ST Eunan’s 2001 Championship winning team will get the Silver Jubilee treatment at MacCumhaill Park.
Brendan Roache was wing-back when St Eunan’s defeated Four Masters by 1-10 to 0-8 on September 16, 2001.
He can scarcely believe it was 25 years ago but the memories remain strong.
St Eunan’s led 1-2 to 0-3 at the break with Brendan Devenney – who was busy training with the Irish Compromise Rules team at the time – scoring the only goal in the 26th minute.
The Letterkenny side were always in control although Masters were still only two behind with 54 minutes played.
However, St Eunan’s then kicked for home to take the win.
“I can’t believe it’s 25 years,” Roache told the Donegal News.
“I remember it was a wet, murky day and obviously that was a very good Four Masters side.
“You had the Monaghans (Don and Barry) and the Carrs (Shane and Joel) and Barry Dunnion made his first appearance in a county final that year. They had a damn good side but the difference really was a Devenney goal.
“He at the time was probably as good of a forward that was in the country never mind Donegal. He was probably unmarkable back then and that was probably the difference.”
St Eunan’s went into the 2001 with some question marks over them after they were shocked by Ardara in the millennium decider.
“It started the year before but Charlie Mulgrew brought in a number of younger players, myself included.
“St Eunan’s had won the championship in 1997 and 1999 but Charlie wanted to inject youth with myself, Kevin Rafferty, Conall Dunne, Rory Kavanagh and Didi McClafferty.
“The disappointment of the 2000 final really spurred the new fellas on the following year.
“The old story was – and I didn’t believe it then or now – that you had to lose one to win one.
“The younger brigade had lost the previous year so we were hungry to right that wrong but the main difference was the Devenney goal.
“Mark Crossan was man-of-the-match that day as captain. He was one of St Eunan’s best ever footballers a fabulous footballer.”
‘Remember Monday last year. You don’t want to go through that again. BEST OF LUCK,” read a support ad from Dr James McDaid in the Donegal News Derry People leading up to the final.
Mulgrew pushed the team on and Roache has huge respect for a man revered at St Eunan’s.
“Charlie is a unique character and one that I have a lot of time for.
“Charlie was still playing up until ’99 and could have stayed playing. He used to partake in nearly every training session.
“He was very much a forward thinking coach in terms of how to break down a defence, and he was a great man for the reverse pass. “He was a noted rugby player so he was big into fast hands and changing directions.
“A real club legend, and someone the younger boys really looked up to. We saw him with Donegal in 1992 and we saw him with the club in ’97 and ’99, and to learn off him was great. It’s not a criticism but he was quick to act if you weren’t doing what you were supposed to be doing, he wouldn’t be long making changes.
“The strength of the squad in 2001 and the competition for places was fierce. Training games were regularly at boiling point. All the boys will have fond memories of those games at training.”
Roache still sees a lot of his teammates regularly and is one of many that is giving back now in a coaching capacity.
“I always take great pleasure in looking at our underage set-ups to be honest because the amount of people from that 2001 squad out coaching is off the charts.
“With the minor team you had Johnny Scanlon and Damien Daly, Kilcoyne is with the Under 16s, myself and John Haran are with the Under 14s, Conall Dunne takes the Under 13s.
“Rory Kavanagh and Kevin Rafferty are involved with the Academy, and Paul Crampsie is with the ladies. Nearly every underage team has someone from that 2001 squad involved which is great.
“A couple of boys are based in Dublin but they will be back this weekend.”
Roache is looking forward to taking a trip back to yesteryear this weekend and recalling old war stories with his former teammates.
“We will meet up at the clubhouse on Saturday to watch our mistakes from 2001.
“There might be a bit of critiquing with that over a few diluted oranges.
“Times have definitely changed. Back 25 years ago, the post-match analysis wasn’t done by a video on a Tuesday evening.
“It was done 99% of the time for us in Blake’s Bar or in a bar wherever the opposition was with a pint in one hand and a sandwich in the other.
“We will meet up on Sunday and hopefully we will see our current crop of senior lads win the Dr Maguire. That would put the icing on the cake for us and we will be over early to support the Senior ‘B’ lads as well. Hopefully it will be a big weekend for the club.”
Teams
St Eunan’s: Tony Blake; Jonathan Scanlon, Mark Crossan, Brian McDermott; Damien McClafferty, Adrian McClafferty, Brendan Roache; Kevin Rafferty (0-1), Paul Crampsie; Damien Daly, Shane O’Donnell (0-1), Rory Kavanagh; Brendan Kilcoyne (0-2, 1f), Brendan Devenney (1-2, 1f), Kevin Winston (0-2). Subs: Conall Dunne (0-1) for Daly (41 mins), John Haran for O’Donnell (44 mins), Terence Gallagher for Roache (53 mins), David McGinley (0-1) for Kilcoyne (58 mins).
Four Masters: Paul Durcan; Damien Cassidy, Don Monaghan, Pauric McGlynn; Conor Quinn, Gareth Britton, Francis Cassidy; David Hand, Ciaran Cassidy; Shane Carr, Derek McGinty (0-1), Barry Dunnion; Rory O’Donnell (0-5, 5fs), Barry Monaghan, Joel Carr (0-2). Subs: Marcus Monaghan for Hand (40 mins), Sean Durcan for C.Cassidy (51 mins), Peadar Espey for Quinn (53 mins).
Referee: Mick McGrath (Aodh Ruadh)