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All-Ireland WinnerIn 1950, Gerry was the only St. Malachy's student selected for the Ulster Colleges Gaelic Football panel, which was victorious in that year's All-Ireland Inter-provincial colleges championship. Below is a transcript from the Irish Daily Independent reporting on Ulster Colleges' first (drawn) match vs. Munster Colleges. Ulster went on to defeat Munster 1-12 to 1-6 in the replay at Croke Park (26 March 1950) and win the final against Leinster 3-8 to 0-7 in Dundalk (2 April 1950). Irish Daily Independent, Monday 20 March 1950Leinster, holders of the title, qualified for the Interprovincial Colleges Football final at Mullingar yesterday when they defeated Connacht by 1-9 to 0-8, Munster (1-5) and Ulster (1-5) drew in the other semi-final at Croke Park, and will meet in the replay at the same venue next Sunday (2.30). Point From A Penalty Earned Munster DrawUlster 1-5 Munster 1-5Some weeks back Munster footballers lost their Railway Cup game against Leinster through a tactical error, but yesterday at Croke Park the reverse was the case, the decision to take a point from a penalty late in the match enabling the Southern province to force a draw with Ulster in the semi-final of the Colleges Interprovincial Football Championship. The temptation to try for a goal with the hope of going into the lead at that late stage, must have been difficult to resist, but D. Buckley rightly took the safer step and gained the equalising point. No other opportunity of scoring came to Munster for in the few minutes Ulster made an all out effort to regain the lead and had their chance when they were awarded a free from a comparatively easy position. However H.Rafferty sent it wide and the match was over. The game, indeed, was one of missed chances and a draw was, perhaps, the most fitting result. With the advantage of the wind in the first half, Ulster did most of the attacking, but their forwards lacked finish and clever approach work went to waste.
BEST FORWARDWere it not for the centre-half-forward, S. Blayney, who had four points in that half, the northerners might have found themselves in a perilous position at the interval, which ended with Munster a mere five points in arrears. The best football was packed into quite an exciting second period as Munster settled down to their task in commendable style. Point after point came until the lead was narrowed to a minimum, and in the end Buckley gained the equaliser. Seldom did Ulster get out of their own half on resuming, but just as their forwards had failed, so, too did the Munster line. However apart from the poor finishing of both sides, the game - and in the second half in particular - produced some typical colleges' football. Clean fielding, accurate passing, and good positional play were the order, and, most refreshing of all, frees were few during the hour.
Munster may well feel satisfied with a draw, for they were without their brilliant right half-forward, P. Sheehy (Tralee CBS), a son of the renowned JJ Sheehy, while early in the game they lost the services of their centre half-back, D. O'Sullivan, who was considered the mainstay of their defence. He made a brief reappearance early in the second half, but again had to retire.
Several centre-field combinations were tried by Ulster, but in the end it was the unchanged Munster pair, C. Fitzgerald and P. Harrington, who came out on top, and to them must go the main credit for their side's splendid second-half recovery.
Given the ball, the Munster forwards teamed well, with the diminutive P. Sheehan, T. Lalor, D. Cassidy and D. Buckley particularly prominent. L. McCorry, PJ McElroy and the wing-halves, F. Kernan and S. McKay, proved their worth in the Ulster defence.
HOW SCORES CAMEGood play by Blayney and Mulverna [sic] led to Murphy giving Ulster the lead with a point before Munster lost the services of D. O'Sullivan. Next incident of note came when Kerins took full advantage of mistakes by the Ulster backs to beat McCorry from close range. That was their only score in the first half and before the interval, Blayney had four points and Shaffrey a goal, to give Ulster a lead of 1-5 to 1-0. With the wind in their favour Munster did most of the attacking and without any reply for Ulster, Cassidy, Buckley, Lalor(2) and Buckley had points in that order for Munster to leave the teams level.
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