It is now established practice by the Ulster Council that the team that won the Ulster senior football championship 25 years previously, the Jubilee team, is honoured on Ulster final day. On Sunday last that privilege fell to the Down team of 1991 that was captained by Paddy O'Rourke and had among its number such iconic players as Mickey Linden, Greg Blaney, Ross Carr, James McCartan and DJ Kane as well as current Down manager Eamon Burns. That team was managed by Pete McGrath and they produced a master class performance to record a comprehensive victory over the favourites and defending Ulster champions Donegal, 1-15 to 0-10 the final score. Down of course went on to create history by defeating Kerry in the All Ireland semi-final and Meath in the final to take the Sam Maguire Cup back across the border again. Also involved on Sunday last was the Tyrone team of 1956 the team that won the Ulster championship 50 years ago and the O'Neill County's 1st ever Ulster senior title when they defeated Cavan by 3-4 to 0-5 with a team that included names that are still revered like Thady Turbett, Iggy Jones, Jody O'Neill and Jackie Taggart. Another 50 years previously, in 1916, Monaghan were crowned Ulster champions for the 4th time when they defeated Derry by 2-5 to 0-1 in the quarter-final, Cavan by 4-3 to 1-5 in the semi-final and Antrim by 2-3 to 0-2 in the final and it was stated in the official programme on Sunday last that it was "fitting that 100 years on from the 1916 Ulster final that representatives from both counties, Monaghan and Antrim, were there in Clones signifying the role that their family members played a century ago". The Monaghan team in 1916 was: Larry O'Reilly,( goals), J Downey, (Capt), George McEnaney, Standish O'Grady, Frank O'Duffy, Syl Califf, John Marray, J Connolly, Jim Farrelly, P Gartlan, Owen Marray, I McCaffrey, J Kiely, Johnny McKenna, James Marron.
MC MANUS IS TOP GUN.
While Monaghan may not have figured in the final of the Ulster senior football championship for the 1st time in 4 years County star Conor McManus still came out as top gun in the Ulster senior football championship top scorers for 2016. Despite not playing in the final McManus registered a total of 1-20, (23 points) which made him top scorer in the championship for the 3rd year in a row. He was top gun last year, 2015, with 1-16 (19 points) and also the previous year, 2014, with the exact same tally. The full list of the top 12 in the 2016 championship:
Conor McManus, Monaghan, 1-20
Tomas Corrigan, Fermanagh, 0-16
Peter Harte, Tyrone, 3-7,
Patrick McBrearty Donegal, 0-15
Ronan O'Neill, Tyrone 2-7
Odhran MacNiallais, Donegal, 3-3
Michael Murphy, Donegal 0-11
Gearoid McKiernan, Cavan 0-10
Conor McAliskey, Tyrone, 1-6
Stefan Campbell, Armagh, 0-8,
Seanie Johnston, Cavan, 0-8,
David Givney, Cavan, 2-2.
SILVER HILL FARM SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI FINALS.
The semi finals of the 2016 Silver Hill Farm senior hurling championship take place on Thursday July 21st and already there is a new look about the latter stages of the competition this year. Last Thursday evening saw the 2 preliminary round games where Inniskeen defeated Castleblayney HC by a point, 0-19 to 1-14 and a resurgent Clontibret also had the minimum to spare in their game against Truagh. Inniskeen's victory sets up this evening's semi-final meeting with Carrickmacross HC and their result last Thursday evening means that Castleblayney HC will not be contesting the final of the senior hurling championship for the 1st time since 1999. Castleblayney HC and Inniskeen have contested the last 6 senior hurling championship finals, Castleblayney HC winning 4 of those and Inniskeen two, the most recent of those being back in 2013 when they defeated Castleblayney HC by a point. Their victory over the reigning champions last Thursday evening has Inniskeen now installed as favourites but to reach the final they have to get over the challenge of Carrickmacross who are having their 1st outing having got a bye to the semi-final. The other semi-final sees Clontibret, who surprised many with their one point victory over Truagh who are out of the series at this stage having given their prospects a boost earlier in the season when they won the Development Hurling league, defeating Camlough of Armagh in the final by the minimum margin back on Thursday, June 2nd. The semi final line up is as follows; Inniskeen will take on Carrickmacross HC, that game in Emmet Park, Carrickmacross, while Monaghan Harps HC will take on Clontibret, with that game being staged in St Mellan's Park, Truagh. Both games throw in at7:30 PM and extra time will apply if necessary.
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