Bosses Happy with Championship
GAA President Christy Cooney and Ulster Council Secretary Danny Murphy declared themselves happy with the 2009 Ulster SFC after the showpiece Final between Tyrone and Antrim.
Cooney, on his first visit to the event as President, said it had been a ‘wonderful occasion with a sporting game and an electric atmosphere’. The Corkman was particularly pleased to see some of his boyhood heroes honoured on the pitch as part of the 125 celebrations.
“I saw Sean O’Neill play when I was a boy and he was a remarkable player. Paddy Doherty was the same so it was great to see them and I think the crowd enjoyed it as well”.
As well as giving the Presidential seal of approval, he also had a word of caution for new Ulster champions Tyrone.
“They are the quality side at the minute and it will take a great team to beat them, but there’s always a banana skin somewhere along the way so you never know.
“I had a word with Brian Dooher about maybe seeing him play against another team in red and white in the All Ireland Semi-finals, but we’ll see what happens”.
Danny Murphy described the ’09 SFC as ‘eccentric’ after the surprise sequence of results, apart from pre-competition favourites Tyrone.
“The formbook didn’t stand up this year, with Antrim in particular causing upsets. Their emergence will live long in the memory and the crowds that followed them shows that they truly are a sleeping giant.
“Some people thought that the attendance at the Final might be down because Antrim were in it, but their support matched Tyrone and given where Antrim started this year that is a testimony to the whole association in the county and to their supporters when they realised the team was gaining momentum”.
Murphy and Cooney both expressed the hope that Antrim’s performances will help boost Gaelic games in Belfast in particular.
As well as the full interviews with Danny Murphy and Christy Cooney, there’s match action, the pre-match parade and anthem, speeches by Brian Dooher and Tom Daly, an interview with Armagh minor captain Declan McKenna, and much more.
