Month of Triumph for Monaghan GAA Fans, as Recounted by Frank McNally, 4 Decades Ago
Monaghan's Journey to the All-Ireland Semi-Finals: A Clash with Kerry in 1985
Monaghan GAA's history is marked by valiant efforts, but the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final has remained elusive. One of the most memorable encounters for the county was the 1985 All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry.
In the heat of the 1985 championship, Monaghan faced Kerry in a highly anticipated semi-final match. Despite a valiant effort, Kerry emerged victorious, ending Monaghan's hopes of reaching the final that year. Eamonn McEneaney, a Monaghan legend, scored a famous long-distance equaliser in the game, with the distance of the free kick estimated to be nearer 70 meters in 2021.
The 1985 semi-final wasn't Monaghan's first encounter with Kerry in the championship. However, it's worth clarifying that Monaghan did not play Kerry in the 1930 All-Ireland final or semi-final. The 1930 All-Ireland final was contested by a different team, and Monaghan was not a part of it.
Kerry, on the other hand, were the opponents in the 1930 All-Ireland final, where they secured a win. The 1930 final was dubbed "the last battle of the Civil War" due to the political tensions of the time, and Kerry was successful, winning by a score of 3-11 to 0-2.
The narrator, stranded overnight on a back road to Athlone after a rookie tactical error during hitchhiking, experienced a long, dark night of soul, reminiscent of the plight of Mayo fans who have yet to taste All-Ireland glory. Meanwhile, a young Monaghan exile in the city walked with a swagger and expected victory, much like the county's team in the 1985 semi-final.
In the 1930s, Kerry was going for their fourth consecutive All-Ireland win, a feat they achieved by defeating Cork in the final. Eoin O'Duffy, the Garda commissioner and a former GAA administrator, was associated with Monaghan in 1930, but it was Kerry who would lift the trophy that year.
The Monaghan GAA men's senior team's closest experience to reaching another All-Ireland final was in August 1985. Despite the victory, Monaghan failed to score the necessary goals to win the game against Kerry, and their journey to the All-Ireland final remained unfulfilled.
Despite Monaghan's valiant efforts, Kerry's dominance in the 1930s and 1980s, including many finals and semi-finals, is well documented. Kerry is recognized as the most successful football team historically, with numerous titles in the 1930s, 1970s, and 1980s and a significant rivalry mostly with Dublin rather than Monaghan.
For a more detailed history of Monaghan GAA or their matches against Kerry, including exact scores or match reports of the 1985 semi-final, that information can be found in specific GAA archives or historical sports records.
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