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Derry reached the summit in 1993

Eamonn Coleman guided Derry to the 1993 All Ireland SFC title.

Eamonn Coleman guided Derry to the 1993 All Ireland SFC title.

By Cian O'Connell

Tony Scullion chuckles when the question is asked. Where has the time gone? As another All Ireland Final edges closer it is hard to fathom that 25 years has passed since Derry, prompted by Eamonn Coleman's passionate drive, climbed to the summit of the Gaelic Football world.

A team that will always be fondly regarded, but most importantly, respected. That is what the journey was frequently about and in 1993 Derry delivered when it truly counted.

Scullion's desire, Henry Downey's relevance, Brian McGilligan and Anthony Tohill's midfield partnership, Damien Barton's craft, Joe Brolly's potent threat, and Enda Gormley's cool finishing were vital ingredients.

What started as a boyhood dream turned to reality for Scullion. “It was just marvellous, it was one of those years you dream that it might happen someday,” Scullion says.

“I was born in 1962, during the late 60s, early 70s, and late 70s we would never have thought that Derry would be there.

“I grew up in a rural area in Ballinascreen out in the country, we hadn't got a lot growing up on a small farm. God rest my father, we would have sat around the kitchen table on a Sunday to listen to the wireless to the All Ireland semi-finals and finals with Micheal O'Hehir.

“My dad would have always talked about Kerry and how good they were, he always thought that Kerry were unbeatable. He never thought that he would ever see Derry winning an All Ireland.

“Little did he know that his son would play on that team so it was just a dream come true for the Scullion household that Derry won the All Ireland and that I was playing.”

Gaelic Football offered opportunities and a sense of hope, but Scullion believed that something really changed when Coleman started to stitch a team together. Seasoned campaigners and emerging talent mixed well according to Scullion.

“Yes, we won an Ulster title in 1987, not all the lads were involved in that team, but the nucleus of that team were still involved,” Scullion recalls.

Former Derry star Tony Scullion speaking at GAA Congress in 2013.

Former Derry star Tony Scullion speaking at GAA Congress in 2013.

“At that stage we weren't ready to win an All Ireland. Meath disposed of us very easily in the All Ireland semi-final that year, but then the emerging talent of lads coming through, who had been very successful at underage level winning an All Ireland minor title with Derry made the difference.

“We had a few good underage teams and it was brilliant that we had those younger lads coming through along with us the more experienced members of the squad.

“We had a good panel blending together in the early 90s and with Eamonn Coleman, God rest him, the great man and great manager he was he blended us.

“He had been successful with the underage teams and blended us together. He made us one big family, he really brought the best of us, each and every one of us.”

Coleman, who died in 2007, remains a cherished figure in the history of the Derry blessed with the splendid gift of getting players to play for him.

“Absolutely, that is the secret in management,” Scullion admits. “It is not about coaching awards or reading books trying to find things out, you just need to have it.

“Something that you are just born with. Eamonn would have worked at the same level as the rest of us. He would never have been above us, he played cards with us at the back of the bus, he chatted with us before and after training, we all felt he was looking after us.

“That can't be learned. You can't learn that, you either have it or you don't have it. You would have died for him, you would have done anything for him. He didn't want to be on a different level from us, he was on the same level as us, he was just one of us. We would have done anything for Eamonn Coleman. He was just a very, very special man, a great man, one in a million.”

The club game in Derry was strong so battles were inevitable, but Coleman always sought to ensure the inter-county panel stayed united regardless of what was happening.

“It was very competitive, there were club games where it was tight stuff,” Scullion wistfully recalls. “We were out competing against each other and the next day we were maybe going to county training.

Derry manager Eamonn Coleman celebrating after the 1993 All Ireland SFC Semi-Final win over Dublin at Croke Park.

Derry manager Eamonn Coleman celebrating after the 1993 All Ireland SFC Semi-Final win over Dublin at Croke Park.

“Whatever happened in the club match had to stay at the club match whenever we went to the county, Eamonn Coleman bonded us all, there were no issues with the club. He had a very difficult job because club football was very strong at the time.

“That would never have happened only for him. He was instrumental, we had our differences on the club side, but if he saw anything bubbling over with the county he would have brought the two lads together, they'd have been shaking hands, carrying on laughing, that was it. He made sure there were no issues like that.

“He would have sussed you out if there were problems with anyone else on the panel, he then would have sussed the other fella out to bring the two together.

“Then you'd think the lads were like two brothers, he was excellent at that. He was brilliant at making sure everyone died for each other when they were playing for the county. Nobody could have done that only Eamonn Coleman in Derry.”

Having edged a tense Ulster Final against Donegal, Derry hit Croke Park heartened and outfoxed Dublin in the penultimate round which was a statement of intent at GAA headquarters.

“No doubt, but this had really started in 1991,” Scullion states. “Down beat us after a replay in the Ulster Championship, they went on to win the All Ireland. Then in 1992 we beat Down, who were All Ireland champions at a sun drenched Casement Park on a marvellous day with more than 30,000 at it.

“We beat them, but we played Donegal in the Ulster Final. Donegal beat us in the Ulster Final, and they deserved to beat us.

“They went on to win the All Ireland. Then the following year we beat Down in the first round, they had been All Ireland champions two years previous, we beat Donegal in the Ulster Final when they were reigning All Ireland champions.

“We knew within ourselves, even though it wasn't a God given right, we knew that if we performed at Croke Park we would be there or thereabouts. We knew that we could get the results. We had a certain amount of belief, yes.”

Derry relished the opportunity to examine themselves against Dublin, who had a penchant for being involved in gripping games at that time.

Tony Scullion pictured at Irish International Rules training in 2014.

Tony Scullion pictured at Irish International Rules training in 2014.

“Going to Croke Park against Dublin that was incredible,” Scullion remarks. “If you can't play against Dublin at Croke Park - the best atmosphere you can get - if you are unable to play there against Dublin there is something wrong with you.

“That was a great, great game. We were five points down at half-time, 0-9 to 0-4, 10 or 15 minutes we weren’t closing the gap. Then all of a sudden we got two or three points in a row and we just got there in the finish by a point. That was some game of football.”

It was helpful entering the decider against Cork, but suddenly Derry were dealing with the heavy burden of local expectation.

“We weren't used to All Ireland Finals, yes we had won a National League Final in 1992 against Tyrone, that did us no harm at Croke Park,” Scullion adds.

“The only other time Derry were in an All Ireland was 1958 so playing Dublin was a great experience. A lot of people thought after we won that semi-final, Derry people just couldn't see us getting beat in the All Ireland Final.

“I couldn't believe it and there was a bit of pressure on our team. Even though we took it in our stride there was definitely pressure with some young lads on that Derry team too.

“I was the oldest member of the team at the time, I was coming 32 so I had a good innings with Derry before that so I could have missed out on it very easily. We had a lot of young lads. After we beat Dublin a lot of people thought Sam Maguire is coming to Derry for the first time ever.

“We were playing a Cork team that had beaten Mayo comprehensively in an All Ireland semi-final. The general public in Derry just couldn't see us getting beat and we played against a great Cork team.

“After 10 minutes we were four or five points down so it was great to get over the line,” Scullion concludes.

Coleman’s contribution to sport is deep, and his son, Gary, a star on the most famous Derry team of the lot in 1993.

That Oak Leaf outfit will be saluted on Sunday and while Coleman is gone, he will never be forgotten.