there’s a few I’m not sure of

Back row
Emmet Vallely, ?, Mickey Lavelle, Davy O Hare, Phelim O’Neill, ?, Geezer
Front Row
James French, ?, ?, Neil Lennon, Martin Califf, Peader Owens, Damian Horish, Cathal O’Rourke.
I know one of the missing ones is Muldoon who was actually a Tyrone lad. The lad beside James French i think is called James as well but I can’t just place it.

 

[pablo]

Remember that day well. Eunan O’Kane was FF for Derry that day and gave an exhibition. Here is a photo of the Armagh team. I’ll try to name them but there’s a few I’m not sure of

Back row
Emmet Vallely, ?, Mickey Lavelle, Davy O Hare, Phelim O’Neill, ?, Geezer
Front Row
James French, ?, ?, Neil Lennon, Martin Califf, Peader Owens, Damian Hiroshima, Cathal O’Rourke.
I know one of the missing ones is Muldoon who was actually a Tyrone lad. The lad beside James French i think is called James as well but I can’t just place it.

Great photo, thanks.
Cant help identfy the unknowns
But you might have picked up a dose of the Gurgans with respect to Damian Horisk.

 

[pablo]

Great photo, thanks.
Cant help identfy the unknowns
But you might have picked up a dose of the Gurgans with respect to Damian Horisk.

Horish! Sorry.
And he a clubman!!

 

[Jamie's Coffee]

Remember that day well. Eunan O’Kane was FF for Derry that day and gave an exhibition. Here is a photo of the Armagh team. I’ll try to name them but there’s a few I’m not sure of

Back row
Emmet Vallely, ?, Mickey Lavelle, Davy O Hare, Phelim O’Neill, ?, Geezer
Front Row
James French, ?, ?, Neil Lennon, Martin Califf, Peader Owens, Damian Horish, Cathal O’Rourke.
I know one of the missing ones is Muldoon who was actually a Tyrone lad. The lad beside James French i think is called James as well but I can’t just place it.

James Toner from Harps is beside French (brother of John) then Noel Loughran from Keady beside him

 

[bcb1]

James Toner, that’s right! That must be Muldoon in the back row beside Emmet Vallely then. I recognise the lad beside Geezer and think he played in MF with Vallely but can’t think of his name

 

[bcb1]

Horish! Sorry.
And he a clubman!!

I know, I saw my nuclear mistake!

D was some player. Complete engine of a man

 

[PatMustard]

Jaysus, some of those lads look more than 18.

I remember the lad Vallely playing that year, with the long hair. Remember he scored a point over his head in an earlier round in AG. Can’t recall the opposition, but that sticks out.

I remember we were at the 1989 final. Scorching day. People making hats from hankies. I can’t for the life of me remember anything of the Minor final though.

 

[niall1980]

Remember that day well. Eunan O’Kane was FF for Derry that day and gave an exhibition. Here is a photo of the Armagh team. I’ll try to name them but there’s a few I’m not sure of

Back row
Emmet Vallely, ?, Mickey Lavelle, Davy O Hare, Phelim O’Neill, ?, Geezer
Front Row
James French, ?, ?, Neil Lennon, Martin Califf, Peader Owens, Damian Horish, Cathal O’Rourke.
I know one of the missing ones is Muldoon who was actually a Tyrone lad. The lad beside James French i think is called James as well but I can’t just place it.

Is that definitely a minor team haha

 

[pablo]

I know, I saw my nuclear mistake!

The fallout could have been bad.
Bloody autospell.
D was an engine alright. Great lad

 

[ragingbull]

Remember that day well. Eunan O’Kane was FF for Derry that day and gave an exhibition. Here is a photo of the Armagh team. I’ll try to name them but there’s a few I’m not sure of

Back row
Emmet Vallely, ?, Mickey Lavelle, Davy O Hare, Phelim O’Neill, ?, Geezer
Front Row
James French, ?, ?, Neil Lennon, Martin Califf, Peader Owens, Damian Horish, Cathal O’Rourke.
I know one of the missing ones is Muldoon who was actually a Tyrone lad. The lad beside James French i think is called James as well but I can’t just place it.

I thought for a minute the player with the long hair back row left was Gareth O'Neill

 

[bcb1]

Is that definitely a minor team haha

Hairy looking minors alright!!!!

Was a very good team though and around that period we were consistently strong at minors as were Down and Derry. That could be directly related to the work done in Maghera, the Abbey and St Colmans in particular. Adrian McGuckin, Val Kane, Pete McGrath and Ray Morgan had some amount of top class players through their hands at that time. 7 of that Armagh team went to the Abbey or the College. I know I am a broken record on this but the schools are the bedrock of underage success more than clubs in my opinion

 

[Armaghniac]

I first attended Clones in 1977, when Armagh played a fancied Derry team who had won the previous year,. Armagh reached the AI final that year, and a repeat performance this year would be suit very well.