“Not in the least dismayed or downhearted by their defeat by Donaghmoyne, Clones St. Tiernach’s again swept all before them in the North in 1943, and fresher, fitter, stronger and more confident than ever with a further year’s Senior experience behind them they prepared to meet Inniskeen in the County Senior Football Final. Inniskeen was a team with which few northern teams could ever manage to cope successfully – as they favoured the more robust, catch-and-kick kerry style, in direct comparison to the nippy, toe – tapping, hand-passing Northern style. Captain of the Inniskeen team was Jack Crawley, and also assisting them was Packie Boylan, both county players of long experience and both ex-inter-provincial players. Clones could also boast of two inter-provincial footballers in Pat McGrane, 1936, and Peter McCarney, 1942-43, but there were few there were few neutral spectators who could see the light, nippy Clones men stand up to the robust, hard-tackling, long-kicking, Inniskeen men. Never were critics more confounded than at this game, for, under the eagle eye of the referee, Mr. T.J. O’Reilly of Cootehill, robust tactics did not pay, and after ten anxious minutes when Peter McCarney rammed in a peach of a goal from a close-in free the game was in the bag for St.Tiernach’s and it was merely a question of cheering them home and wondering by how many they would win.Defence, mid-field and forwards rallied magnificiently after this tonic and from that to the end there was only one team in it. All the Clones player’s rose to the occasion in gallant style, and thus it would invidious to single out any player for special mention. However, there is none who could cavil at reference being made to Peter McCarney’s superb place-kicking in this match. No matter what the angle, no matter what the distance, the white flag went up, and it eventually excited the admiration and applause of even the inniskeen supporters. A wave of enthusiasm and Gaelic spirit swept over Clones from top to bottom when news of this great victory arrived, and the whole town turned out to welcome the champions home. A ballad was made in commemoration of the victory.
The championship is now all o’er and I take my pen to write,
A few lines on St.Tiarnach’s who performed with skill and might,
To win the Football Final long trying they have been,
So they went to Castleblayney and defeated Inniskeen.
T. O Reilly was the referee and when he threw in the ball,
McCarney got possession and sent out to McCaul,
Jack Crawley tried his tactics but with him he could not par,
For Jimmy nicely side-stepped and drove underneath the bar.
The defence it was unbeatable in McCooey, Smith and Burns,
When the Grattans’ nippy forwards tried in vain to shoot in turns;
With McDonald in the centre-field, McCabe and Johnny Fay,
Their opponents tried to stop them but found it did not pay.
E. McCooey, Mickey Murphy and A.Carroll at their side,
Made sure that accurate kicking never let the ball go wide;
The Inniskeen defenders tried to pull out but but in vain,
They were tested by E.Trainor and his Captain, Pat McGrane.
D. Rooney as custodian, well there is not much to say,
But he surely did his punching in the saving of the day;
P.Reilly just a minor, and I’m sure you’ll all agree,
That he did his part in winning a game so good to see.
Now a word about the losers, a team of County fame,
I hope they’re not discouraged and should try their luck again,
To bring home County Honours, well they certainly did their best,
But the sturdy lads from Clones were a problem to contest.
Cathal O Muireadhaigh (Souvenir Programme)
