Tyrone humbled Derry in today's Ulster SFC quarter-final, but Joe Brolly remembers a time when it was the other way around.

The 1993 All-Ireland winner recalls in his Sunday Independent column how a special request by his brother before a championship joust with the neighbours led to his trademark 'blowing kisses' celebration. 

"In my day, we used to whoop Tyrone's asses more often than not. A championship game between us was a hair-raising event where the spectators' heart rates soared beyond safe limits and they came away hoarse and either jubilant or devastated.

"I remember one Ulster semi-final, I think it was possibly 1997, where before I left the house, my brother Proinnsias said to me, his voice filled with emotion. 'I've never asked you for anything Joe. I'm asking you now (pause) . . . Score a goal against these b******s today. And blow kisses. Sicken them.'

"Anything else?" I asked, laughing.

"Not that I can think of offhand."

"I did what he asked. To the letter. Pinged one past that huge man Finbar McConnell to kill the game. I took the pass at an acute angle to the left of the goals, then gave a tiny dummy to the right, by showing the ball with my right hand and arm and looking briefly to the far post. (I like to call it the half-Mulligan. The full Mulligan, named in honour of Tyrone's master dummier, is a double dummy where you show the ball with your outside hand and arm, then as you bring it back towards your side, you pretend to handpass it with your free hand, then bring it back again. It is a rare art, practised only by the great masters. Please do not try it at home.)

"After the half dummy, I put that good ole size 5 where it was a beggin' to be put, tousled McConnell's hair as he punched the ground and said, "That's the problem with big men, they can't get down quick enough." Then, remembering my promise, I calmly walked behind the goals blowing kisses slowly and deliberately at the Tyrone hordes, who were purple-faced with rage.

"They hurled bottles and cans and whatever they had, all bouncing off the netting. It wouldn't be possible to find a more emotional moment on a sports field."

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