Dunamanagh may now be part of the well-known Clann na nGael club in Tyrone, which produced legends Brian Dooher and Stephen O’Neill, but its name still lives on.
The memories of the north Tyrone outfit’s last Junior Football Championship triumph, in 1985, were revived at a recent reunion.
Held to a 1-2 to 0-5 draw by Loughmacrory (the current Tyrone SFC champions), the St Patrick’s cruised to victory in the replay by 10 points, 1-9 to 0-2.
Dooher captained the Red Hands to two All-Irelands, winning three alongside O’Neill, who was named Footballer of the Year in 2005 – but neither have the claim to fame of playing against Manchester United in the FA Cup.
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Photographs of teams and players from the Dunamanagh club in north Tyrone, which is now part of Clann na nGael.
Photographs of teams and players from the Dunamanagh club in north Tyrone, which is now part of Clann na nGael.
The other of ‘the two Stevies’, Devine, did that just over 35 years ago, losing 1-0 at Edgar Street in the fourth round, with the Red Devils going on to win their first trophy of the incredible Alex Ferguson era.
Devine and O’Neill were reunited on stage at ‘Murphys on the Green’ in Strabane for the third of three panel discussions.
The former gave those in attendance an insight into his life as a professional footballer, including that FA Cup tie against Manchester United while playing for Hereford Untied, after previous spells with Wolves and Derby County.
O’Neill shared his thoughts on what it was like to play in a full Croke Park, including against the Dubs with ‘the Hill’ in full voice.
The Dunamanagh ‘diaspora’ was there in spades with people coming from all over Ireland, England, and a special shout-out to Thomas Conway for making it all the way from ‘the Big Apple’, New York City.
Those in packed function room heard some great yarns and stories from yesteryear and maybe the odd ‘half-truth’ along the way.
Many memories were recalled at the reunion night for the Dunamanagh side which won the Tyrone JFC in 1985.
Many memories were recalled at the reunion night for the Dunamanagh side which won the Tyrone JFC in 1985.(SeanMac)
People like Dan McDermott, Andy Doherty, Leonard Devine, Charlie Ward, and Seamus Kearney were mentioned by all throughout the night and were thanked for their selfless contribution not only to football but wider community life.
These people along with the ladies, (who worked diligently behind the scenes) were the backbone of the Dunamanagh community and helped shape all involved in the club.
The packed room was a very fitting tribute to all those people, many of whom have now passed on but have left an indelible legacy that the locals continue to enjoy.
Dunamanagh amalgamated with Aughabrack in 1996, initially forming Donagheady Gaels before re-naming as Clann nan Gael the following year. to form
The reunion night will live long in the memory for a small but very proud footballing community who despite great adversity kept the flag flying at the time.
The backdrop to this era was the club having to deal with several sectarian attacks to the pitch and clubrooms, but with tremendous resilience and dignity, the club battled on stoically in difficult times.
A panel discussion at the Dunamanagh reunion night.
A panel discussion at the Dunamanagh reunion night.(SeanMac)
The organising committee comprised Niall ‘Barney’ Conway, Eamon Conway, John Donaghy, John ‘Scotty’ Doherty, Ambrose Houston, Martin Quigg, and Al Quinn.
The three panels were facilitated by Al Quinn (Community Panel), Peter Ward (Football Panel), and Eamon Conway (The two Stevies) all of whom did an excellent job on the night.
A video of the night will be available in due course - to purchase contact one of the organising committee.