Rossa heroes of ’93 reunite for 30th anniversary of All-Ireland triumph

The players who created history for Skibbereen in 1993 will gather together on Saturday at the West Cork Hotel to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their All-Ireland final triumph, writes TOM LYONS.

THE exploits of the O’Donovan Rossa side of 1992 and 1993 have become the stuff of legend. Having seen off Nemo to claim the 1992 Cork county crown, the Munster title added for good measure and the rewards of the 33-1 betting coup probably spent during a joyous Christmas!

The crowd that greeted the All-Ireland champions on their return to Skibbereen in 1993.

The footballers of O’Donovan Rossa were back on the road in February 1993. This was bonus territory, riches undreamed of on the football pitch. What chance had the first-time, newly-crowned champions of Cork of winning the All-Ireland club title, of bringing home the Andy Merrigan Cup which had never tasted the fresh air of West Cork in its history?
Their neighbours from Castlehaven had come close, but not close enough, to get their hands on the silverware, now it was Rossas’ turn to uphold the pride and honour of West Cork football. Only two Cork clubs had won the title, Nemo Rangers and St. Finbarr’s. In February, 1993, four clubs were still in the running for the All-Ireland title, O’Donovan Rossa of Cork, the Munster champions; Éire Óg of Carlow, the Leinster champions; Lavey of Derry, the Ulster champions, and Knockmore of Mayo, the Connacht champions. Rossa’s had won Munster as they beat then All-Ireland holders Dr Crokes of Kerry at Rossa Park, Skibbereen in November, 1992.

As it transpired, Rossa’s had to travel north to play the Ulster champions Lavey in their own backyard. A daunting task, it seemed the whole of Skibbereen was on the move in cars, trains, and buses. What a battle in Ballinascreen as Lavey tried everything to stop the West Corkmen but with Mick McCarthy playing his magic football, nothing could stop the Rossa juggernaut. McCarthy scored 1-9 that day in a comprehensive 2-10 to 0-4 victory. On St Patrick’s Day 1993, the country bathed in green but Skibbereen was a sea of red as the town went football mad. Éire Óg had beaten Knockmore in the other semi-final, 2-5 to 0-9, and the Carlow champions were installed as favourites to end Skibb dreams.

Not one but two special trains were booked, bus-loads of supporters flowed out of the town in the early hours of the morning, many went to Dublin the night before to make a weekend of it. Planes flew in from Boston and New York carrying exiles home. Bishop John Buckley, who had also made the trip to Derry for the semi-final, led the Skibb contingent from the train station through the streets of Dublin to Croke Park. The Carlow men looked winners all the way until Small Mick intervened again. The Rossa captain, already a legend on the playing fields, was on hand to kick the equalising point 30 seconds from full time, after Éire Óg deservedly led by three points with 15 minutesremaining only to be held scoreless in the final quarter by an heroic Rossa defence, minus the services of the injured Gene O’Driscoll, which earlier conceded three goals. Every Rossa player we spoke to on the train home said the same thing: ‘Haunted to get a draw.’ 1-12 to 3-6 it finished and reality was now setting in, that All-Ireland titles were hard won.

Ten days later they went at it again in the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Nearer to home, the crowd from West Cork was bigger than ever. A record 25,000 attended the game. When the match did get underway, it was another gripper. In poor conditions, the contest went right down to the wire with Rossa’s ahead by two points in the dying seconds. The Carlow men had the ball in the net in injury-time only to have it rightly disallowed for square infringement. Scenes of jubilation at the final whistle, 1-7 to 0-8, as Mick McCarthy raised the Andy Merrigan Cup aloft, celebrations that went on for a week! Champions of Cork, Munster, and All-Ireland. No West Cork team has succeeded in emulating the Skibb men during the past 30 years. The players who created history, for West Cork and Skibbereen, in 1992-1993, will gather together this Saturday in the West Cork Hotel to celebrate the 30th anniversary of that historic win. It should be a marvellous evening of life-long memories, heroic deeds, and marvellous achievements and no doubt time will be taken to specially remember the man who grasped the dream in both hands and made it happen, the unforgettable and much lamented Mick McCarthy, captain supreme.

Mick McCarthy leads the rendition of 'Dear Old Skibbereen' after O'Donovan Rossa's county final triumph.

The team in the replay was – Kevin O’Dwyer, Frank McCarthy, John Evans, John O’Donovan, Gene O’Driscoll, Anthony Davis, Ian Breen, Denis O’Driscoll, Brian O’Donovan, Brian Carmody, Joe O’Driscoll, Don Davis, Neville Murphy, Mick McCarthy (capt.), Pat Davis. Sub used: Michael McCarthy. Neville Murphy and Darragh Whooley played in the drawn
game.