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Re: Memories of an Offaly man in Croke Park

Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 5:09 pm
by The Biff
I have a memory of there being a photo showing the ball had crossed the line before Matt Ruth retrieved it. I could be wrong, it could be a dream/nightmare but I think Damien Martin was adamant that it was not his mistake. But maybe he should have cleared it anyway and that WAS his mistake.

The pity in '83 was thinking we had the Hurling in '81, Football in '82 so '83 was setup for a Double. My only clear memory of '83 was Mick Fitzgerald doing a "Cantona" before Cantona was ever heard of, and me up the other end of the pitch wondering what the Hell had just happened.

I was definitely at some games as a young kid in Croker before the '79 Leinster Final, but cant be specific. Those summers of the early 80's when 3 or 4 busloads went up from Daingean nearly every Sunday were just incredible. I know we were really spoiled for success in such a small county. But I can live on those memories, just like the opening poster listed them off. I wouldn't begrudge any other small county their own big day-in-the-sun to celebrate a big success.

Our place in the History Books is copper-fast. I dont care what slagging anybody throws our way. I reckon we value our dual success better than anyone. Big dual counties like Cork, Galway, and now add Dublin cannot match what we did with our small resources. Even if we never win another Leinster (and I reckon we will), we'll always have those Glory Days, and last Saturday helps to keep the Head in line with the Heart.

Re: Memories of an Offaly man in Croke Park

Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 6:30 pm
by Exiled in Connacht
Up to now I have only mentioned my memories of our senior games in HQ but I also remember our 3 great minor hurling AI wins and all against Munster teams as well.

Reaching the minor hurling and football finals in 1989 was some achievement.

Re: Memories of an Offaly man in Croke Park

Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 8:48 pm
by Muck Savage
Exiled in Connacht wrote:Up to now I have only mentioned my memories of our senior games in HQ but I also remember our 3 great minor hurling AI wins and all against Munster teams as well.

Reaching the minor hurling and football finals in 1989 was some achievement.
'89 was the year that every weekend an inter-county championship game was played in HQ an Offaly team also played. At the end of it I was fed up going up there as well a broke.

Re: Memories of an Offaly man in Croke Park

Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 10:03 pm
by Truesupporter
I have a copy of that photograph from the Irish Times that showed the ball over the line all right!

Re: Memories of an Offaly man in Croke Park

Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:16 pm
by Exiled in Connacht
We should have all sat down on the pitch after the 82 Leinster hurling final and we might have got a replay in Thurles !

Re: Memories of an Offaly man in Croke Park

Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 6:25 pm
by The Biff
Exiled in Connacht wrote:We should have all sat down on the pitch after the 82 Leinster hurling final and we might have got a replay in Thurles !
Sure that "re-fixture" would have to have been in Birr?

(I'll get me coat) :lol:

Re: Memories of an Offaly man in Croke Park

Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 7:18 pm
by Exiled in Connacht
Talking of Birr (and apologies for briefly moving away from memories of Offaly in Croke Park) the Sunday Indo had a sports pullout on Sunday last featuring Irish sport over the last 50 years.

In the decade from 1995 - 2004 Birr hurlers were named as one of the 3 teams 'who stood apart' in this period (Clare hurlers and Brian Kerr's underage soccer teams were the other two teams) and Brian Whelehan was named as one of the 10 'sports stars who lit up the decade'. Hats off to Birr.

Re: Memories of an Offaly man in Croke Park

Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 6:15 am
by turk
Exiled in Connacht wrote:Was there ever definitive proof as to whether the ball went over the end line in the 82 Leinster final ?

Matt Ruth couldn't believe his luck and nearly missed as I seem to remember.

Would we have handled Cork in an AI final that year ?

I think in 82 we played as well as any year we won an AI

I remember on the Sunday game Eamon Cregan was the analyst and he said "I have examined the replay frame by frame" concluding that the ball had crossed the line.

Yer man was practically up in the canal end, he was tripping over the advertising!

Re: Memories of an Offaly man in Croke Park

Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 10:12 am
by Bord na Mona man
This was the picture from the Irish Times the next day of Fennelly getting the ball.
To be fair, I don't think it was over the line.

Image