After the disappointment of losing the 1992 Final to Greencastle, Kildress re-grouped well in 1993. Captained by Paul Mullin we won the Frank O’Neill Cup (our first adult success since the 1974 East Tyrone IFL title) with a 1-11 to 1-3 victory over Eskra at Loughmacrory (on their ‘old’ pitch). However, we then dropped out of the Championship, losing a 1-12 to 2-10 thriller at Galbally to Aghaloo, County man Hugh Douglas’ two second half goals being decisive.
That brought us into 1994 facing a ninth successive year in the Junior Grade but knowing too that things were on the rise.
‘Is maith an t-anlann an t-ocras … Hunger is the best sauce’
Damian Grimes took charge of our team, assisted by Kieran Kelly and with Martin McElkennon as trainer. As the season went on, we also had vital inputs from two of the GAA’s greatest-ever managers, Mickey Harte and Eamon Coleman, whose joint CVs were to include (among much else) 8 x All-Irelands, 15 x Ulster titles and 3 x NFLs.
A Jason Mulgrew goal was decisive in a 1-8 to 0-5 First Round win over Dregish which led to a Quarter-Final meeting with Fintona. Goals from Sean Tracey and Oliver Gallagher helped The Tones to a 2-8 to 0-9 win, with Paddy McGurk, a Tyrone Minor that season, our star man on the day.
The Semi-Final set Kildress against Championship favourites Strabane and in the Junior ‘game of the year’ we just edged it by 0-16 to 1-10. Sean Tracey’s outstanding eight points were critical, but so too was the input from the team’s ‘youthful veteran’, Mickey McNally.
So, to Donaghmore on Sunday 7 August 1994, where nothing was going to stop us as we won our second Tyrone Junior Championship with a spectacular 4-10 to 3-7 win over Brackaville in front of a great and enthusiastic crowd.
Despite being clear and deserved winners, we were still very grateful that Kieran McHugh chose that day to produce his greatest-ever display in goals, with several outstanding saves over the course of the game. And Colman Mulgrew was, well, just Colman Mulgrew, our stylist supreme on the day.
That history-making team was: Kieran McHugh | Frankie Corey, Mickey McNally, Raymould Heagney | Darren Conway, Colman Mulgrew, Shane Devlin (0-1) | Jason Mulgrew (0-3), Anthony Loughran | Paddy McGurk, Sean Tracey (1-3), Oliver Gallagher | Peter Jackson (2-1), Ciaran Loughran (1-1), Joe Gilligan (0-1) | Martin Keenan, Adrian McKenna, Cathal Corey, Gerry Devlin, Noel Loughran, Adrian Loughran, Shane Conway, Barry Quinn, Shane Gallagher, Aiden Corey and John A. McGurk.
Errigal Ciaran’s Eamon Mullan was referee, Tyrone great Sean McNally Captained Brackaville (who would come back to win the Title two years later) and County Vice-Chair Paul Doris presented the Cup to our Captain, Sean Tracey.
