The good ladies of Tyholland made magical history in 2002 when they brought the All-Ireland junior club championship to Monaghan for the first time. There were scenes of unconfined joy at Mullingar on Sunday November 24th when Tyholland's ladies produced a masterful performance to comprehensively beat Cappawhite in the 2002 All-Ireland junior club championship final. The Monaghan champions played with fire in their bellies from start to finish and were full value for their spectacular 6-07 to 1-9 victory. Though physically smaller and younger than their Tipperary counterparts, Tyholland displayed remarkable reserves of spirit, courage, determination and skill to record a landmark victory for ladies football in the Oriel County - and indeed for Monaghan GAA in general. Their exemplary attitude was personified by 16-year-old centre forward Therese McNally, who crowned a stellar Player of the Match performance with a magnificent personal tally of 3-2. On a day of heroes, Therese was head and shoulders above the rest ... and that's saying something! Victory on the last Sunday of November brought the curtain down in appropriate fashion on an epic voyage which yielded an amazing clean sweep of county, provincial and national honours for Owen McNally's team. Truly, a momentous achievement. Despite opening the scoring with a Sinead McCooey free, Tyholland trailed by two points to one after ten minutes. However, a flood of goals soon had Tyholland in the driving seat. The large number of spectators at Mullingar's St Loman's Park were left pinching themselves incredulously as the Monaghan and Ulster champions hammered home four goals inside five minutes. Therese McNally got the show on the road with a goal and a point, before McCooey's harmless looking 13-metre free was fumbled over the line by Cappawhite's goalkeeper. There was also a touch of fortune about Tyholland's third point a minute later: McNally gathered possession close to the sideline and sent a raking arrow towards the Cappawhite goal. The ball appeared to be on course for a sublime point but dipped wickedly beneath the crossbar to the back of the net. The Tipp and Munster representatives were clearly rattled . . . and worse was to follow. Straight from the kick-out, Christina McMahon fastened onto the breaking ball and laid it off to the omnipresent Therese McNally, who had cleverly worked her way into acres of space behind the Cappawhite defence and found the net at the second attempt to complete perhaps the quickest ever hat-trick scored in an All-Ireland final. A foul on Jacinta Treanor presented McCooey with another free-scoring opportunity which the corner forward (who finished the day with a return of 1-3) gleefully accepted. Incredibly, Tyholland led by four clear goals, 4-3 to 0-3, with half time approaching. Cappawhite rallied with four unanswered points but the winners still carried a healthy advantage into the break. Half time: Tyholland 4-3, Cappawhite 0-7 Tyholland had wind advantage in the second half and quickly continued where they had left off. It was all-out attack from the Monaghan champions and only two excellent saves from the Cappa' goalie prevented first Christina McMahon then Grainne McNally from adding to Tyholland's goal haul. McCooey then hit the crossbar before Jacinta Treanor pointed six minutes after the resumption. Therese McNally converted a free to extend the lead and Tyholland effectively finished the game as anything remotely resembling a meaningful contest when striking for two more goals in the space of a minute. This time it was Jacinta Treanor who stole the headlines with a quickfire brace. She found the back of the net in the ninth minute and again withing 30 second to leave Cappawhite well and truly stunned. The bewildered losers got their first point of the half in the 45th minute and continued to battle right to the death - but the damage had clearly been done. Tyholland have tremendous strength in depth. Even though they introduced five substitutes, the intensity of their performance never dropped and they held on comfortably for a famous and historic victory. Substitute Lisa Sherry pointed from a free before the best player on view, Therese McNally, fittingly supplied the last point of the match. It was a phenomenal day not just for Tyholland but also for the McNally family, who must surely have created some kind of record. When Eileen McNally was introduced to the fray to a rapturous reception late on, she was joining her five daughters - Brenda (captain), Una, Grainne, Therese and Rynagh - on the field of play! Indeed, victory was a truly remarkable feat for a group of players so young. Only four members of their 25-strong panel were over 20 - many were in their early teens! After the final whistle, Tyholland captain Brenda McNally gratefully accepted the All-Ireland cup from ladies president Walter Thompson. Delighted manager Owen McNally quite accurately described the victory as a "remarkable achievement". He said: "Cappawhite are a good team but, like in the Ulster final and indeed all year, we got into a rhythm and there was no stopping us after we got the four first half goals. "Great credit must go to all the players for the maturity they have shown on the field. I also want to thank the other members of the backroom team - Margaret [McCooey], Kenny [Gorman], Mickey [West] and Sean [Treanor]." Tyholland's voyage to the All-Ireland final (which was played as the curtain-raiser to the senior meeting of Carrickmore from Tyrone and Mayo's Carnacon) was the stuff of dreams. First up, it was a matter of finally winning the county championship - an accomplishment which was achieved with the minimum of fuss. Rockcorry were narrowly beaten in the first round at Aghabog in July (2-10 to 3-4) and the north Monaghan club received a walk-over from Donaghmoyne in the 'semi'. Latton provided the opposition in the county final at Carrickmacross in August and Tyholland recorded a comfortable seven-point win, 3-10 to 2-6. With the bit between their teeth, they went into their maiden Ulster voyage full of confidence. Derrynoose of Armagh were easily seen off in a one-sided home tie ((4-16 to 0-5) before Tyholland crossed swords with fancied side Moneyglass from Antrim. Moneyglass had reached the All-Ireland final the previous year and were expected to progress but the young Monaghan team had other ideas: 3-9 to 2-7. Any doubts that Tyholland might not be good enough to go all the way were dispelled when Cavan champions Lacken were brushed aside in the Ulster final at Clones, 6-17 to 3-4. For the All-Ireland semi-final, there was the added bonus of a trip to Manchester to take on Emerald Gaels. Relevant funds were raised and it was 'mission accomplished' as the Tyholland lasses romped to an emphatic 3-18 to 1-2 win. Clearly, Tyholland were not going to be stopped... Tyholland ladies, 2002 All-Ireland junior club champions: Sarah Fullerton; Natasha Armstrong, Pamela Treanor, Grainne Treanor; Helena Murphy, Geraldine McGarry, Maria Connolly; Brenda McNally, Una McNally; Grainne McNally, Therese McNally (3-2), Catherine West; Sinead McCooey (1-3), Christina McMahon, Jacinta Treanor (2-1). Subs used: Rynagh McNally, Lisa Sherry (0-1), Josephine Hughes, Eileen McNally, Mary Mohan. Rest of panel: Joanne Treanor, Maureen West, Nuala Mohan, Emma Fullerton, Martina Hughes. The real McCoy Conor McCoy spent most of his time with Tyholland's premier XV in 2002 in the engine-room. Here he reflects on how the north Monaghan lads found the going a mite tough in their maiden voyage in the senior championship. Some years ago, talk about the reputed discovery of significant gold deposits in the Tyholland/Clontibret region did the rounds. A short while earlier the Tyholland gaels had literally struck gold when their beloved club annexed the Monaghan Junior Football Championship title. That was in 1996. That momentum was maintained in the subsequent years and success at intermediate level was duly attained also. In 2002 the club's ongoing progress was manifest in its participation in the blue riband football competition for the very first time. Like many another senior championship rookie though, the north Monaghan lads found the going tough first time around. 2002 was, in every respect, very much a learning experience for Tyholland's premier XV. One of Tyholland's finest who was taken aback a bit by the quality of the opposition which presented itself in 2002 was wholehearted midfielder Conor McCoy. "Playing senior championship football was a big step-up for us but I didn't think at the start of the year it would have been that big. "The quality of the opposition at intermediate level in 2001 wasn't nearly as strong even though there were a couple of teams who would probably do fairly well at senior level although like us they mightn't have survived either. "The senior teams seem to be a lot fitter and most of the teams have much more strength in depth. A lot of the teams we played against in the past year were able to bring on lads from the bench who didn't weaken the side at all - that was a big eye-opener for me during the year," the strapping midfielder reflects. Of course like many another club who found themselves adrift of the leading pack when the heat was turned up, there were some mitigating factors that one should factor in in assessing just where it all went wrong over the season. In fairness to Tyholland the loss or absence of quality players like Raymond Ronaghan, Gary McQuaid and Kevin McQuaid for a variety of reasons and for varying periods of time during 2002 certainly didn't help the senior championship newcomers get to grips with the challenge of setting down firm roots in the county's premier playing arena. "The combination of suspensions and injuries really worked against us during the year and unlike other teams, we hadn't got the size of panel to compensate for the loss of some key players." And what did the team expect to achieve at the start of the season? "We expected to keep our place in senior ranks. We felt we were good enough to do that and when we started off in the league beating the county champions and then Magheracloone, our target seemed all the more realistic and we began to feel confident that we could mix it with the best of them." And even when Tyholland kicked off their championship campaign, there were no signs of the eventual fate which would befall the club. Indeed a non-too flattering draw against a fancied Latton side in late May added both fuel and credibility to the confidence and optimism boasted by McCoy and co. Tyholland's opener in Clontibret was an entertaining affair which saw the match underdogs grab a brace of goals over the course of securing a 2-8 to 0-14 draw. It was a senior championship bow which all belonging to Tyholland were entitled to be reasonably proud about. In an overall more than decent display by Tyholland, Raymond Ronaghan was in particularly fine form with his strong running and ball-winning ability helping to forge the opportunities which led to him scoring one goal and creating the other one. Still, Tyholland's inexperience and obvious nerves showed in the early stages as they fell behind by 0-1 to 0-3 in the opening 11 minutes. It was then that the aforementioned Ronaghan bagged a morale-boosting goal when he cleverly lobbed the Latton 'keeper after being set up neatly by Arthur Hughes. Latton replied with a brace of points to draw level but then came Tyholland's second goal, this time Peadar Farrelly providing the finish after good work by man of the match Ronaghan. Defending a 2-3 to 0-6 lead on the restart, Tyholland conceded ground, big-time over the course of the third quarter to the extent that Latton edged into a two point lead. The game proceeded to be a finely balanced affair which proved to be a stern test of character for the championship new-boys. With great grit and no little skill, Tyholland passed the test of character with flying colours with substitute Paddy Hughes popping up in injury time to nick a point and secure a deserved draw. "We played Latton in the league at a time when they really needed a win but we showed that our draw in the championship was no fluke because we got a draw against them in the league as well. But having said that we let ourselves down badly in the championship in the replay when we didn't play to anything like our potential." Indeed, the many post-mortems that were ignited by the second game against Latton well and truly wrote off the 0-3 to 1-15 hammering as a one-off. " The replay was a disaster, as simple as that. We were up for the first game but they blitzed us second time around. I thought our heads dropped too early in that game though. From half-time onwards, it was a bit of a damage limitation exercise where their experience showed us up and I don't think our fitness was at the same level as it was in 2001." In gutsy, determined style though, Tyholland regained their composure and their self-belief, - benefiting from a bye in the second round - came oozing back courtesy of a hard-fought 3-7 to 2-8 victory over Inniskeen at Clontibret in a rip-roaring game at the end of July. In careering to their first ever win in the senior championship, Tyholland had their backs to the wall at the death after having to recover from a horrendous start and the reduction to 14 men for the entire second half. And without the sidelined Raymond Ronaghan, things couldn't really have been much more difficult for Tyholland, especially following the dismissal of Barry Duffy in the 28th minute for a second bookable offence. Tyholland were distinctly rattled early on and after six minutes had conceded a goal in the course of going six points behind. The north Monaghan side rallied though to engineer a goal through Peadar Farrelly in the 11th minute and even though Gregory Ronaghan saw his penalty effort saved thereafter, a goal by Arthur Hughes shortly before half-time helped catapult Tyholland into a useful 2-4 to 2-2 interval lead. The dismissal of the aforementioned Duffy just two minutes before the break once again cast a question mark over Tyholland's capacity to chisel out a momentous first championship win. Tyholland were determined to consolidate their advantage as the second half garnered pace and when Conor goaled and then later pointed in the 18th minute to put his side seven points in front, it proved to be more than enough of a cushion to set his side on the path to victory. Our man McCoy was suitably thrilled by the win; "It wasn't our best performance of all time but a win is a win. They came back strongly at the end but our spirit and determination was enough to hold them off. We were delighted with the win because we felt that anything after the replay against Latton was going to be a bonus for us." The play-offs now beckoned and on the horizon loomed the mother and father of derby matches - a head-to-head with neighbours Clontibret in Castleblayney. It was now sudden death. No back-door only a trap-door. "We played some great stuff in the first half to go seven points in front at half-time but then everything went pear-shaped for us after that. I think, mentally, we let things slip. It's unbelievable, thinking back on it , that we only scored one point in the second half after scoring 1-8 in the first half. It's not a game I like to think about too much," the 21-year-old student explains. Tyholland's 1-9 to 0-17 defeat to the would-be county champions left the championship debutants deflated. "We could and should have stayed up senior. Our failure to do so was all the more disappointing because of the 50th anniversary celebrations too but we're capable of rebounding and getting back up senior in 2004. We'll all be that bit more experienced by then. We've a very young squad and I think we can improve a lot in the next couple of years." Watch this space. Tyholland Ladies 2002 Tyholland Ladies won their first ever adult county title when they overcame Latton in the Junior final at Carrickmacross on Friday 23-8-02. The final scoreline Tyholland 3-10, Latton 2-6 did not reflect the fact that with 10 minutes remaining the sides were level, but a storming finish saw the North Monaghan side victorious. Team and Scorers, Tyholland - Sarah Fullerton, Natasha Armstrong, Pamela Treanor, Grainne Treanor, Mary Mohan, Geraldine McGarry, Rynagh McNally, Lisa Sherry, Una McNally 0-1, Therese McNally 0-3, Brenda McNally (captain) 0-1, Catherine West, Sinead McCooey 0-5, Christina McMahon, Jacinta Treanor 3-0. Sub: Grainne McNally for Rynagh McNally With the success secured, Tyholland then opened their Ulster campaign with a 4-16 to 0-5 victory over Armagh champions Derrynoose. Their semi-final involved a trip to Moneyglass in Antrim. Moneyglass were the 2001 defeated Ulster Junior finalists and favourites for 2002 but after a keen contest, Tyholland emerged winners with a tally of 3-9 to Moneyglass 2-7. Scorers - Therese McNally 1-4, Sinead McCooey 1-2, Brenda McNally 1-0, Jacinta Treanor 0-2, Christina McMahon 0-1. The Ulster final in Clones on Sunday 20th October saw Tyholland take on Lacken from Cavan. Lacken fought bravely coming back at Tyholland before half time to claw back an eleven point first quarter deficit. However, the north Monaghan girls ran riot in the second half with a powerhouse display of open skillful football to add the Ulster Cup to their county title. Tyholland 6-17, Lacken 3-4. Team and scorers: Sarah Fullerton, Natasha Armstrong, Pamela Treanor, Grainne Treanor, Helena Murphy, Geraldine McGarry, Maria Connolly, Brenda McNally (capt), Rynagh McNally, Jacinta Treanor 1-4, Theresa McNally 2-4, Catherine West 1-1, Sinead McCooey 0-2, Christina McMahon 0-3, Grainne McNally 2-2. Subs used: Una McNally 0-1, Mary Mohan. The All-Ireland semi-final took Tyholland to Manchester to play local champions Emerald Gaels and another high scoring success. Tyholland 3-18, Emerald Gaels 1-2 put the Monaghan and Ulster champions into the 2002 All-Ireland junior club final against Tipperary team Cappawhite. In the All-County League, Tyholland participated in Division 2 and topped their group with seven victories and one defeat. In the semi-final, Tyholland overcame Scotstown to book a place against near neighbours Neill Shamrocks in the final but due to Tyhollands progress in the All-Ireland Club competition. This match is still outstanding. Development Having recently finished out spectator stand erecting floodlights around our recently acquired training field and the ongoing development of our sports complex, Tyholland now have undoubtedly grounds and facilities as good as if not better than any in the county. A far cry from those early days when the club rented its 'meadow' for £27.10 a year. Tyholland celebrates its 'Golden Jubilee' Tyholland St Patricks GFC A brief history Gaelic football had been played in the Tyholland parish for quite a number of years. It had been organised but never affiliated to the Co. Board. Most of the local lads played their football with Monaghan Harps or Middletown-Tyholland duly won this league and taking heart from this performance and spurred on by a few local people, a public meeting was arranged to discuss the affiliation of a team with a view to entering the 1953 Junior Championship. The club was affiliated as Tyholland St. Patrick, with the club colours being red jerseys with white collar. The acquisition of a a permanent playing field was settled when it was agreed to rent the 'meadow' from a local farmer. This 'meadow' remained Tyholland's home all down the years. Juvenile Success U14s and U15s brought silverware and celebration to Tyholland in 2002. The young lads did everyone proud and hopefully this is a good foundation for future years. The U15 team set the scene when captain and goalkeeper, Pauric Hamill, lifted the Paddy McGuigan Cup after a replay with Oram. This team, under the management of Owen McNally, Sean Treanor and Brendan Treanor, have been in semi-finals and finals in previous years and were well deserving of their overdue success. The defeat of Oram in the replay of 4-7 to 3-7 showed some great displays of football and discipline, evidence of the work of the management team. David Reynold's superb performance and tally of 1-5 deserves a mention. Other excellent scores came from Shane Treanor 0-1, Brian McArdle 1-0, Ronan McNally 0-1 and Alan Lee 1-0. Team - Pauric Hamill, Emlyn Gorey, Cathal McKenna, David Reynolds, Ronan McNally, Shane Treanor, Daniel Connolly, Martin McConnell, Ciaran McQuaid, Marc Connolly, Brian McArdle, Alan Lee, Conor McQuaid, Ryan McKenna, Sean Morris, David McQuaid and Barry Nevin. The U14s reached their final without conceding a game. Many of this team had gained valuable experience from their success at U15 level. Full forward Marc Connolly was one of the many stars of this team as he notched up a tally of goals in all games. The final defeat over Corduff at Latton on 4th July was another convincing win. Captain, Brian McArdle, proudly lifted the Farney Cup adding this to the trophy cabinet alongside the Paddy McGuigan Cup. Team - David McQuaid, Ciaran McQuaid, Cathal McKenna, Ryan McKenna, Sean Morris, Shane Treanor, Daniel Connolly, Brian McArdle, Dermot Coyle, Conor McQuaid, Marc Connolly, Matthew McMahon, Barry Nevin, Cormac Mackle, Gareth Graham, Eamon Corley, Adam Askin and Stephen Connolly. Management: Billy McQuaid, Jim McQuaid, Sean Treanor. Tyholland GAA Tweet

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