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Peter
McGrath and John Murphy honoured by Supporters Club - 23/11/02
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Photo taken by Louis Mc Nally Freelance
Photographer
Patsy Quinn Secretary Down Supporters
Club, Pete McGrath, John Murphy, Seamus McCaffrey
Chariman of Down Supporters. Front Row: Pete McGrath
jnr (Pete's nephew)
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On Tuesday night the Down GAA Supporters
Club honored Pete McGrath and his stalwart John Murphy.
This overdue recognition for two of Down's
greatest servants took place at the Supporters Club annual
general meeting in The Savoy Suite, Canal Court Hotel, Newry
on Tuesday past.
McGrath and Murphy - led the Mourne county to two All-Ireland
SF championships in their 13 years in charge of the senior
team.
The duo also managed the Down minors for several years first,
collecting the All-Ireland minor title in 1987 before taking
over the senior side in 1989. In that first season in charge,
Peter McGrath quickly began to work his managerial magic,
taking Down to the National Football League Final in 1990,
where they were defeated by Meath.
However, a year later Down won their first All-Ireland senior
championship title in 23 years when they gained revenge
on 'The Royals' in the final. Three years later the 'red
and blacks' were back in Croke Park, Dublin again, this
time defeating a fancied Dublin side in their own backyard
- and McGrath had brought the famed Sam Maguire Cup back
to Mourne county for the second time.
That
1994 success saw Down become the first county to collect
two All-Ireland senior titles in the 'nineties - a feat
matched only by Sean Boylan and his Meath side. Throughout
the 'nineties McGrath and Murphy kept Down football to the
forefront on the inter-county scene, and for that alone
these men deserve great credit.
They always sent out teams to play attractive football,
and for their efforts and that of the players under their
command, Down football was right up there with the very
best over that period. Both men have contributed so much
to Down football that it is only fitting that their services
are being recognised by the Down Supporters Club. When the
history of Down football in the 'nineties is written McGrath
and Murphy will definitely be to the forefront. Indeed the
young players coming on stream in Down football at the present
time owe a lot to people like McGrath and Murphy.
They had a belief that Down could compete with the very
best, and proved that point on the national stage with their
two All-Ireland successes. They may have departed from the
inter-county managerial scene, but their achievements together
with the players under their command will never be forgotten!
Many influential people were present at
the Down Supporters Annual General Meeting to thank Pete
and John and praise their magnificent achievements. Seamus
McCaffrey, Chairman of the Down supporters, said the pair
were a “great credit to Down” And he told the big crowd
that on TV a Meath man once said: “This Down team doesn’t
know how to win an All Ireland.” But the Chairman reminded
everyone of Pete’s famous reply after they had lifted Sam
in 1991. Pete said: “Down teams don’t know how to lose an
All Ireland.”
Down Chairman Eamon O’Toole also praised
the former Down duo saying: Pete and John go together. They
are necessary for each other.” He continued: “Pete and John
set the standard that will be hard to follow. They did their
homework and their teams played with great style. We owe
it all to these two men.” Down secretary Donal McCormack
began by thanking the Down Supporters Club who he said followed
the team “through rain, hail and snow.” He then turned his
attentions to Pete and John. Donal told the crowd that he
was Chairman of the County Board when the pair took over
in 1989. And he said: “They gave everything to the job in
hand and gave enormous pleasure to the Down fans over the
years.
Donal concluded by saying: “No words of
mine can adequately pay tribute to these two men here tonight.”
Public Relations Officer Fintan Mussen used a couple of
quotes from the soon-to-be-published Down Year book: he
said “Pete and John didn’t just win All Ireland – they changed
the lives of ordinary people.” And “While we stood and watched
history being made, these were the men that made it.”
Ross Carr, who won two All Irelands under
the Down pair said: “I’m just here to say thank you to Pete
and John.” Ross continued: “The greatest period of Down’s
success in the last 40 years is down to Pete and John –
they made the difference.” John Dillon simply said: “Thanks
for the memories.”
In reply Pete McGrath thanked the Supporters
Club for their support down through the years. The great
man reminisced over some of the good and even the bad moments
of his reign. The 1991 All Ireland victory was his sweetest
moment. Though the ‘Massacre at the Marshes’ in 1993 when
Derry ran roughshod over the men in red and black was one
of his worse. But he also remembered going to Celtic Park
the next year when ‘No one gave us a chance against Derry.’
But in what was one of the greatest games of all time, Down
triumphed by two points over a superb Oak Leaf side. Pete
jokingly quipped: “They could have saved us a lot of bother
if they had given us the Sam Maguire coming off the pitch
against Derry.” He also added, concerning his years in charge:
“It was a tremendous roller coater ride”. And he then paid
tribute to some inspirational players such as Ross Carr,
Paddy O’Rourke, D J Kane, Mickey Linden and Greg Blaney.
Pete’s assistant John Murphy too remembered
1991 as ‘the crowning achievement’ John has vivid memories
of the Down squad coming into Newry in 1991and seeing ‘the
joy and outpouring of enthusiasm from the people.’ He added:
“The team was devastated in 1993 against Derry but ’94 was
the revenge year.” Anyway both men wished their successor
Paddy O’Rourke good wishes.
The following Down Supporters Club Committee
was elected:
Chairman: Seamus McCaffrey,
Vice-Chairman: Paddy McMahon,
Secretary: Patsy Quinn,
Assistant secretary: Ann McMurray,
Treasurer: Hugh John Harper,
Assistant treasurer: Seamus McClean,
Transport managers: Ronan Mulholland and Tom Mulholland,
PRO: Eileen Quinn.
Committee: Vincie Doran, Joe Hughes, John Dillon,
Andy McMurray, Mark McGinn, Paul Rooney and Liam Mulholland.
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