Players do best but fail to win promotion

Interprovincial Football Final/Ulster 1-12 Munster 1-8:Here recurs a depressing theme. The Railway Cup celebrated 80 years of existence on Saturday by returning to Croke Park for the first time since 1991. Now the M Donnelly Interprovincial Championship, it seems like the perfect tool to promote Gaelic games.

The GAA had an opportunity to put substantial marketing weight behind this competition. But their advertising campaign paled beside that for the visit of a foreign code (Aussie Rules) that openly scouts for Irish players.

The enduring image from the evening is that of Liam Mulvihill, Nickey Brennan and Martin Donnelly sitting in the Ard Comhairle surrounded by empty seats.

The official attendance, 10,127, was dominated by schoolchildren, who were admitted free.

Still, we were treated to a fine contest, at least until Munster - an amalgamation of Kerry, Cork and Waterford - clocked out midway through the second half.

Apart from Colm Cooper all the marquee names turned up.

There was even a subplot that spilled over from the All-Ireland quarter-final, in which Dick Clerkin gave Paul Galvin a rough ride. Darragh Ó Sé went through the back of the Monaghan man early on. Moments later Clerkin, with a burst lip, was laid out on the turf as Ó Sé scampered away.

The Ulster boys duly went hunting Kerry's elder statesman. Clerkin was homing in only to be, eh, intercepted by Tomás Ó Sé. Who else but the younger sibling?

Darragh did not reappear for the second half, perhaps wisely.

By then, Munster were a point clear - a poor return considering their dominance, Kieran Donaghy having registered a trademark goal when devouring the All Star full back Kevin McCloy.

Monaghan's Tommy Freeman kept Ulster in touch with a quality goal, but as the floodlights flashed on, Armagh's Stevie McDonnell arrived to turn the tide - two chances, two points.

Down's Benny Coulter pushed it out to three points as the contest ran out of fizz.

Brian McEniff, having claimed a 13th title since taking the manager's role in 1983, was adamant this would be his last season. We did not believe him. And what of the competition's uncertain future?

"If it has a slot in the diary - around St Patrick's Day in conjunction with the club championship - I think there is a future for it," he said. "I'm on Central Council and I'll make sure it is well promoted."

That we believed.

ULSTER: J Reilly; B Owens, K McCloy, K Lacey; C McKeever, C Gormley, K Cassidy; E Lennon (0-1), D Gordon; D Clerkin (0-1), S Cavanagh (0-2), P Finlay (0-3); T Freeman (1-1), P Bradley, E Muldoon. Substitutes: B Monaghan for McCloy (half-time), S McDonnell (0-3) for Bradley (39 mins), D Mone for Lacey (48 mins), B Coulter (0-1) for Gordon (51 mins), S Goan for McKeever (64 mins).

MUNSTER: A Quirke; T O'Gorman, T O'Sullivan, K O'Connor; T Ó Sé (0-1), M Shields, G Spillane; D Ó Sé, S Scanlon; E Brosnan, P O'Neill (0-1), J Miskella; MF Russell (0-2, one free), K Donaghy (1-0), D O'Connor (0-3, 45, two frees). Subs: G Canty for O'Gorman (31 mins), F Gould (0-1) for D Ó Sé (half-time), D O'Sullivan for J Miskella (52 mins), G Hurney for E Brosnan (60 mins).

Referee: M Deegan (Laois).