32 IRISH DAILY STAR Saturday June 22 2019 REPORTS COMMENT EXCLUSIVE Brian Brian Brian FLANAGAN FLANAGAN FLANAGAN REPORTS COMMENT EXCLUSIVE [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] LOYAL ROYAL: I DON’T LOOKFormer Meath Brian Brian Brian LEINSTER SFC goalkeeper Greg FLANAGAN FLANAGAN FLANAGAN Twomey is still a REPORTS COMMENT EXCLUSIVE keen supporter of [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] the team; (left) Colm O’Rourke gets a IT WAS a prequel to the FINAL shot away from Gerry Hargan and iconic 1991 four-game Dublin John O’Leary of series that’s been lost in v Meath Dublin in 1983 time. Dublin and Meath’s epic Croke Park, Leinster Championship saga Tomorrow 4pm 28 years ago has been etched in GAA folklore with books writ- LIVE RTE Brian FLANAGAN Brian FLANAGAN ten, documentariesBrian FLANAGAN made, and REPORTS COMMENT dozens of stories told. EXCLUSIVE [email protected] [email protected] But eight [email protected] earlier in 1983 many of the same faces featured in a pulsating two- game provincial quarter-final battle which ended in Dublin winning a thrilling replay in extra-time and going on to controversially lift the Sam Maguire that September. There’s no footage on YouTube, very few photo- graphs, andBrian a surprisingly-low FLANAGAN attendance of just 25,000 were EXCLUSIVE at both games. But one man who’[email protected] never for- get that June afternoon, for the wrong reasons, is former Meath goalkeeper Greg Twomey. He’ll take his seat in Croke Park today, stare down at the Hill 16 end, and most likely shudder. Twomey should have been a ghost ‘Thank from Meath’s past — a central figure in a footballing horror God there story that haunted Sean Boylan’s first season in charge of was no the Royal County footballers. His two errors in social the second-half of the drawn game con- tributed to Dublin media or surviving to snatch a lucky draw — an untold opening chap- forums ter in the story of their iconic ‘12 Apostles’ All-Ireland back than win. Club either’ But he dusted him- self down. Took it on the chin, and devoted 23-year-old Mick Kennedy his life to Meath GAA, Twomey mis- wouldn’t have playing on with his DIFFICULT START: Debut- judged the Twomey has learned to live withbeen far away in club, serving as an season Meath boss Sean flight and St Margarets. I officer with club and Boylan (right) after the 1983 allowed the ball the whole day. know Barney too and we see each County Board and Leinster quarter-final replay to drop behind He got away other regularly but we’ve never even becoming the him and into costly errors in ’83 with it! discussed it to be honest. very first chairperson the net. “People were “Things were so different back of the Donaghmore/ With just 11 very decent then to how they are now. Back then Ashbourne Ladies minutes Not that I remember anyway. afterwards saying it was ‘hard you trained twice a week and you section. good years since. I know Meath are remaining, Twomey was again “The second goal was very unfor- luck’. I knew a lot of the Dublin might have had a game or a chal- “You just had to get on with going through a lean spell now but involved when his attempted clear- tunate. It hit off Phil Smith’s chest team well at the time. I went to lenge match at the weekend. That it. You can make any amount of I’ve a season ticket and have been ance was blocked down at the right and went in. school in Beneavin College in was it. Now it’s five or six nights a mistakes out the field and get to all the league games this year corner flag by Dublin corner-for- “We knew we’d missed a big Finglas and would have played a lot week for the inter-county players. away with them but unfortu- bar one and their three ward Tommy Conroy. chance when we went into the of football with lads from St County players back then couldn’t nately in goals you don’t. Championships games.” Slagging dressing room afterwards. The ele- Margarets, Ballymun and Erins have committed to that.” Thank God there was no social The first of Twomey’s two night- ment of surprise was gone. That Isle,” added Twomey (59), who has a Debut media or forums back then mare moments came five minutes He sent in a low searching cross was a big part of it. We felt we’d lost strong Meath accent despite being either,” says Twomey, who’s into the second half. and to the horror of Meath support- a big chance to beat them,” says born and raised a five iron from the ‘Hurling man’ Sean Boylan had Donaghmore/Ashbourne club Meath were hanging on grimly to ers, corner-back Phil Smith, in Twomey, who was dropped for the Dublin border. been handed the job as Meath train- is also the home of Andrew a 0-5 to 0-4 advantage when attempting to field the ball, only replay and never played for Meath “People do still mention what hap- er the previous September and as he Colgan, who’ll mind the net for Dublin’s Barney Rock sent in a succeeded in helping it to the net. again. pened in 1983, particularly the prepared to face Dublin in a Meath in tomorrow’s Leinster speculative shot towards the Hill “Barney Rock went for a point “A few things didn’t go right, and Dublin lads,” he jokes. Leinster SFC quarter-final he was Final clash with Dublin. 16 goal from about 40 yards out. and I just misjudged it I’d say. I some other things went against us “I would have played schools foot- presented with a goalkeeping “It doesn’t haunt me. You get There appeared to be no immi- didn’t really hear any slagging too. I think Gerry Hargan had a ball with John Kearns, who started conundrum. over that. We’ve had so many nent danger for Meath, but the coming from the Hill to be honest. hold of Colm O’Rourke’s jersey for midfield for Dublin that day, and Regular number one Jimmy Fay, IRISH DAILY STAR Saturday June 22 2019 49 BACKJUNE 12, 1983 INJULY 3, 1983 ANGER DUBLIN 2-8 MEATH 2-8 DUBLIN 3-9 MEATH 0-16 (AET) COLGAN IMPROVING LEINSTER SFC Q-FINAL LEINSTER SFC Q-FINAL REPLAY THE first game saw Kevin Heffernan’s ANOTHER goalkeeping error and a missed WITH EVERY GAME Dublin snatch a draw from the jaws of penalty came back to haunt Meath in a defeat. thrilling replay. ANDREW COLGAN will be the Twomey’s two errors helped Dublin steal Sean Briody allowed a Brian Jordan first goalkeeper from the n Brian FLANAGAN two goals in a game Meath dominated but 30-yard shot slip under him after just five Donaghmore/Ashbourne club they also suffered bad luck up the other minutes in a game that finished 0-14 to 2-8 since Greg Twomey to face “It was the GAA club that Dublin in the Leinster SFC. introduced him to goalkeep- end with Colm O’Rourke hitting the after 70 minutes. Dublin led by eight points ing and realised his potential crossbar. at one stage but Meath fought back and Colgan has also faced a battle to impress supporters. and he went on from there. Second-half goals from Ben Tansey and scored ten points to Dublin’s two in the He took a while to make an closing 20 minutes - Mick Downes also His error against Donegal in O’Roukre put Meath in control of a game their February Allianz League impact. He travelled to where Joe Cassells policed the returning missing a penalty - with a late JJ Australia and took a year out McCormack point forcing extra-time. Division 2 clash in Ballybofey Anton O’Toole well. cost Meath a famous victory but when he came back he But Dublin kept within arm’s reach and a Rock got the crucial score in extra-time while he was less than steady was hardly off the plane last-minute free from Kieran Duff took the when punching a goal. in their narrow win over before Andy McEntee game to a replay. Offaly in the opening round brought him straight to DUBLIN: J O’Leary, M Holden, G Hargan, R Hazley, P of the Leinster SFC. Navan for training. DUBLIN: J O’Leary, M Kennedy, G Hargan, R Canavan (0-1), T Drumm. PJ Buckley, B Mullins, J Kearns (0-1), B Rock (2-3), W Hughes, B Jordan (1-0), But a solid performance Talent Hazely, T Drumm, P McGrath, PJ Buckley, J against Carlow was backed Kearns (0-3), B Mullins, B Rock (1-1), A O’Toole A McCaul, A O’Toole (0-1), K Duff (0-3). Subs. J “McEntee was on his case (0-2), K Duff (0-2), T Conroy, J McNally, A McCaul. Roynane (for Mullins), T Conroy (for Hughes), B up with a brilliant save and straight away when he heard Subs. B Jordan (for McCaul), G O’Neill (for Conroy). Mullins (for Kearns), C Redmond (for McCaul), G kicking display in the 11-point he was home. Andy would MEATH: G Twomey, P Smith, M Lyons, P Lyons, P O’Neill (for Jordan).