That’s one way to win a league title.
There’s many ways to win a trophy in the GAA, whether it’s a final, a runaway league campaign, or stealing a title right at the death with a last gap goal or point.
However, one of the less romanticised ways of clinching a league title, is when it is out of your hands completely and you’re totally reliant on the opposition’s results.
This was the case for Greencastle, an Intermediate Tyrone club who needed their rivals Aghyaran to lose in order for them to clinch the Division two victory.
All of their hard work was done, and they eagerly had to sit around their changing room, just listening in to results elsewhere in order to find out whether they would be crowned champions or not.
Aghyaran were playing Killeeshil, and that was good news for Greencastle, because normally at this time of year, league games especially can be a bit of a dead rubber.
Killeeshil however, were fighting against relegation and needed a win in order to stay up, so they were obviously going to give this game everything they had.
Great video of the Greencastle players going buck mad after securing the Tyrone Div2 league title. They were awaiting word as Killeshil beat Aghyaran to stay up themselves and hand Greencastle the title. Those changing room moments are as good as it getspic.twitter.com/i7KwtFZBvB
— Cahair O'Kane (@CahairOKane1) December 13, 2021
Eventually the news filtered through that they had indeed avoided the drop, which meant that Aghyaran had lost, and Greencastle were subsequently the official champions.
There’s a magical moment in the clip when the players and staff think they hear the result, but don’t dare let themselves dream until it is 100% confirmed.
“Haul on shhh, shhh,” was being echoed by one or two of the players who had their ears pressed to the device, until someone said “It’s over, it’s over.”
Cue absolute mayhem, as the celebrations could finally begin. In the video, you can see the dressing room change from a cauldron of silent tension to an outpour of sheer ecstasy and relief.
Wining in such a fashion may not be good for the heart, and it definitely won’t be good for the livers come the next morning, but it’s sure as hell good for the soul to get that release of emotion and happiness.
