Ulster Football Championship semi-final 2009 (Clones)
Antrim v Cavan
As I scrawled through my photo archives looking for pics from the Cavan v Antrim Ulster championship opener at Breffni Park in 2020, my mind wandered back to that famous Saturday night back in 2009 when the same sides met in the Ulster SFC semi-final in Clones.
I recall, it was one of those will I-wont I moments. A drive to Clones for an 8.00pm kick-off is not the most attractive of propositions. I’d made a few phone calls earlier to see if anyone I knew was travelling or wanted a lift and came up with blanks.
After biting the bullet and deciding this was a game that I couldn’t miss I discovered after travelling a few miles that I had forgot my press pass and had to return home and collect it. Perhaps fate was telling me to stay at home.
I decided to go and for a second time the fairly lengthy journey to Clones began. As I arrived in the little Monaghan town I was pleasantly surprised at the number of Antrim Gaels who had travelled to cheer on Liam ‘Baker’ Bradley’s side.
What followed is now written in the annals of history. Antrim recorded a comprehensive victory over Cavan. Clones was ablaze in a seas of saffron, the feel good factor was unbelievable and this punter quietly thanked God for the win and the fact that I had decided to make the journey.
Back to my search through the archives for photographs and there was one photograph that jumped out at me. A young Michael McCann played a big part in that famous win and the Erin’s Own man was back in action at Breffni 11 years later against the same opposition.
Paddy Cunningham and Kevin O’Boyle were two more Antrim greats that played in both of those games but both have departed the scene following a brief return to the Saffron colours which culminated in a NFL Division 4 success in 2021.
McCann is still there however and has been an ever present in the Antrim side this season and has become an even more important cog in the side, directing matters from deep and reading situations like no other Antrim player can.
His manager, Enda McGinley stated lately that had McCann been a Tyrone man he would have won multiple Ulster Championship medals and All Star nominations and it’s hard to disagree with McGinley’s assessment.
So on Saturday all roads lead to Corrigan Park and there will be no reservations in this scribes mind on masking the journey. The Saffron Sea of colour that greeted me 13 years ago in Clones is likely to be even more profound and colourful as Antrim enjoy a first ‘Home’ game in the Ulster Championship for over a decade.
Tomorrow we will take a look at Saturday’s game against Cavan in Belfast. For now I thank God I decided to make the journey to Clones that Saturday night back in 2009. I thank Michael McCann and his colleagues for the memories they created that Saturday night and I’m sure the Erin’s Own man and his present colleagues will make more memories come Saturday.
