Not since 1998 did Gaelic Park rock to the sound of such a glass-shattering Farney County roar. October 13th last and Monaghan's finest conquer Clare to win the New York Senior 'B' Championship title. Monaghan gaels Stateside were in their element. Kevin Carney reports. Sure we deserved to win. We were the best team on the day. We went into the match as the clear underdogs but the lads played some great stuff and made it a great day for all the Monaghan people here." October 13th and Gaelic Park, New York, had seldom rocked so violently to the Farney roar. Months on and Seamus Dooley relives the joy which surrounded Monaghan's success in the 2002 New York Senior 'B' Championship with a degree of excitement and delight ordinarily associated with an Anglo-Celt Cup success. Of course all success is relative and while Monaghan's first such triumph since 1998 might not have had the sports headline writers in Ireland working overtime, it is sure to resonate among Farney County exiles for many moons to come. For his part, club chairman Seamus is in his element as he reflects on Monaghan's all-conquering 'B' campaign. Invariably involved as Chairman/Selector with Monaghan when they won the 'B' championship previously (1992 and '98), the Killanny native admits that his fellow countymen upset the apple-cart, big-time, in annexing the 'B' title for the third time. "We weren't fancied by anyone at the start of the year. Offaly were the clear favourites. They had Ciaran McManus playing for them. Clare were expected to do well too though. They had Graham Canty from Cork on their side but things didn't go to form, luckily for us." Indeed. Gaelic Park was en fete on October 13th last for the Monaghan versus Clare decider. The game turned out to be one of the best seen at the famous venue for quite a while. On a fine sunny afternoon, in front of some 3,500 fans, the game proved to be a brilliant advertisement for Gaelic football in the Big Apple. "It was great to win but it was a great game to watch as well. The quality of the football was as good as any seen in New York all year but winning is the whole thing and fair play to the lads," Seamus enthuses. Reflecting on Monaghan's dramatic 1-11 to 0-12 victory over the Banner County, Seamus is fulsome in his praise for all the work put into the team's campaign by manager Bernie McEntee (Monaghan Harps) and his Brian Lacey and Tadgh Fennin (both Kildare seniors) - bolstered charges. "Everyone connected with the team gave everything they had over the past year. No stone was left unturned in trying to win the cup. The success achieved was thoroughly deserved," Monaghan GAA club's 1999 Person of the Year confirms. Seamus admits it was a hard-earned success though. En route to lifting the prized silverware, the white and blues had to overcome a stiff challenge from Roscommon in the quarter-final. After a somewhat shaky start, the Monaghan men eventually won by seven points. Thereafter a much more consistently polished performance against Offaly duly catapulted the McEntee-led squad into the final. "I think it helped us that Clare seemed to go into the game looking a bit too confident. I think they were a bit too cocky. We had played them in the league earlier in the year and they had beaten us so maybe they had reckoned that we were there for the taking again. But we produced our best performance for a long time and when Tadgh (Fennin) got our goal in the second half, I knew it was going to be our day. It always looked as if the team that got the goal was going to win and fortunately we got the crucial score. "Our target at the start of the year had been to go as far as we could in the championship but going the whole way meant that we really hit the jackpot." So how does the club's most recent success compare to those of '92 and '98? "The win this year is the best so far. Eleven fellas on the team were born in Monaghan and that makes a big difference to the club - no harm to the rest of the lads. There was a special type of spirit in the team in 2002 and I had a sneaky feeling that we had a great chance of succeeding Sligo as champions. " I'd say the squad we had in 2002 was better overall than the other two. There was more strength in depth in the panel that beat Clare." Significantly, Seamus, a qualified elevator mechanic and currently a New York GAA delegate to Congress, has high hopes for the continued success of the outgoing Monaghan panel. He feels that the gap between the 'B' teams and those operating in the premier 'A' grade is closing and that "there's very little difference in the quality of football played at the top level in both grades." But the Riverdale, Bronx resident does offer a note of caution to anyone thinking of putting a wager on Monaghan succeeding in adding further silverware to their trophy cabinet in 2003. "We might be without Mickey Slowey from Clones in 2003. We're not sure yet but if he heads off, he'll be a big miss. "Mickey has been a big player for us for a number of years now, played for New York in the Connacht Championship and is one of the best forwards over here. Either way though, I still think we'll hold our own with the big guns next year." For the first time since 1995, Monaghan will be making tracks for the top echelons of football in New York. Messrs. McEntee, Shane Rutledge (Ballybay) and Paul McGlynn (Clontibret) worked the oracle in 2002 and Seamus - part of the GAA scene in New York since emigrating there in 1972 - is confident that their charges will acquit themselves equally as well this coming year. "The team and those looking after the players will be given every support to achieve their goals in 2003. "We've a good working committee in place and our success in winning the Senior 'B' Championship is just the boost the club needs to go on and win more cups in the next few seasons. " The current bunch of players have a great belief in their own ability and should hold them in good stead when they take on the likes of Donegal and the other top dogs next season." The 'B' championship in New York is run on a league basis first, then knock out. The Monaghan lads began their preparation for the 2002 campaign last February when the first of the training sessions kicked in. The Monaghan team invariably trained once per week in the Bronx and once in Queens. Set up in 1897, the Monaghan GAA club has seldom been out of the limelight even though it has struggled in recent times to cement a place at Senior 'A' level. According to Seamus when the Monaghan GAA's victory dance is held on March 14th next at the Astoria Hotel (where outgoing GAA President Sean McCague will be guest of honour), expectations that a blue riband Senior 'A' Championship title can be scooped will be at an all-time high. "I'm sure the Astoria will be packed that night. The club was delighted to receive a Special Achievement Award at the Monaghan New York Society's annual dinner dance last November but I think a lot of people will be talking about our chances of achieving the top spot in the Senior 'A' Championship in 2003. Hopefully this time next year we'll be celebrating another cup win." For the record, the Monaghan squad which did duty against Clare in the 2002 New York Senior 'B' Championship decider at Gaelic Park on October 13th last was as follows: George Ballantine (Monaghan Harps,Brian McKenna (Truagh), Paul Rushe (Monaghan Harps), Louis Breslin (Armagh), Martin Slowey (Clones), Bernard Treanor (Truagh), Brian Lacey (Kildare), Hughie O'Sullivan (Cork), Rory O'Neill (New York), Gareth Treanor (Monaghan Harps), Mickey Slowey (Clones), Declan McEntee (Monaghan Harps), Mark Dobbin (Newry Shamrocks), Tadgh Fennin (Kildare), Raymond Skeagh (Eire Og), Paul McGlynn (Clontibret), Mickey Art Treanor (Emyvale), Barry Doogan (Magheracloone), Damien Clerkin (Clones). Tweet

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