Remembering how rivalry drew 20,000 people to Casement Park

IMAGINE 20,000 people at a Dr McKenna Cup match. Imagine the queues on the M1 as Tyrone fans mingle with their Armagh counterparts. Imagine Casement Park buzzing with excitement as these two proud counties continue their intense rivalry.

It’s hard to imagine all those scenarios now in 2025. Casement Park lies derelict, the Dr McKenna Cup is no more and we’ll probably be fortunate enough to get 20,000 at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones for this Saturday evening’s Ulster semi-final.

But still Tyrone and Armagh endure, just as they did on that January Sunday nearly 20 years ago. Fans travelling to that McKenna Cup clash weren’t overly concerned about the time. After all, traffic jams and problem parking aren’t usually top of the priority list at the start of the year.

On that Sunday afternoon, the Tyrone team was in Casement early. It was just as well considering how the long, slow queue of traffic snailed frustratingly slowly past Sprucefield and into West Belfast. In the dressing-room that day was Killyclogher’s EoIn Bradley.

Even though he had been part of the panel which won the All-Ireland in 2005, he was still anxious to prove his worth as Mickey Harte deliberated on what players would be part of his plans for the 2006 National League and Championship.

“That game took place at the peak of the rivalry with Armagh during those years. I was marking one of the McEntees that day and he roved out around midfield which suited me well because that was a role which I definitely preferred,” he said.

“We got in before the crowd. The team was getting ready in the changing-rooms when we heard that the game was being delayed for a short while to let the crowd in.The Casement changing-rooms weren’t the most glamorous in the world.

“The crowd wasn’t a big thing at that time. It was common enough for big attendances at that time. It was the year after we won the All-Ireland so there was a lot of interest. We had played Down in the previous McKenna Cup game and there was a lot of determination to do well again against Armagh.”

Tyrone’s pre-season efforts in 2006 came just weeks after the team had returned from a holiday in Jamaica. However, any fears of the team being rusty were quickly dispelled as they proceeded to produce top quality form against the Orchard county.

This semi-final clash had all the ingredients of a quality championship encounter. It was scrappy, 10 players were booked and, amid all the excitement the Red Hands forged their way to a memorable victory. A final against Monaghan awaited, and the satisfaction at recording another win over their old rivals was clear among both the players and management as they warmed down on the Casement pitch afterwards.

“The game was five days after we came back from holiday. I cracked two of my ribs in the Down game and probably shouldn’t have played against Armagh. But there was word that Mickey was going to take a look at lads so I felt that this was my last opportunity,” added Bradley.

“I knew I had to play well to get into the league panel. It was the high point of the rivalry. There seemed to be a good crowd at all the McKenna Cup matches that year. I only played in Casement about three times, but it was a great stadium to play because the surface and everything about it was brilliant.

“That was probably my best game for Tyrone. Me and Michael McGee stayed in Belfast that night for work and I remember being in a bar and we ran into Oisin McConville. He said I’d had a good game and to get praise from him was good.

“There was a real bit between Armagh and Tyrone. That was a very physical game with a lot of big hits. It was just great to be playing in it.”

Fast-forward almost exactly 20 years and the tables are turned with Armagh going into this latest clash as Sam Maguire Cup holders. A bumper attendance is being anticipated, and for Eoin Bradley, the excitement is building again.

“This game is going to be no different. There is always that rivalry and bite. Neither team wants to lose. The fact that Armagh are All-Ireland champions makes it an even bigger game. Listening and reading various things I don’t think they have got the respect that they deserve for winning the All-Ireland and I think they’ll be out to prove themselves again.

“The pressure is probably more on them than Tyrone. But Malachy O’Rourke is putting in place a new team, we’re going in a little under the radar. Tyrone have nothing to lose and the good performance against Cavan sets us up well for what will be a big test.”