Firmly in 2nd place, no arguments. Gave I suppose 18 years in the jersey, the most of them at midfield where he was never eclipsed in Connacht or further afield.
Capable of outrageous fielding at times heâd chip in with a score or two most days, he always had that much needed dart of self-confidence.
He became a bit of a grumpy, petulant fucker as the legs went but thatâs par for the course.
Mickey Martin completes the top threeâŚ
Declan Dâarcy, despite the obvious, was brilliant for us. Cool under pressure, really excelled when he came into the forwards. London would have beaten us in 1997 if it wasnât for his 2-12 or whatever.
I was at that,the problem that day was everybody just unloaded the ball to him.Nobody wanted responsibility and he had to do it all.Which he did.
In the days when âhoof it out longâ was the mantra Darcy, in fairness to him, never took that option. He always had the presence of mind to look up and try to find a colleague.
Part of the problem was that many of our troops were expecting the 50yd hoof and consequently were there with hands on hips when they should have been running.
Darcy was a nice tidy footballer whoâd have been better placed in the 11 jersey, he was essentially a central player unused to wing forward duties.
11 was his best position I thought.
Darcy nailed a couple of 45s in 94 as well, not gimmes even today.
Your club man Killian McLoughlinâs emergence as a county centre back allowed Declan to move into the forwards.
Killian had a great head but never was one for pace.
Just on the 94 team issues, goalkeeper Martin McHugh has had a couple of brushes with the bad C⌠Heâs recuperating again and the signs are positive. A bad business like our friend here, he wouldnât be a lot above 50 or thereabouts. Good luck to bothâŚ
Pace was always Killianâs Achilles heelâŚHe was in goal for the victorious Junior B team last year at 53. He attempted a few Cluxton type pin-pointers that backfired, his âscampering backâ efforts were worth the admission alone.
A mighty clubman as were all the McLoughlins, going back to oulâ Tommieâs time.
I may have mentioned this before but I recall Killian having a mighty match up against Adrian Cullen in a senior semi one year help Fenagh to victory.
Carrick in the final and the nippy Paul McGreevey was put at full forward and game over.
Was Noel Crossan ever manager of St Maryâs? I have a feeling he was in charge at the time but I could be completely wrong.
Thatâs the 03 final, TP was injured and we never threatened, well and deservedly beat.
Noel managed Maryâs. He was with Telecom and living in Carrick at the time. He never got nor sought the SoH gig but they milk their own cows anyway.
Noelâs a very nice fella but âtalkativeâ isnât a description of him.
Keeper on the millennium team?
How good was McGarty, Boxty? My father lamented how âhe constantly fed (Cathal) Flynnâ and didnât seem interested in anyone else.
I would not be a bit surprised if this was an Eslin man not wanting to give a Mohill man any credit.
He had everything youâd ask in a footballer despite being 5â8" or thereabouts. His ability as a fielder I always attributed to his timing of the leap at the front of the bunch, he was exceptional at arriving late and blasting away in possession. He had 2 good feet although he favoured his right, an ability to deliver the quick ball forward and Iâd defend Flynn here, in that he would have spotted where it should arrive and Packy would land it there.
There was more to Flynn than being a good free-taker, he could knock them over given space but was a bit one-footed.
McGarty had a searing burst of pace whether carrying it or spurting for the pass, heâd battle with any of them for âdirty ballâ and never, in my years looking at him, resorted to the sly stroke of boot, fist or elbow although he shipped plenty of them.
The best weâve ever produced, a warrior and a thorough gentleman to boot.
What more could you ask for.
Thereâs a mass in Dublin for Leitrim folk every year. It actually might not still be going due to the passing of the regular celebrant, Fr Tom Colreavey who would have family in Portmarnock.
Anyway I went with the oul lad one year and was introduced to Packie at the refreshments after. I can still remember the father saying to me âI hope you realise youâre in the presence of greatnessâ. Packie laughed it off but I knew the oul man was deadly serious.
Nobody like him as far as he was concerned
I have never met the man, which is surprising given my hometown.
He certainly is royalty though.
That was a very good article. Was there ever a book written on that team or can you direct me to anymore articles on them.
I didnât realise that Fr.Tom Colreavy had slipped away RIP. A more than decent footballer in his day, records of his appearances can be found by looking up Tom Gray⌠
Eucinimacle matters and all that.