The legendary Hughie Tim Boyle, a man who gave everything to the cause of Donegal football, by Cormac McGill Donegal's football class of '93, players and mentors are etched indelibly in the footballing folklore of the county. Their deeds will be recalled and retold at many a fireside, mart, church game and pub counter. Dare we take a scripture quotation and say that where two or three sons of Tir Chonaill are gathered in football conversations, the names of Molloy, McHugh, Murray, Gallagher, Boyle and Gavigan etc. will be in their midst. But there are other great names and let us never, as GAA folk, forget them. Since my first championship in 1937, I have learned to live with Donegal football disappointments. Hope was dulled but never extinguished. In Donegal, we kept producing a succession of top class players, the problem being maybe that we never could just muster fifteen together at the same time. There would be other reasons too why the arrival of Sam was delayed. Among these probably was the lack of organisation behind the scenes. Parochialism in matters of selection would be a major factor. A second class citizen mentality saw us lose to lesser teams year after year. We showed a lack of self belief. It took Donegal until 1963 to reach an Ulster Final and nine more years to win one. There is no more to football than mere winning. There is the game, there is the individual and how he plays that game. Of these we always had fine stock - great players but like Roscommon's Gerry O'Malley and the late Aidan Brady, Iggy Jones of Tyrone, Kevin Armstrong of Antrim and many, many others, that final piece never quite fell into our footballing jigsaw until last September. I recall some great names I have seen wear the beloved green and gold down the long arches of those years, men who have deserved an All-Ireland medal, men who gave everything they had to the cause they all loved - the cause of Donegal football. Ballyshannon gave us Sean Slevin, the late Red Jack, Mick Melly, Jim 'The Natch' Gallagher, Jackie McDermott, Mickey McLoone and Adrian McShea. Neighbours Bundoran, in the amalgamation rowed in with Bernard Brady, Seamie Grannaghan, Declan O'Carroll and the maestro himself, Brian McEniff. Donegal town gave us Patsy Brogan, Austin Briody and Donal Monaghan. Sean MacChumaills, the Stranorlar/Ballybofey club pitched in with such stalwarts as Joe Carroll, the McFeelys, the Laffertys and Alo Thompson. From the cathedral town of Letterkenny, great names such as goalkeeper Seamus Hoare, twenty five championship appearances and four Railway Cup medals, Finn Gallagher, Peadar McGeehan, Charlie Collins, Michael Ronaghan, John Hannigan and hosts of others. The full list of greats would take more space than my editor will allow. From the Ardara Glenties area came Vinny McHugh, Columba McDyer and the recently deceased Jim Maxwell. Gaoth Dobhair Then there was, is and always will be Gaoth Dobhair, famed in football, song and story, in literature and poetry, an teanga binn blasta co beo inniu is a bhi ariamh. The period 1941-1961 was their golden era. In that time they won senior championships in '41, '44, '45, '46, '47, '49, '53, '54, '55, '56. They lost the finals in '48 and '60. In the same period they added the Democrat Cup (Donegal senior football league) in '42, '46, '50 and '53. Gaoth Dobhair of that era gave Donegal many of its greatest players. Francie Mooney, Hudie Beag of Railway Cup fame, the Breslins, the Coyles, Paddy and the late Barney, uncles of Meath's Colm, MJ Gallagher, Anton Rodgers, Jim McFadden, reckoned by many as one of the greatest ever fielders of a ball, Jackie Gallagher, Cormac Breslin, a sub with Louth in '57 and later Neily Gallagher. These are but a few jewels in the Gaoth Dobhair football crown and arguably the brightest jewel of them all, the subject of our article, Hughie Tim Boyle. Hughie Tim came into that side as a mere slip of a seventeen year old gasur. For those of us who remember club football of that era, that is in itself a very definite statement of football talent. Games were hard, tough, rough in those days and very few boys of seventeen were sent on men's footballing errands. If a boy of seventeen were to succeed in club football, he would need talent away above the ordinary. Hughie Tim had the brains, hands and feet for any company, the courage and fortitude necessary for a teenager to play men's games. Those of us who recall the era can vouch for the fact that probably nothing short of a direct violation of God's fifth commandment would have a referee name or even worse, sideline a player. You took your medicine and continued, ensuring you would be first into the tackle the next time. Ligaments, tendons, sinews, groin strain, 'dead leg' and those other fancy modern injuries would come later. The greatest fear any player had was to be seen pulling back in the tackle. You did not stop to work out the percentages were it a 60/40 ball or a 50/50 one. You just made it yours and made sure the other chap did not make it his, lest the derisory cheers from the sideline would cause you eternal shame, a shame that not alone would reflect on you but on all your immediate family circle. Into that footballing maelstrom was seventeen year old Hughie Tim launched. I suppose it is a mark of the man's fame and popularity that his surname is rarely mentioned. He is known simply as Hughie Tim, the Boyle being surplus to requirement where football folk are concerned. Such is his niche in the world of Donegal football. There was only one Hughie Tim. From 1945 to 1955, he wore the Donegal colours with a fierce pride, a pride that made him a decided asset to the county team and a pride that made opponents quake when the Gaoth Dobhair man hove in sight. A footballing whirlwind that is still spoken of with reverence in Donegal and, indeed, further afield. Fair and fearless was Hughie Tim. He first wore the Donegal colours in 1945 against Armagh but his inter county championship debut was against Cavan in 1946. He fielded at right corner back alongside the man who would later win All-Ireland medals with Mayo, Paddy Prendergast. Mickey Gallen of Kilygordon and Convoy was on the left. Behind them was the pride of Clochan Liath, goalkeeper Charlie Campbell who made thirteen championship appearances for Donegal, replaced in 1955 by Seamus Hoare. While I mentioned many of the greats of that era at the head of the story, Hughie tim, when we spoke, went on to extol players such as Frank Brennan (Ardara), recently retired national school teacher 'Big' Frank O'Donnell, Pat English, later to play with Roscommon, Tom Wickham and Sean McGetterick of the Killybegs' club, Jim 'Cookie' Boyle and Dan Bonnar, the Doocharty man, father of Donegal star Declan and his brother Sean and Donal, who also saw service in the county jersey. As a senior inter county player, Hughie was to fill many roles for Donegal. Starting off as right corner back against Cavan in '46, he held that position the following year against Antrim. Gaining in experience, he was moved to fill the centre half back berth, again against Antrim at Corrigan Park in '48 when the game was abandoned due to the atrocious weather. Antrim went on to win the replay, 4-5 to 1-4, an Antrim team peopled by such as the late Kevin Armstrong, Sean Gibson, Paddy O'Hara whom you hear doing the GAA on BBC radio, Harry O'Neill, Bill Feeney and Lt. Sean Gallagher, yes, an Irish army officer player for a team from the 'Wee Six', a story for another day. "Great players all," Hughie told me. In the draw Ulster championship with down in 1950, he partnered Joe Carroll at midfield but in '51 and '52, we find him at left full back but at right half in the replay with Antrim. He was also at right half back for the Dr. Lagan Cup winning team of that year. Against Tyrone in '53, he wore the Number 11 jersey. In'54, also against Tyrone, he was at left full back and again in '55 for the Cavan game. The good player is always versatile. His club mate, the late Barney Coyle, was at left full back in 1956. A word maybe about the Lagan Cup team of '52. The Lagan Cup was an Ulster based competition, now sadly defunct, that allowed passage into the National Football League closing stages. It was a memorable day at Croke Park for the footballing neophytes from Tir Chonaill. This was the Donegal senior team's first ever visit to headquarters. A great deal of the Donegal supporters in the 50,000 crowd that day were seeing Pairc an Chrocaigh for the first time. So, lest we ever forget I take this opportunity to remind you of those great men who made the historic breakthrough and amongst them Hughie Tim with fellow Gaoth Dobhair players MJ Gallagher and the Coyle brothers, Patsy and the late Barney. A proud day for Tir Chonaill and a proud day for Gaoth Dobhair. The team sheet read: Con Halpin (St. Eunans), Patsy Brogan (Donegal town), Pearse Dawson (St. Eunans), Barney Coyle (Gweedore), HT Boyle (Gweedore), Jim 'The Natch' Gallagher (Ballyshannon, captain), Peadar McGeehan (St. Eunans), MJ Gallagher (Gweedore), Big Frank O'Donnell (Killybegs), Frankie Brennan (Ardara), Conal McAuley (Killybegs), Charlie Collins (St. Eunans), Paddy Coyle (Gweedore), Tom Wickham (Killybegs) and Sean McGetterick (Killybegs), Great Players Hughie Tim made at least five appearances for Ulster. In that period he played with and against the very best in the land. Their names rolled easily off his tongue when we spoke. And what a host of names that was, names like Kevin Armstrong for whom I detected a special regard, the late Iggy Jones of Tyrone, a man Hughie assured me you simply could not mark as he had the deceptive change of football on his solo run just as you prepared to tackle. Into his personal Hall of Fame swam names like Derry's Jim McKeever and Frankie Niblock, Cavan's Bill Doonan, John Joe Reilly, the 'Gunner' and Philip Duke all sadly no longer with us, Jim McCullagh of Armagh, Hughie McKearney of Monaghan, Victor Sherlock, Peter Donoghue and Tony Tighe. He spoke of Columba McDywer, the man of many footballing travels ending with an All-Ireland medal in the Polo Grounds in '47 and a native of Glenties. Somehow, I knew he held Cavan's Mick Higgins in a niche all his own. His voice changed to reverential awe when he spoke of Mick, now living in Virginia and still be seen anywhere a serious football is kicked in Ulster. He went on to talk of Mick in his conversation, I felt the admiration one great player had for another, true sportsmen, recognising the ability in the other and he hadn't to tell me that this admiration had been born on many a hard fought football field. Hughie Tim saw in Mick the complete player. He went on "Mick was strong and forceful. He had an eye for the opening and a telling shot when he bore in on goal. He could fetch a high ball with the best, stand shoulder to shoulder with any player of his era, give and take a fair 'rattle' without complaint but above all a sportsman to his finger tips." I am sure all Mick's old adversaries will totally agree. Macaire Chaluin When I was a gasur around Donegal the best games were always seemingly in Magheragallon. That was and still is the home of Hughie's beloved Gaoth Dobhair. Hughie relived many of the clashes of the old days when blood and sweat and tears flowed in sporting profusion. He recalled the great games with Clochan Liath, St. Crones, Downstrands, Glenties, Ardara, St. Eunan's and Ballyshannon. As we spoke I saw the ghosts of Donegal's footballing past parade before my eyes. They were all great men in Hughie's estimation, men who played the game of the Gael, the game we all love, all boyhood heroes of my own and he mentioned two that perhaps I have so far omitted, Big Eddie O'Donnell and Jim McGarvey "among the greatest of the great players in an era of club football", he told me. And then, of course, I had to ask him what had happened to Gaoth Dobhair, the team of teams in my boyhood and now without a senior county championship for more years than is good for Donegal football. He had been to see them the previous evening and felt that Gaoth Dobhair were on their way back. The spirit that prevailed the youth of the area in his time he felt, was again returning. "Given that spirit Gaoth Dobhair can again be the leading team in the county," he opined and who would dare oppose such a fountain of insider footballing knowledge, a man who was accorded the Donegal Hall of Fame award for his contribution to football within the county. Donegal They won Sam and Hughie Tim, like us all, shed the tears. Hughie believes that winning Sam will do untold good for the GAA within the county and instanced the many young lads all over the county now eager to play since the heroics of September 20the last. Like us all he too thought in that moment of glory, of all the greats who never lived to see the historic day and he would like to pay tribute to their memory. These men had fanned the members of the GAA within Donegal. They laid the foundation and the rest is history. We spoke before last Sunday's Clare game but Hughie was confident that Donegal would again go 'the whole way' in 1993, a sentiment readily accepted all over the county. Hotels, hospitality, gaelic and the other code. At present, Hughie Tim is a busy man i gceart lar Ghaeltacht Thir Chonaill. Two fine hotels Radharch na Mara (Seaview) and Ostan Ghaoth Dobhair are to his credit. Donegla hospitality there must be sampled to be enjoyed and appreciated agus na Ghaeilge nios binnie agus nios milse na in aon ait eile in Eirinn. Call, and if you want to extend your GAA knowledge, then I wonder can greater sources be available than in these friendly tithe osta. Indeed, your knowledge will be extended not alone in the world of the GAA but Gaoth Dobhair has for long been a hotbed of Glasgow Celtic and Manchester United support in the other code. The Celtic angle I understand for political/religious reasons and the emigration from that area to Scotland. The Man. Utd. angle was most interesting and Gaoth Dobhair folk regularly attend games in Parkhead and Old Trafford. Pat Crerand, former Celtic and Man. Utd. player, and now a high ranking official within the Manchester club is, of course, a nephew of Hughie Tim's. Pat spent a great deal of his youth sna glenta glasa Ghaoth Dobhair and, indeed, played minor football for that historic club. A question for a pub quiz, I would imagine. Slan go Foill It was an immense pleasure and, indeed, education talking to Hughie Tim. Not one single football cliche did I note. If I were to select the most salient point from our conversation, it would be the tremendous respect he showed for other players. That to me spoke volumes about the man. It showed me the man who played the game cleanly and fairly and as tough as you want to make it but in the end, Hughie Tim realised, as did all great players, that it is the only game. A serious game, a very, very serious game at the highest levels where he performed, but still you shake the other fellow's hand when all is over and wish him well. In that lies a dignity, a moral dignity, a respect for oneself and respect for one's opponents. Hughie Tim, it has been a pleasure talking to you, such a great pleasure that I am on my way shortly to Radharch na Mara or Ostan Ghaoth Dobhair for details to fill out my own personal recollections of Donegal football. Go n-eiridh an t-adh leat i gconai. Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 23rd April 1993 Tweet

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