When looked at in the context of the overall history of the GAA in Monaghan, 2013 will go down as a truly remarkable year, if not Monaghan's best ever year with the county regaining the Ulster senior football championship after a lapse of 25 years and just as importantly or perhaps even more importantly, regaining the Ulster Minor football championship for the first time since 1945 to make for a first ever Ulster senior and minor double. The GAA fraternity in Monaghan though had approached 2013 with a degree of scepticism given where the county was coming from. Monaghan had suffered relegation from division 1 to division 3 of the Allianz Football League in successive seasons and they had also endured serious disappointment in the Ulster championship and the All Ireland qualifiers with team manager Eamonn McEnaney, who had replaced Seamus McEnaney at the helm, stepping down following the defeat by Laois in the 2012 qualifiers. That saw Monaghan begin the search for a new manager who could come in and rescue the situation if the county was to avoid the ignominy of sliding right back into division 4 of the league and if that goal was achieved, to then try and improve their fortunes in the championship. The man selected to lead Monaghan in from the cold was a former Fermanagh player and manager Malachy O'Rourke, a man not unknown in Monaghan circles as he had worked with a number of clubs in the county and he had also masterminded Monaghan's defeat by Fermanagh a few years back in the championship. Malachy O'Rourke set out his stall from early on and made his first priority to gain promotion back to division 2 of the football league and then see how the county would fare in the Ulster senior championship, but even the most optimistic Monaghan supporters could not have foreseen the momentous year that was about to unfold and a year that would produce scenes of celebration not seen in the county since the heady days of the 80's and more recently with Monaghan's league success in being promoted to division 1 back in 2005. There had been many hard knocks though in the interim and early form in the league did not indicate that the major successes achieved would come their way as league form was somewhat faltering to say the least. That said though Monaghan were still always in contention and the league was as much about developing game plans and streamlining performances as it was about promotion, all of which would pay rich dividends when the sun was high in the sky over Clones last July. It wasn't all plain sailing though in the championship either with Monaghan making hard work of getting over Antrim in the opening game and then enjoying a modicum of good fortune to say the least in defeating Cavan by the minimum margin in the semi-final to set up a meeting with the reigning Ulster and All Ireland champions, Donegal, in the final. Ultimately though all of the hard work, all of the training, all of the tactical talks, all of the psychological development and the strength and conditioning processes came good as Monaghan reached the Holy Grail when Owen Lennon raised the Anglo Celt Cup aloft to a rapturous reception from the Monaghan supporters on that dramatic Sunday in July last year to wipe away all of the years of bitter disappointment and even pain.
MC KENNA CUP.
In the McKenna Cup Monaghan were in a section along with St Mary's University College, Belfast, Donegal and Fermanagh. They opened their campaign with a home game against St Mary's College in Clones back on January 6th last year, a game they won by four points. The following weekend they were out against Donegal in Ballybofey where they had an almost runaway victory, 17 points the margin at the finish and they booked their place in the semi-final with a five points victory over Fermanagh in Inniskeen back on January 16th. In the semi-final Monaghan were up against Down with the venue being the Athletic Grounds, Armagh, the scene of Monaghan's bitterly disappointing dismissal in the Ulster championship in 2012 at the hands of the same opposition, but this time Monaghan came through with two points to spare to set up a final meeting with Tyrone, that game also in the Athletic Grounds back on January 28th.
In the final Tyrone again proved Monaghan's bogey team as they retained their Dr McKenna Cup title making for a sixth victory in 10 years. Tyrone won comfortably in the end but the final outcome did not do justice to the contribution by Monaghan in what was a tough, uncompromising battle that was played in atrocious weather conditions in the Athletic Grounds, Armagh. The result too had to be taken in the context that Monaghan simply conceded too many goals and were forced to play the entire second half with 14 players following the red card dismissal of Ronan McNally a minute into stoppage time at the end of the first half following an altercation with Peter Harte.
It finished Tyrone 4-11, Monaghan 1-10.
Team and Scorers v Tyrone: Mark Keogh, Ronan McNally, Fintan Kelly, Kieran Duffy, Dessie Mone, Darren Hughes 0-2 (0-1 '45), Martin McElroy, Dick Clerkin, Owen Lennon, Owen Duffy 0-2, Paul Finlay 0-4 (4f), Shane McQuillan, Kieran Hughes 1-1, Conor McManus 0-1 (f), Dermot Malone. Subs: Stephen Smith for D Malone, Gavin Doogan for S McQuillan, Neil McAdam for D Clerkin, Conor Galligan for M McElroy, Paul McArdle for P Finlay.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE.
The Dr McKenna Cup final would have been regarded by many as something of a gauge by which to measure where Monaghan were at for the 2013 season and what their prospects could be. The first silverware of the season in Ulster went to Tyrone but it is fair to say that there was a far more serious agenda on the table when Monaghan opened their Allianz Football League division 3 campaign with a home game against Meath in Clones. Manager Malachy O'Rourke had made no secret of the fact that everything up to then, training, coaching, preparation and the five games in the McKenna Cup, were all preparation for the national league opener where victory was essential to give Monaghan a platform from which to launch their official competitive season, while defeat, even though it was only the first game, would have been a major setback to their prospects. Monaghan's priority for last year was promotion from division 3 of the football league having suffered relegation from division 1 to division 3 in successive seasons so they were a team going to Clones that day on a mission. In the end it worked out as a
much more clinical Monaghan ultimately put a fairly tepid Meath to the sword in what was ultimately a one sided contest in Clones to get their Allianz football league division 3 campaign off to the best possible start.
At the end of a close enough first half during which Meath led briefly thanks to a goal by Jamie Queenie in the 11th minute Monaghan were ahead by two at the break, 0-7 to Meath's 1-2 and in the second half they continued to dictate the pace of the game with an early point from Owen Lennon and then two from the boot of Conor McManus to open a five points lead. Then the clinching score when Darren Hughes crashed in a classic goal as he came from deep, playing a series of one twos with Neil McAdam before crashing past Paddy O'Rourke to put Monaghan completely in the driving seat and they had opened a 15 points gap by the half-hour before a late consolation goal left them winners by 12 points.
Monaghan had just six days to recover from their exertions against Meath before they headed off to Kingspan Breffni Park the following Saturday evening to take on Cavan and a pairing that always produced a feisty contest and this one did not disappoint but ultimately it was a chastening experience as Monaghan were brought back down to earth with quite a bump when they proved no match for a highly motivated Cavan side in a scrappy, free riddled and at times quite bad tempered affair that was marred by the prevailing weather conditions allied to the at times controversial refereeing of Derry's Barry Cassidy whose decisions at times drew howls of protest from both sets of supporters. On the night Cassidy dismissed five players, three from Monaghan and two from Cavan, Conor McManus the first to see red after just 11 minutes following an off the ball incident with Cavan cornerback Killian Brady, and thereafter Monaghan were in trouble, managing just one point in the entire first half.
That defeat to Cavan left their next game against Sligo in Clones a must win situation where victory was essential if Monaghan were to stay in the hunt for promotion and they achieved that as they got their NFL campaign back on track with a fully deserved eight points victory in a game that Monaghan dominated from start to finish and were not at all flattered by their eight points winning margin.
Back to winning ways Monaghan faced a very tricky assignment in their next outing against table toppers Fermanagh in a game that was regarded as one that could have a deciding influence on the ultimate outcome of the division 3 promotion race. Fermanagh went into the game as the only team in division 3 who were undefeated at that stage with two victories and a draw from their three outings so it was all to play for. In the end a resilient Monaghan staged a strong finish to clinch victory and leapfrog over Fermanagh in the division 3 table in what was a tough, hard hitting and at times rough-and-tumble but always entertaining affair, that was played in wintry and somewhat greasy conditions in Brewster Park, Enniskillen, on Saturday evening March 9th last. Monaghan were full value for their victory in that they weathered a lightning start by Fermanagh to lead by three at the break and then fashioned a winning two points finish after being hauled back to parity twice in the final quarter.
Next up it was Wicklow in Clones and a game where the two points on offer could see Monaghan consolidate in top position in division 3 which was exactly how it turned out in the end. The final score line would indicate that Monaghan were in rampant mood and coasted to victory but that would not tell the whole story of this free-flowing, high-scoring and at times thrilling affair in Clones and a game that saw Wicklow ask some serious questions off Monaghan particularly in the early stages and in the closing quarter but in between Monaghan were the superior team and made that count on the scoreboard with some classic goals and well constructed moves to stay in pole position in the division.
That left two games to play and matters still very fluid as far as promotion was concerned so their next assignment in Dr Hyde Park against Roscommon was a vital game for both. Victory for Monaghan would have seen them consolidate in pole position with 10 points while victory for Roscommon would move them to within a point of Monaghan and leave it with everything to play for in the final round. And that was exactly how it worked out with Monaghan's promotion prospects depending solely on the outcome of their final game against Antrim after a resurgent Roscommon struck what proved to be the winning point in stoppage time in Dr Hyde Park. It was a bitter pill for Monaghan to swallow as this was a game that they had dominated for the bulk of the 70 odd minutes but crucially they did not convert their outfield superiority into scores and ultimately paid the price. Played in bitterly cold conditions this game as a contest was a disappointing spectacle and there was little in it from Monaghan's point of view to dispel the winter chill, so it was now all down to the result against Antrim in the final round in a game that was very delicately poised as regards the final outcome in division 3. Quite simply Monaghan had to win if they were to book their place in the final and Antrim simply needed to win as well if they were to move away from the threat of relegation, making for a quite dramatic finish to the campaign. In the end there was no room left for doubt as Monaghan clinched promotion to division 2 of the Allianz Football league and also booked their place in the final of division 3 with a deserved 11 points victory over Antrim in what was for the most part an entertaining if never totally spectacular affair in Clones where goals were the crucial scores for the winners. Team manager Malachy O'Rourke expressed himself as "absolutely delighted that we are promoted back to division 2 because that's what we set out to achieve at the start of the season". That result and results elsewhere meant that the final was a rerun of Monaghan's opening game against Meath, so could Monaghan register two victories over the Royals in the one season. That answer was a definite yes as Monaghan and Meath served up a thrilling climax to the Allianz football league division 3 when the sides met in Croke Park on Saturday evening April 27th last in a game that was in the balance right to the very finish before Monaghan clinched it with a late goal and a point to take their first league silverware since 2005. It was a deserved victory for Monaghan as they had dominated the game for lengthy periods but Meath pushed the issue to the very limit and there was only one point between the sides with four minutes of normal time remaining after Stephen Bray had plundered a goal that threw Meath a lifeline and reduced the deficit to the minimum just seconds before he was substituted. In the end though Meath were unable to capitalise any further as Monaghan regrouped and struck with deadly effect for a goal by Kieran Hughes when he collected the rebound after his initial shot was blocked and crashed to the net with Darren Hughes then registering an insurance point a minute into stoppage time. This was a game though that asked a number of questions off both sides and there were aspects of Monaghan's play that gave plenty of room for work and improvement as they prepared for the Ulster championship, but winning the division 3 trophy, having already secured promotion prior to the final, would give Monaghan added confidence as they began to step up their preparations for their meeting with Antrim in the Ulster championship on June 9th. So a very rewarding league campaign and one where they showed character in abundance and hopes were high as the league silver ware was carried home with pride.

THE RESULTS.
3/2/'13: Monaghan 1-18, Meath 2-3;
9/2/'13: Cavan 1-10, Monaghan 0-5
2/3/'13: Monaghan 1-12, Sligo 0-7.
9/3/'13: Monaghan 0-14, Fermanagh 0-12;
16/3/'13: Monaghan 5-13, Wicklow 3-10
24/3/'13: Roscommon 0-8, Monaghan 0-7
7/4/'13: Monaghan 3-15, Antrim 0-13.
27/5/'13 Div 3 Final: Monaghan 2-16, Meath 3-8.
Team and Scorers v Meath: Rory Beggan, Colin Walshe, Fintan Kelly, Drew Wylie, Kieran Duffy, Neil McAdam, Darren Hughes 0-1, Owen Lennon 0-2, Dick Clerkin, Paul Finlay 0-3 (2f), Kieran Hughes 1-1, Owen Duffy 1-3, Christopher McGuinness 0-1, Conor McManus 0-5 (1f), Dermot Malone. Subs: Stephen Gollogly for D Malone, Dessie Mone for D Clerkin, Padraig Donaghy for C McGuinness, Vincent Corey for D Wylie.

THE 2013 ULSTER SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SAW AN END TO THE 25 YEARS OF FAMINE.
Up until 2013 Monaghan had last won the Ulster senior football championship back in 1988, just four years after the GAA had celebrated its Centenary with false dawns and unfulfilled promise the order of the day since that. Even the dawn of the new Millennium hadn't improved Monaghan's lot which was still one of disappointment and failing to fulfil their potential. They did reach the final in 2007 and 2010 but on each occasion were defeated by Tyrone. The new Millennium opened with an eight points defeat by Fermanagh in Enniskillen and while Monaghan reversed that result in 2001 they failed to build on that when they lost their next match to Cavan in Clones. 2002 saw Fermanagh come to Clones and plunder a result as they rattled in four goals and the following year hopes were high when Monaghan defeated the reigning Ulster and All Ireland champions Armagh in Clones but again failed to build on that in the semi-final against Down in Casement Park. 2004 saw Armagh get revenge for their defeat the previous year when they handed Monaghan a 15 points defeat in Clones, the following year 2005 Derry were six .winners while in 2006 Armagh progressed of the expense of Monaghan after a replay. In 2007 hope sprang eternal as Monaghan started out with a three points victory over Down in Newryi and followed that up with a two points victory over Derry in the semi-final in Casement Park but lost by the same origin to Tyrone in the final in Clones. Monaghan failed to bring that form into the 2008 series when they lost to Fermanagh in Enniskillen on day one and it was a similar story in 2009 when they took on Derry in Celtic Park in a game that generated quite a bit of controversy due to comments made by Joe Brolly on radio and television about Monaghan players and Monaghan as a team. 2010 saw Monaghan back in the Ulster final having defeated Armagh and Fermanagh only to again lose to Tyrone and Tyrone were victorious also in 2011 in the opening round. In 2012 the old spectre of inconsistency appeared again when Monaghan defeated Antrim in their opening match but then lost to Down in the semi-final but that was all to change in 2013.
Antrim were first up and it was with a degree of trepidation that Monaghan travelled to Belfast for the return game of the 2012 series which Monaghan won in Clones. Monaghan travelled to Casement Park, Belfast, on Sunday June 9th last with the objective of booking their place in the semi-final of the Ulster senior football championship and on the day they realised that objective but they knew that they would need to improve substantially if they were to get over the next hurdle, semi-final meeting with the winners of the Cavan v Fermanagh quarter final. Played in sweltering, energy sapping conditions, this was a contest that Monaghan dominated for almost 100% of the time but they found Antrim's defensive strategy difficult to break down and scores hard to come by as a consequence. Antrim adopted a totally defensive strategy by pulling their half forward line back behind midfield and even when they had the spare man during the second-half they stubbornly refused to try to exploit that numerical advantage and stuck with their negative, defensive system. On the resumption they drew level and with Monaghan reduced to 14 players shortly afterwards they were in a position to push on but failed to capitalise and it was Monaghan who raised their game and created the platform for victory. It was mission accomplished but as before there were more questions than answers and Malachy O'Rourke summed it up best when stating that "we didn't frighten anyone in Ulster today", and the performance underlined the amount of work that needed to be done. On then to their next assignment, a semi final meeting with Cavan, that was fixed for the evening of Saturday June 29th in Clones and Monaghan needed no reminding just how difficult Cavan had been when the sides met in the league. Monaghan though had learned their lessons well and a resilient Monaghan held out in a nerve tingling finish to book their place in the final of the Ulster senior football championship fort the third time since the New Millennium. Overall Monaghan were deserving winners in that they were the more purposeful team for the bulk of the game, using their experience and physical strength to good effect against a Cavan side that had already claimed the scalps of both Armagh and Fermanagh. The sides were level 6 times over the course of the game, three in each half and the lead changed hands on quite a few occasions as well as each side capitalised on even the slightest chance that accrued. To some extent Monaghan made life difficult for themselves at times but they showed great character and a huge appetite for work in a game that built in intensity and had the crowd of 15,644 on the edge of their seats throughout the second-half. The sides went in level at the break, Monaghan 1-5, Cavan 0-8 but Cavan were only ahead once in the entire second half and that approaching the end of the third quarter with Monaghan then going on to edge the exchanges in a frenetic finish although Cavan felt aggrieved that they did not get a late free when Rory Beggan appeared to have over carried the ball after it was played back to him from a free in stoppage time. A little bit of luck perhaps but there were many years when Lady luck had deserted Monaghan.

This was a huge improvement performance and confidence wise to reach the final but against the reigning Ulster and All Ireland champions, Donegal, and it was no surprise that the holders were hot favourites. On the day though Monaghan tore up the form book as they sent the reigning Ulster and All Ireland champions crashing out of the Ulster championship as the county captured their first Ulster title for all of 25 years in what was a totally deserved victory in that Monaghan matched and even out played Donegal in every aspect of play and led from start to finish. This was truly a landmark occasion in the history of the Ulster senior football championship and of the GAA in Monaghan and all the more so because it was the second leg of a truly history making double as Monaghan had earlier captured the Ulster minor title for the first time in 68 years. Going into the final very few other than the staunchest Monaghan supporters believed that an upset was possible but Monaghan proceeded to shock and stun in equal measure as they ruthlessly put the champions to the sword with a display of pace, power, hunger and commitment that the reigning Ulster and All Ireland champions simply could not match and at the end the form book was lying in tatters along the sideline as the O'Rourke master plan had been totally successful. It was a result too that wiped away the bitter memories of the 2012 Ulster championship when Monaghan literally threw away a place in the final as they squandered a nine points lead against Down in Armagh and just what it meant to the whole county was evident in the after match scenes as practically every man woman and child raced onto St. Tiarnach's Park to congratulate their heroes and soak up the atmosphere of a memorable occasion that Monaghan had not enjoyed since 1988.

THE RESULTS.
9/6/2013 Antrim 0-6, Monaghan 0-11.
Team and Scorers v Antrim: Rory Beggan, Kieran Duffy, Colin Walshe, Fintan Kelly, Dessie Mone 0-1, Neil McAdam, Vincent Corey, Owen Lennon, Darren Hughes 0-1, Paul Finlay 0-1 (f), Dick Clerkin, Owen Duffy 0-1, Christopher McGuinness 0-2, Kieran Hughes, Conor McManus 0-4 (2f). Subs: Stephen Gollogly for D Clerkin, Drew Wylie for F Kelly, Tomas Freeman 0-1 for O Duffy, Jack McCarron for P Finlay, Padraig Donaghy for K Hughes.

Semi Final.
29/6/2013 Monaghan 1-10, Cavan 0-12.
Team and Scorers v Cavan: Rory Beggan, Dessie Mone, Drew Wylie, Colin Walshe, Vincent Corey, Neil McAdam, Kieran Duffy, Owen Lennon, Darren Hughes, 0-1, Stephen Gollogly, Gavin Doogan, Tomas Freeman, Christopher McGuinness, 1-0, Kieran Hughes 0-1, Conor McManus 0-6 (3f). Subs: Paul Finlay 0-2 (2f) for T Freeman, Dick Clerkin for G Doogan, Karl O'Connell for N McAdam, Padraig Donaghy for C McGuinness, Dermot Malone for S Gollogly.

Final.
21/7/2013 Monaghan 0-13, Donegal 0-7.
Team and Scorers v Donegal: Rory Beggan 0-2 (1f, 1'45), Kieran Duffy, Drew Wylie, Colin Walshe, Vincent Corey, Neil McAdam, Dessie Mone 0-1, Owen Lennon, Darren Hughes 0-1, Paul Finlay, Stephen Gollogly, Dermot Malone, Padraig Donaghy 0-1, Kieran Hughes 0-3, Conor McManus 0-3 (3f). Subs: Gavin Doogan for S Gollogly, Dick Clerkin for G Doogan (51), Christopher McGuinness 0-1 for D Malone (65), Tomas Freeman 0-1 for C McManus (71).

ALL IRELAND QUARTER FINAL.
When the draws were made for the All Ireland quarter finals it looked as if Monaghan had used up all their luck in the Ulster championship as fate again pitted them against the O'Neill county who had scuppered their chances on so many occasions over the years and 2013 was to be no different as Monaghan experienced the highs and lows of the fortunes of sport in just two weeks coming from the dizzy heights of celebrating an Ulster championship after a lapse of 25 years to plumbing the depths of bitter disappointment, gut wrenching disenchantment and even despair as they failed to progress past the quarter-final stage at All Ireland level for the second time as the Tyrone hoodoo continued in Croke Park to send Monaghan crashing out of at the end of a, tough, hard-hitting, dramatic and at times controversial contest. This was a game that produced some fine passages of play, excellent scores, a number of good, influential individual performances on both sides but was then married to an extent by a degree of cynicism and the at times controversial refereeing of Meath official, Cormac Reilly, and not for the first time in games involving Monaghan. It was a game too that saw both sides finish with 14 players, Tyrone numerically reduced with the dismissal of Martin Penrose at the start of the second-half and he was soon followed by Kieran Hughes on a second yellow card. Things looked promising for Monaghan early on as they were able to contain the Tyrone threat and limit the influence of Sean Cavanagh in particular but Tyrone had a couple of other alternatives in their armoury with Joe McMahon and Conor Clarke in particular offering alternatives. Tyrone's resurgence too was helped with a very harsh yellow card to Darren Hughes for an alleged foul on Sean Cavanagh who looked to have dived after Darren Hughes had disposed him, and the sanction did adversely affect Hughes for a time which helped Tyrone to recover their composure and by the 26th minute they had taken the lead for the first time in the match. Tyrone went in ahead at half-time by two points but before the ball was thrown in for the second half they were reduced numerically with the dismissal of Martin Penrose and it did become more a war of attrition in the second period with the Meath official adding fuel to the fire on occasions with some very questionable decisions while at other times not making the required decision at all. That said though mistakes were made that also contributed to Monaghan's defeat with players taking the wrong option at times and when chances are limited, as they were in that contest, it can be and was fatal, to end Monaghan's year on a disappointing note. It finished Tyrone 0-14, Monaghan 0-12.
Team and Scorers v Tyrone: Rory Beggan, Kieran Duffy, Drew Wylie, Colin Walshe, Vincent Corey, Neil McAdam, Dessie Mone, Owen Lennon, Darren Hughes, Paul Finlay 0-2 (2f), Stephen Gollogly 0-1, Dermot Malone, Padraig Donaghy, Kieran Hughes 0-1, Conor McManus 0-6 (4f). Subs: Dick Clerkin 0-1 for D Malone, Christopher McGuinness 0-1 for P Donaghy, Tomas Freeman for P Finlay, Jack McCarron for C Walshe.

U21's.
Things looked promising for Monaghan at this level in 2013 when they started off their preparations for the season by taking part in the Shamrock Cup along with Tyrone, Antrim and Down. Monaghan opened their campaign with a game against to roll which was played in Cloghan and a game that saw Monaghan make a winning start. When they followed that up with a deserved victory over Antrim it was almost certain that they would play in the final irrespective of the outcome of their third game against Down. That is in fact the way it worked out and the results in that final round of matches saw Monaghan and Tyrone qualify for the final which was played under lights in Emyvale. That was a replica of what had happened in the 2012 competition, Monaghan defeating Tyrone in the opening game but Tyrone gaining revenge by defeating them in the final. 2013 though was to be different as a sharper, hungrier Monaghan got the better of Tyrone in the final of the Shamrock Cup at the third time of asking when they proved too potent for the O'Neill men in Emyvale. These two were contesting their third final on the trot and Monaghan had lost the previous two but got a measure of revenge with that victory but more importantly they got a major boost in their preparations for the Ulster U21 championship against Cavan. The game was fixed for March 20th in Kingspan Breffni Park where Cavan were setting out on a campaign that they hoped would end with them completing a hat trick of Ulster under 21 titles. That experience, with a number of players still eligible from the successful team of 2012 that went all the way to the All Ireland final allied to players coming through from their successful minor teams made them very, very strong opposition indeed. And that was the way it turned out but it took extra time to sort it out as Monaghan's aspirations of adding an Ulster under 21 championship title to their Shamrock Cup success were shattered in Kingspan Breffni Park, as a resurgent Cavan came good in the extra time it took to separate these sides, to pull away for victory and keep their dreams of a hat-trick of Ulster under 21 titles in a row firmly on track. This was a pairing that was keenly anticipated and the contest did not disappoint as the sides served up a thrilling encounter where fortunes ebbed and flowed throughout but crucially it was the reigning champions who fought back for a late point to force extra time. In extra time though Cavan proved more effective and their substitutes had a marked impact, contributing to a three points lead at the midway stage in extra time and then going on to help clinch victory by four as Monaghan's challenge just fell short. It finished Cavan 1-16, Monaghan 1-12.

Team and Scorers v Cavan: Rory Beggan 0-1 (f), Ryan Wylie, Conor Boyle, Paddy McGuigan, Paudie McKenna, Johnny McGuigan, Cillian Cromwell, Stephen Sherry, Pete Dooney, Shane O'Brien, Shane Carey 0-4 (4f), Thomas Connolly 0-1, Thomas Kerr 0-1, Keith McEnaney 0-1, Daniel McKenna 0-1. Subs: Brian McQuaid for C Cromwell, Jack McCarron 1-2 (0-2f) for S O'Brien. In Extra Time: Liam Hahessy for S Carey, Christopher McKenna for D McKenna.

MINOR.
At minor level Monaghan made history in 2013 not only when they ended a 68 years wait for an Ulster minor football championship but because they also completed the minor double of championship and league for the very first time. Monaghan last won the minor championship back in 1945 and over the following decades it was a case of false dawns and unfulfilled promise as year after year after year Monaghan had failed to make the breakthrough and as the gap between their success in 1945 widened with every passing year there were many who felt that perhaps they just simply might not make the breakthrough. All of that evaporated though last July when the sense of euphoria in St. Tiarnach's Park after Monaghan had engineered a great turnaround to clinch the title, was almost palpable, as team captain captain Kevin Loughran raised the Fr Murray Cup amid scenes of great celebration. Under the direction of manager Frank Brady Monaghan had been building in momentum during 2012 but again had missed out, although the Ulster minor football league that started back in March of last year gave cause for increased hope and indeed confidence that 2013 could be Monaghan's year. The league didn't start all that promisingly when Monaghan met Down in their opening game back on March 26th last in St. Colman's College in Newry as the home side recorded a four points victory in a high-scoring affair despite the somewhat arctic conditions. That though turned out to be Monaghan's only defeat in their entire Ulster Minor league and championship campaigns with that run of victories carrying them through to the All Ireland minor football championship semi-final in late August. Victories over Armagh in Clones and Cavan in Kingspan Breffni Park saw Monaghan taking on Tyrone in the semi-final in Omagh on April 20th last and the Tyrone hoodoo that had haunted Monaghan for many years was partially laid to rest at least as Monaghan recorded a four points victory to book their place in the final against Donegal. That game in Enniskillen tested Monaghan's mettle to the full but they stood up to the challenge to take the minor football league title for the first time since 1989.

THE RESULTS.
Ulster Minor Football League
26th March 2013 Monaghan 3-12 Down 2-19 (Newry)
30th March 2013 Monaghan 1-12 Armagh 2-6 (Clones)
6th April 2013 Monaghan 3-10 Cavan 1-7 (Cavan)
20th April 2013 Semi Final: Monaghan 3-14 Tyrone 1-16 (Omagh)
27th April 2013 Final: Monaghan 1-10 Donegal 0-10 (Enniskillen)
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