seeing your county 'in the flesh' so to speak........

Mine was 1981, drawn All-Ireland semi Limerick v Galway in Croker. Can't remember too much about it and it was all over too soon.

Two years later was my next time - 1983 drawn game between Limerick & Cork in the Gaelic grounds. 70 minutes of raw passion, nobody came out on top and two weeks later we had to do it all again only in a different place.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 02/07/2015 17:27:31    1746595

Galway v Limerick in the 1980 hurling final. Went up for the weekend with an underage team. We stood on the Railway end and couldn't see a bloody thing because we were so small but it was all very exciting nonethless.

Gaillimh_Abu (Galway) - Posts: 996 - 02/07/2015 17:52:35    1746606

This was back in 1996 in horans tralee..
Saw this good looking blonde girl eyeing me up and thought id chance my arm..next thing..sorry misread the title

KY4SAM2015 (Kerry) - Posts: 898 - 02/07/2015 18:03:23    1746612

1972 Ulster final.

Donegal's first provincial title.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 02/07/2015 18:16:13    1746618

Celtic park Derry, 1994. Beating the All Ireland champions in their home patch in the best football game I ever saw probably. Our last successful year over 20 Summers ago, and I thought it would always be like that...:)

Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1550 - 02/07/2015 18:34:23    1746629

All-Ireland semi against Kerry, 1996. Still remember John Madden, the Mayo keeper, being caught out by a long ball, as he was still watching the video replay of Mayo's first goal. Then James Horan capitalising on a short kickout by Declan O'Keeffe to lob home from 40 yards. Magic.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 02/07/2015 18:40:39    1746634

Long long time ago
My first time seeing Donegal was in an Ulster u21 final in Ballybofey against Monaghan and Donegal won easily.
I can't recall the first time I saw the seniors play ::: it was either Fermanagh ( with the late Mick brestrew and PT Tracey )or Derry with Sean o Connell , Hugh Francis Gribben at full back or indeed it could have been Armagh who had Felix MC knight and Jimmy Whan playing
But they were the first Ulster counties I saw Donegal play but I forget which county Donegal played first.
Do many on here recall all the above mentioned players?

SamOnErrigal (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 02/07/2015 19:28:43    1746653

1996 leinster hurling final when Wexfords 19 year weight ended. Utter delirium. I've only missed one game since. Blew offaly away that day.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 2660 - 02/07/2015 20:29:19    1746679

1972 ulster semi final at dungannon. Tyrone beat Derry by two points thanks to a goal from Donaghmore,s Jake Quinn. Disappointment three weeks later at rain soaked clones as Donegal won their first ulster title.

Byanthon (Tyrone) - Posts: 1780 - 02/07/2015 20:36:45    1746684

1979 Ulster Final...Monaghan v Donegal.
That famous day when the game started while the band was still on the field !!
The late Kieran Jap Finlay scored 1-9
(I was a very young lad behind the goals when his goal nestled in the top corner....have been hooked ever since)

Monagael (Monaghan) - Posts: 99 - 02/07/2015 20:47:47    1746696

I was 16, her name was ....... oh wait a sec

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 02/07/2015 21:24:53    1746729

The great summer of 1991.
Meath & Offaly in the Leinster semi-final. I sat in the old Hogan Stand. Still one of my most vivid memories, despite the large amount of games I've attended since.
I still thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. I think experiences like that got me used to the fact that you don't always win. I've never been one to sulk about defeats. Some might argue that's not a good thing though!
The gulf in quality between the teams that day was vast. Meath probably should've won by more than they did in the end. I recall a Dublin club game taking place beforehand. I remember Barney Rock was playing anyway, but don't remember much else about that particular game. But I have a feeling it was Ballymun and Kilmacud playing, but am very much open to contradiction on that one.

OffalyBigBall (Offaly) - Posts: 625 - 03/07/2015 09:29:40    1746804

I think my first kerry game was against Monaghan in a challenge match in kerry must have been something around 89/90

First Kerry game was Kerry v Limerick in 1992 Munster Semi Final.
Limerick ran Kerry very close that day and was a sign of what was in store from Clare!

But my trip to Croke park was in 92 for Mayo v Donegal with a bunch of Mayo ppl shouting on for the men from the West. Sure who were Donegal!!!

woops (Kerry) - Posts: 2073 - 03/07/2015 09:42:32    1746815

1992 - Ulster QF v Derry in blayney. We fought back from 9 down to get a draw. Unfortunately my second time was the replay :(

The 90's was not exactly great time for our wee county.

seanfinn (Monaghan) - Posts: 360 - 03/07/2015 09:48:07    1746818

The time I recall being at a Donegal game was in Casement Park in the early 90s. Don't remember much other than falling as I was messing on those stone seats.

The first match I remember vividly was the Joe Brolly show... the 1998 Ulster Final.

squareball_1988 (Donegal) - Posts: 343 - 03/07/2015 09:51:27    1746822

Suas Sios one of the all time greats along with the ulster final although the latter was purely as a physicall battle in swap

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 03/07/2015 10:32:01    1746852

Hurling - Galway Limerick semi final replay in 1981. Always had a soft spot for the treaty hurlers since.
Football - Galway against the old enemy in the 1984 Connacht Final in the old Pearse Stadium. The place was rocking that day. Oh I loved those old concrete seats. the Galway No. 6 Peter Lee nearly put one of the Mayo forwards into the sea such was the force of the shoulder. Great roar from the crowd. It was actually an all seater stadium technically then as it was concrete seats behind both goals.

kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1946 - 03/07/2015 10:38:50    1746855

squareball_1988 thats right. brolly got a goal in that game. I still think we had the beating of Galway that year and could have gone on to win the final. Very disapointed. Our biggest misssed chance (more so than 58 i reckon)

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 03/07/2015 10:39:52    1746856

I can't remember, I'll be 47 in October !

Earliest memory is pre '78, watching us being beat by the Rossies from the bacon factory end in McHale. My Dad said afterwards, once agin, 'Never gonna watch them f_ again' . He meant it at the time but a year without football can cause amnesia.

I remember being at the League Final in '78 looking down from The Hogan thinking excitedly 'That's Tony Hanahoe. THE Tony Hanahoe, the fella on the Telly." We were second that day too!

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7344 - 03/07/2015 12:31:24    1746952

My first championship match to go to was Offaly v Westmeath in 1997 in Tullamore, it was teh ame day as my sisters communion.

It was a scorching day unbelievably hot and there was a huge crowd in O'Connor park at least 20,000.

The game was absoulutely diabolical 8 points each and Offaly played very poorly and missed a bucket load of chances.It took a late score from Vinny Claffey to get us a draw we won the replay the next week in Mullingar quite easily.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 03/07/2015 12:52:04    1746974