AIB Ulster Club Hurling Championship semi-final preview – Slaughtneil v Dunloy
Slaughtnei’s Colin McEldowney in action against Dunloy’s Ciaran McGrath and Seamus ‘Mush’ McMullan during the 2000 Ulster final at Casement Park. Pic by John McIlwaine
Many younger hurling fans will feel Sunday’s meeting between Slaughtneil and Dunloy is an exciting new venture, but the sides met seventeen years ago in the final of the Ulster Club Hurling Championship back in 2000. The Cuchullains were dominating Antrim hurling back them, and though they had lost the 1999 title to Cushendall, that was to be their only defeat in seven years of dominance. Slaughtneil were contesting an Ulster final for the first time but the side back then were no match for the men in green and lost heavily.
Writing in the Ballymena Guardian back then Jim Smyth opened his report with these words…………
Hurling in Derry may have come on by leaps and bounds in recent years. In this Ulster decider, however between the cream of Antrim and Derry, it became clear that there is still quite a bridge to cross. Dunloy were simply in a class of their own and at no stage did the men from Slaughtneil prove any danger.
How things have changed since then. Slaughtneil crossed that bridge last year when they beat Loughgiel to become the first Derry team to lift the Four Seasons Cup and they go into Sunday’s game confident they can keep that run going.
In that first final of the new Millennium the Cuchullains were dominant from the start and after midfielder Colm McGuckian put them ahead in the second minute they were never headed. Gregory O’Kane caught the puck-out and put it back between the Slaughtneil posts. Dermot Doherty pulled one back for the Derry champions from a free but Dunloy took full control and by half time they were 2-7 to 0-3 to the good, the goals coming from centre-half forward Seamus ‘Mushy’ McMullan (from a 25 yard grounds stroke) and the other from Paddy Richmond.
Five minutes into the second half Ciaran McGrath, one of three brothers who saw action that day) grabbed Dunloy’s third goal and nine minutes from time Liam Richmond got the fourth. Slaughtneil came with a late burst of points Paudric Dougan, Jim Kelly, Declan Cassidy and Dermot Doherty as Dunloy emptied their bench.
The teams who lined out that day were
Dunloy : Shane Elliott, Sean McIlhatton, Damien McMullan, Drankie McMullan, Paudie McMullan, Gary O’Kane, Sean Mullan, Conor Cunning (0-2), Colm McGuckian (0-2), Gregory O’Kane (0-4), Seamus McMullan 1-3), Liam Richmond (1-1), Ciaran McGrath (1-0).
Subs – Nigel Elliott, Jarlath Elliott (0-1), Michael McClements, Malachy Molloy.
Slaughtneil: – Owen McGuigan, Francis Downey, Barney McEldowney, Declan Kearney, Paddy McEldowney, Colm McEldowney, Colm McEldowney, Pauric Kelly, Declan Cassidy, Francis Burke, Fergal McEldowney, Pauric McKay, Dermot Doherty (0-5), Aidan Quigg (0-1), Mark Cassidy, Danny McMullan.
Subs – Michael Kearney, JB McNicholl, Pauric Dougan (0-1), Jim Kelly 0-1)
Referee – Gerard Dougan (Armagh)
A few men who played in that final in 2000 will be involved again on Sunday. For Slaughtneil Dermot Doherty, Barney McEldowney and Patrick McEldowney will be part of the management team while for Dunloy team manager Gregory O’Kane and selectors Liam Richmond and Shane Elliott were all key members of the side. However there was one man who played that day who is still involved on the playing side of things. Michael McClements was a young sub, on the cusp of a great career when he came on in the second half of that 2000 final and he will be on the bench again on Sunday. It would be some achievement if he was to see action again SEVENTEEN years later.
Mickey McClements with his sons after the county final win over Cushendall came on as a sub when Dunloy beat Slaughtneil seventeen years ago in the 2000 Ulster final at Casement Park. (He even wore the right number for the pic)