seamus dubhghaill

Promoting Irish Culture and History from Little Rock, Arkansas, USA

Tag Archives: Tyrone GAA


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Birth of Gaelic Footballer Bernard Brogan Jnr

Gaelic footballer Bernard Brogan Jnr is born on April 3, 1984, in Castleknock, Dublin. Born into a famous footballing family, he is the son of former All-Ireland winning and All Star player Bernard Brogan Snr and is the brother of former Dublin players Alan and Paul. His uncle Jim is also a former inter-county footballer for Dublin. Alongside most of his family, he attends St. Declan’s College on Navan Road.

Brogan wins the 2006 Sigerson Cup with Dublin City University (DCU). He scores one point in the game against Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). He is on the 2006 St. Oliver Plunketts/Eoghan Ruadh team that wins the Dublin AFL Division 2 league title with a win over Garda. He is named on the 2006 Dublin Bus/Evening Herald Blue Star football XV at left corner forward.

Brogan scores his first point for Dublin against Fermanagh in the 2007 National Football League (NFL). He makes his Championship debut for Dublin as a late sub in Dublin’s quarter-final win over Meath. He makes his first start for Dublin in the semi-final against Offaly but is substituted in the 45th minute. He regains his position for the final against Laois at Croke Park, scoring 1–01 in Dublin’s 3–14 to 1-14 Leinster title winning game. Along with brother Alan, he is nominated for an All Star Award in 2007 as half forward.

In 2008, Brogan wins the Dublin AFL Division 1 title with St. Oliver Plunketts/Eoghan Ruadh, scoring 1–05 in the final at Parnell Park. It is the first league title in the club’s history. With Dublin he wins the 2008 O’Byrne Cup by beating Longford in the final.

In 2009, Brogan wins another Leinster title with Dublin, but his season ends with defeat to Kerry in the All-Ireland quarter-final.

After an exceptional season for Dublin on the full forward line in 2010, Brogan is awarded an All Star and is named as 2010 Vodafone Footballer of the Year.

In 2011, Brogan wins an All-Ireland title with Dublin, the team’s first All-Ireland since 1995. He scores six points in the final against Kerry. He later reveals his celebrations were cut short as he had to do a drug test straight after the game. He passes with flying colours and resumes his celebrations.

In 2012, Brogan wins another Leinster title when Dublin beats Meath in the final. Then he misses an absolute sitter in the All-Ireland semi-final against Mayo. The miss haunts Brogan as Dublin loses the game by a narrow margin.

Brogan wins the 2013 NFL with Dublin against Tyrone at Cork. He scores five frees in the game. He then wins another Leinster title against Meath and is part of the Dublin team that wins the 2013 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, defeating Mayo by 2–12 to 1-14. Brogan scores 2–03 in the match, is All-Ireland final man of the match and The Sunday Game names him their man of the match and includes him on their team of the year. He is then awarded an All Star for his performances in 2013.

Brogan wins the 2014 NFL with Dublin, but his season comes to an abrupt end when Donegal defeats Dublin in that year’s All-Ireland semi-final, a momentous result that sends shockwaves through the sport.

Following a third All-Ireland Senior Football title in September 2015, Brogan is appointed captain of the Ireland national international rules football team for the 2015 Series against Australia.

On October 24, 2019, Brogan announces his retirement from inter-county football. In total he plays 116 games for Dublin, league and championship, scoring 36 goals and 344 points (452), making him Dublin’s third top scorer of all time, behind Dean Rock (14-419; 461 in 89 games) and Jimmy Keaveney (30-402; 492 in 104 games).

In 2021, Brogan presents an episode of Shoulders of Giants, commissioned by Irish broadcaster RTÉ. In the programme, he charts the life and times of the former Dublin Gaelic footballer, and later manager, Kevin Heffernan, as well as the legacy he left Dublin football. The programme airs on RTÉ on December 12, 2021.


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Death of Martin McCaughey, Sinn Féin Councillor & IRA Volunteer

Gerard Patrick Martin McCaughey, Sinn Féin councillor and volunteer in the East Tyrone Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), is killed by undercover British Army soldiers in County Armagh on October 9, 1990, along with fellow IRA volunteer Dessie Grew.

McCaughey, from Aughnagar, Galbally, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, is born on February 24, 1967, the oldest son of Owen and Bridget McCaughey. He is a boyhood friend of several of the “Loughgall Martyrs” including Declan Arthurs, Seamus Donnelly, Tony Gormley and Eugene Kelly, with whom he travels to local discos and football matches when they are growing up.

McCaughey is a talented Gaelic football player who plays for local side Galbally Pearses and is also selected for the Tyrone minor Gaelic team.

McCaughey is elected as a Sinn Féin councillor for Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council and at the time is the youngest elected representative on the island of Ireland.

Two months prior to his shooting, McCaughey is disqualified from holding his office on the council as he had failed to appear for a monthly council meeting. After his death, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) reveals the explanation behind his disappearance. He had been shot and wounded in a shoot-out with undercover British Army security forces near Cappagh, County Tyrone. He is then taken south across the Irish border into the Republic of Ireland where he is given hospital treatment and therefore unable to attend the meetings.

Ulster Unionist MP and fellow Dungannon councillor Ken Maginnis alleges that McCaughey had conspired to kill him while both sat as councillors.

McCaughey is shot dead on October 9, 1990, along with Dessie Grew, in an operation by undercover British soldiers. A secret undercover intelligence unit named 14 Intelligence Company, also known as the DET, are monitoring three AK-47s at a farm building in a rural part of County Armagh and are aware that the pair are due to remove the guns.

As McCaughey and Grew are approaching an agricultural shed which is being used to grow mushrooms and also thought to be an IRA arms dump, as many as 200 shots are fired at the two men. British Army reports of the shooting state that the two men left the shed holding two rifles. Republican sources state the men were unarmed.

McCaughey is buried at Galbally Cemetery in October 1990.

The family of McCaughey claims that he and Grew were ambushed after a stakeout by the Special Air Service (SAS). In January 2002, Justice Weatherup, a Northern Ireland High Court judge, orders that official military documents relating to the shooting should be disclosed. However, Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Hugh Orde has the ruling overturned on appeal in January 2005.

Fellow Sinn Féin representative, Francie Molloy, replaces McCaughey on Dungannon Council after a by-election is held following McCaughey’s death.

In January 2007, the lawyers representing McCaughey and another volunteer, Pearse Jordan, apply to the House of Lords to challenge the details of how the inquests into their deaths are to proceed.

McCaughey’s father, Owen, seeks to compel Chief Constable Hugh Orde to produce key documents including intelligence reports relevant to the shooting and the report of the RUC’s investigating officer.

In 2010, a commemorative portrait of McCaughey is unveiled in the mayor’s parlour at Dungannon council.