Remember the team (2) ...
Mullingar Shamrocks: Dermot Ryan; Ray Flynn, Paddy Monaghan (Captain), Dermot Monaghan; Noel Nugent, Paddy Boyce, Paul Aherne; Glen McMahon, John Conlon; Eddie Casey (0-1), Barry Kelly (0-1); Kevin Kiernan (0-1); Fergus Conlon, Barry Masterson, Ivan O'Connor. Subs: Paddy Hassett (0-3) for Fergus Conlon, Derek Farrell (1-0) for Ivan O'Connor, Declan O'Brien for Eddie Casey.
Other panellists: John Doran, David Cornally, Robert Cornally, Karl Kenny, Ken Crowley.
The Occasion: 1988 Under-21 County Final played on 9 July. Shamrocks qualified for the final with wins against Inny Gaels (1-11 to 0-4) and Athlone (1-8 to 1-4).
The Result: Mullingar Shamrocks 1-6 St Finian's (Coralstown-Kinnegad/The Downs) 1-5
Comment: Shamrocks trailed by 0-3 to 0-1 at half-time but recovered to lead after 50 minutes. Derek Farrell scored the crucial goal. A John Fleming (playing in his fifth Under-21 final) penalty goal restored the lead in the fifty-fifth minute for Coralstown-Kinnegad but Paddy Hassett from a free equalised before Kevin Kiernan slotted the winner.
From the match report: 'Paddy Boyce was an inspirational figure in the opening moiety ...'
The Westmeath Examiner headline read 'Second-Half Substitutes help Mullingar Shamrocks win Under-21 Title'
A lot of senior championship medallists of the future on show that day on both teams.
The Opposition: The St Finian's included many who contributed substantially to the GAA on and off the field and many are still going strong. They lined out the following: Tommy Kelly; David Mooney, John Cooney, James McCaffrey; Greg Cully, Matt Mulligan (0-1), Joe Giles; Leo Murtagh, Denis Greville; Michael Murtagh, John Fleming (Captain, 1-3), Phelim Leonard (0-1); Pascal Giles, David Leonard, Gary Loughrey.
