Ten Years Later for Fermanagh https://youtube/watch?v=bnLoiLD4WjI It was that great Gael Andy Warhol who said In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.” It’s hard to believe that it’s ten years since Fermanagh’s famous assault on the All Ireland series. It was an epic day that saw the Ernemen knock both Armagh and Tyrone out of the Championship at the Quarter Finals stage. We’ll explain that later. A year after their loss to Tyrone in the All Ireland Final, Armagh were widely tipped to return to the top table in style. Charlie Mulgrew’s Fermanagh side had a different script having already beaten Cork, Meath and Donegal in their travels through the qualifiers. In a packed Croke Park supporters of the Erne County with jaws dropping in disbelief as the lighter and faster Fermanagh men got to grips with Joe Kernan’s Armagh. Armagh Flying Armagh got off to a flyer with Stephen McDonnell scoring four points in the opening ten minutes. It looked like the familiar script would unfold. Armagh play Fermanagh. Armagh win. However those that were there witnessed a heroic and historic display by Charlie Mulgrew’s men. At the back Barry Owens, Ryan McCluskey and Shane McDermott got to grips with the potent Orchard attack; Marty McGrath was majestic at midfield and up front the lightning pace and movement of Mark Little cause endless problems. The Green of Fermanagh darted hither and thither across the Croke Park baize. It was eye-rubbing stuff. Fermanagh’s fortunes increased when Enda McNulty saw red for a high tackle on Marty McGrath. Anyone who was there will recall Armagh supporters, heads in hands. Could this be happening? The Armagh hopes were hanging by a thread. In the end a Tom Brewster point deep into injury time knocked Armagh out and sent the delirious Fermanagh supporters on to the pitch in an epic pitch invasion that delayed the start of the Tyrone Mayo headline match. It was unbelievable stuff and remains one of Fermanagh’s greatest every victory defeating Armagh 0-12 to 0-11. Fermanagh Face Mayo Fermanagh went on to face Mayo in the All Ireland semi final where profligate finishing against 14 men meant they couldn’t finish the job and the westerners were just about able to cling on to a 0-9-to-0-9 draw. Stephen Maguire, Tom Brewster and Colm Bradley all had opportunities to finish off the Mayo challenge. As it transpired they weren’t. Mayo prevailed in the semi final replay 0-13 to 1-8 ending Fermanagh’s hope of becoming the third different Ulster county in three years to appear in the decider. Mayo of course went on to lose the decider to Kerry and ever since the Fermanagh faithful have wondered what might have been. Ten years on, it’s still a bittersweet memory. Tyrone Slip Up And their heroics had an unintentional knock on effect on near neighbours Tyrone who were widely expected to account for Mayo in their own semi final. In 2013 Ricey, Tyrone’s teak tough defender explained how the Fermanagh victory over Armagh in the curtain raiser to that game had put the scud on their plans: “The Mayo game was a strange game, a surreal game. Fermanagh had just beat Armagh and that had an impact. We took our eye off the ball. We were guilty of getting ahead of ourselves and thinking that if we won we would be playing Fermanagh. “There was a brilliant atmosphere before the game. There was a big hoopla with Fermanagh winning. When we went out, nothing went right for us. It was just one of those games. Everything that we did was wrong. I don’t remember much from the game, but I remember walking off the field and thinking that it was an All-Ireland title that we left behind us.” So for Fermanagh, Armagh and Tyrone and ocean of regret at what might have been. And as usual Kerry cruised up on the inside line to claim yet another All Ireland. Nothing new there. Ten years later can the Fermanagh men repeated the heroics and party like it’s 2004?
Posted on: Fri, 30 May 2014 15:34:39 +0000
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