Armagh’s Rian O’Neill is tackled by Galway’s John Maher at Markievicz Park, Sligo on Sunday. Photo: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
With the Ballybofey sun at his back, Armagh’s Mickey McDonald prepared to take a last-minute sideline kick to beat Donegal in the first round of the 1982 Ulster Championship. Striking it as sweet as a flushed seven iron, McDonald split the posts to seal a dramatic first-round victory. An Ulster title would follow a few weeks later.
Years after that memorable strike, Mickey McDonald would become better known for being an uncle, and less so for his sporting exploits on the GAA and soccer fields of Ulster. Rory McIlroy’s uncle. Mickey, sadly passed away a few years back, and in his later years, Gaelic football would firmly take the back seat in his family circles, as his nephew emerged to become a global sporting superstar.
