Team of the Millennium

In early 2000 the Longford Leader newspaper launched a Team of the Millennium campaign to acknowledge the most exceptional fifteen Longford footballers of the past. A coupon was published in the Longford Leader for members of the public to fill out and send in. A total of 1466 completed coupons were returned and were counted with five nominees for each position. The final team selected covered a playing-span of 60 years. Joe Regan at full-forward played for Longford in the 1930’s while Dessie Barry at right corner-forward played until 1999. The father-son combination of Jim and Jimmy Hannify made history by being selected, while first cousins Eamon Meagher and Seán Donnelly were also in the final selection.

An article in the Longford Leader on the presentation of the awards to the Team of the Millennium in April 2000 noted that the following key footballers were nominated but didn’t make the final selection: Liam Tierney, Brendan Smith, Mickey O’Hara and John ‘Speedy’ McCormack, and noted that the only present-day player to make the nominations was Niall Sheridan. The awards were presented by GAA President Seán McCague and each winner received a unique sketch painting of the winning team by Pat Hourican (See Image).

Longford’s Football Team of the Millennium is shown below along with all final nominees.

An internet poll was held from June to December 1999 by the ‘Longford GAA on the Internet’ website to find Longford’s Footballer of the Millennium. The shortlist was reduced to a top ten and the winner was Jackie Devine with 222 votes. Final votes were as follows:

• Jackie Devine (Mostrim)  222 🏆
• Sean Donnelly (Longford Slashers)  174
• Dessie Barry (Longford Slashers)  163
• Padraic Davis (Fr. Manning Gaels)  88
• John McCormack (Killoe Young Emmets)  47
• Liam Tierney (Mostrim)  38
• John Toher (Killoe Young Emmets)  33
• Brendan Barden (Clonguish)  13
• Bill Keenan (Ardagh St. Patricks)  12
• Eamonn Meagher (Drumlish)  4

Jackie Devine was presented with the ‘Longford GAA on the Internet’ Millennium Trophy in a packed Sportmans’ Inn in Edgeworthstown on 8th January 2000. The trophy was presented by Johnny Lynn, who knew Jackie from his early playing days in Edgeworthstown and London, and who praised Jackie’s dedication to the GAA and his sporting conduct both on and off the pitch. Listing Jackie’s achievements was no easy task but Johnny knew them all – the highlights being the National Football League medal won in 1966, and of course the 1968 Leinster SFC medal. In his acceptance speech, Jackie said it was an honour to accept the trophy and he thanked all those who voted for him in the poll. He also thanked the joint sponsors of the trophy – Longford GAA County Board and Joseph A. Walsh Accountants in Dublin. The poll was organised by Brendan McLoughlin.

It is worth noting that Jackie Devine won a London SFC title in 1965 with Naomh Mhuire, and captained London to the 1964 All-Ireland Junior Football Championship final against Cork which they lost by a point. In addition to being selected on the Longford ‘Team of the Millennium’ in 2000, he was also selected on the London ‘Team of the Millennium’ too.