NAME: Paul McGrane DATE OF BIRTH: 19/7/74 HEIGHT: 6' 1" WEIGHT: 13st CLUB: Ballyhegan COUNTY: Armagh HONOURS: Various medals with St. Colmans College, Newry INTER COUNTY DEBUT: The 1991 Minor Championship versus Down PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Student at Queens, Belfast TOUGHEST OPPONENT: Aren't they all FAVOURITE GROUNDS: Casement Park and Croke Park FAVOURITE POSITION: Midfield or also either of the win forward positions SPORTING AMBITION: To be part of an Armagh team that get their hands on the Sam Maguire DO YOU PLAY ANY OTHER SPORTS? Not really BOYHOOD HEROES: Jack O'Shea FAVOURITE PLAYER: Barry Hughes from my own club and Bob O'Malley of Meath ANY GOOD SPORT IN YARN: A game is never over until the referee blows the final whistle BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON CAREER: Every one of the management team involved with the Armagh minors this summer. Also Fr. Liam Stephenson, Pete McGrath and Ray Morgan in Newry WAYS OF IMPROVING THE GAME: More consistent referees DISLIKES ABOUT THE GAA: As above BEST GAME SEEN: The Meath-Dublin games of 1991 PLAYERS WITH A PROMISING FUTURE: Each one of the Armagh Minors of 1992 HOPES FOR 1993: To be successful with my club, county and the Queens team TELL US ABOUT YOUR CLUB: We are a small rural club situated in the north of the county and operating in Division Four of the Armagh Leagues. We have a very young side at the moment and the spirit is high DID ANY PAST OR PRESENT ARMAGH COUNTY PLAYERS WEAR THE BALLYHEGAN DAVITTS JERSEY? My brother Stephen played with the county minors in 1986 and you might remember Noel Marley back in the 1977 senior side. Barry Hughes was likewise on this year's minor squad while back in 1949 Brian McGrane, an uncle, Eddie McCann RIP and Paddy Joe McKeever all won All-Ireland Minor medals with Armagh YOU WERE CAPTAIN OF THIS YEAR'S EXCELLENT ARMAGH MINOR TEAM: Yes, I was fortunate to be captain. Never before did I play with a more dedicated and committed bunch of players HOW WERE YOU SELECTED AS CAPTAIN? Well, one night just a week before the first round of the Ulster Minor League I was taken aside and told that I would be captain for the year IT MUST HAVE BEEN A GREAT HONOUR FOR YOU TO LEAD YOUR COUNT OUT TO SUCH IMPORTANT GAMES: To me it was a great honour to play for my county but to captain Armagh and in such an important year goes beyond words ARMAGH WON THIS YEAR'S ALL-IRELAND MINOR TITLE EVERYWHERE EXCEPT ON THE SCOREBOARD. YOU MUST HAVE BEEN DEVASTATED WHEN THE REFEREE BLEW THE FULL TIME WHISTLE: In hindsight at 2.40 that Sunday afternoon we were after receiving an important sporting lesson. Yes, we were devastated, it will live with us forever. But if and when such an occasion happens again, we will hopefully be much more prepared WHEN BARRY O'HAGAN WENT TO TAKE THAT LATE '50 AND WAS TOLD HE HAD TO SCORE A POINT DIRECT TO FORCE A DRAW. HOW DID YOU AND YOUR TEAMMATES REACT TO THE REFS INSTRUCTIONS? Our immediate instinct was to get a score, but we feel it was a very harsh decision by the referee and perhaps in a way belittled a very important occasion WHO WERE THE BACKROOM TEAM WITH THE ARMAGH MINORS OF 1992? Team manager - B Ennis; Assistant Manager - Seamus Heffernan; Team Trainer - Liam McCorry; Selectors - Peter McGleenan and Benny O'Rourke; Physio - Paul McCormack; Team Masseur - Paul Cardwell; Assistant Masseur - Danny McAlorum; Kitman - Francie Kierans; County Chairman - Gene Duffy; County Treasurer - Joe Canning; Liaison Officer - Patrick Og Nugent IS THERE MANY OF THE PANEL ELIGIBLE AGAIN IN 1993? Four of the actual team - Kevin O'Hagan, Eamonn Fearon and the terrible twins Diarmuid Marsden and Des Mackin. Also 6 of the 1992 subs are eligible HAVE ANY OF YOUR MINOR TEAMMATES PLAYED WITH THE ARMAGH SENIORS? Ciaran Hagan, who was sub goalkeeper with the Minor team this summer also played with the Armagh Under 21s and recently made his debut for the county seniors in the Kilkenny National Football League game THERE MUST BE A HUGE FUTURE AT SENIOR LEVEL FOR CENTRAL ATTACKERS MARSDEN AND MACKIN: Most certainly, both are very talented players. Their style compliments each others. Both are very dedicated and have a huge future WE ARE TOLD YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE TO GET TO YOUR OWN PLAYING FIELDS? Yes, this is all linked to our parish. Kilmore parish consists of two districts, Ballyhegan and Mullavilly. Unfortunately, as far as I am concerned our pitch is situated in Mullavilly ARMAGH MINORS HAD GREAT SUPPORT FOR THE BIG GAMES IN CROKE PARK. IN THE 70S AND 80S THEY WERE LABELLED THE BEST SUPPORTERS IN THE COUNTRY. DOES THIS TAG STILL HOLD? Without a doubt Armagh support were and are the best in the country. When we came out onto Croke Park for the minor final you would think that Armagh were playing in the senior game, so many were our supporters YOU OBVIOUSLY HOPE TO MAKE THE BREAKTHROUGH TO THE SENIOR PANEL WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO: Yes, very much so, it would be a tremendous honour WHY DO YOU THINK THE ARMAGH SENIORS HAVE BEEN SO POOR IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE TO DATE? I do not think it is because of a lack of effort. The team have enjoyed little luck to date and I am quite sure we will see a new winning Armagh after the winter break ARMAGH TO BUILD ON THE FOUNDATION SET IN 1992 AT MINOR LEVEL AND GO ON TO FUTURE SUCCESS BOTH AT MINOR AND SENIOR LEVEL? 1992 was a good year but it could have been much better. Hopefully we will build on the happenings of the summer gone and go the entire way in 1993 Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 18th December 1992 Vol 2 No 86 Tweet

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