Earlier today, Tyrone emphatically dispatched the challenge of Derry in the first round of the Ulster football Championship.
There was a time however, when the momentum was more evenly distributed between the two sides. According to Joe Brolly in his Sunday Independent column today, they 'used to whoop Tyrone's asses more often than not,' or at least that's how he remembers it.
For the football fans who can recall the GAA championships of the 90's, the image of Joe Brolly blowing kisses to the crowd after scoring a goal, is an iconic memory.
Writing about the rivalry they shared with Tyrone in those days, Brolly remembers an occasion when his brother made a special request before the teams met in an Ulster Championship clash. And it ultimately resulted in that distinguished celebration.
"I remember one Ulster semi-final, I think it was possibly 1997, where before I left the house, my brother Proinnsias said to me, his voice filled with emotion. 'I've never asked you for anything Joe. I'm asking you now (pause) . . . Score a goal against these b******s today. And blow kisses. Sicken them.'"
"Anything else?" I asked, laughing."
"Not that I can think of offhand."
He duly obliged and tucked the ball away at some point during the encounter to put the game beyond contest territory.
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