Heroes of 47/48 Reel in the Years

Pictured here are the players of the Tyrone minor football teams that won consecutive All-Ireland championships in 1947-48, and who attended the ‘Tyrone GAA Reeling in the Years’ event in the Cardinal Ó Fiaich Library and Archive, Armagh, on Tuesday night last.

At the event, before a packed attendance, the players saw films of themselves in a training camp at Pomeroy – the only known film of a GAA team in ‘full-time’ training in that era –before the 1948 All-Ireland final; the final itself; and the triumphant homecoming to Dungannon and Coalisland. The players had not seen any of these films in the 62 years since they had been recorded. At the end of the event, the audience gave them a standing ovation in recognition of their groundbreaking achievements for the GAA in Tyrone and Ulster.

Also on the night, films were shown of the opening of the first three county grounds in Tyrone: O Neill Park, Dungannon, in 1947; Plunkett Park, Pomeroy, in 1948; and Cardinal MacRory Park, Coalisland, in 1949.

A follow-up event in the Cardinal Ó Fiaich Library in January will feature films of the 1950s Tyrone senior teams.

Back (l-r): Dónal Donnelly (Omagh), Barney Eastwood (Cookstown), Liam Campbell (Coalisland), Louis Campbell (Brackaville), Mick McIlkenny (Clonoe).

Middle: Fr Seán McGrath (Clonoe), Barry Corr (Coalisland), Séamus Murphy (Pomeroy), Harry Hartop (Dromore).

Front: Dr John O Reilly (Dromore), John Joe O Hagan (Clonoe), Eddie Devlin (Coalisland) (captain, holding the Tom Markham Cup), Tom Sullivan (Coalisland). Also present but out of picture was Dan McCaffrey (Omagh).

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[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/15812177[/vimeo]