Tony Scullion

Infobox GAA player |

name =Tony Scullion
irish= Antóin Ó Scolláin
nickname= Scud
placeofbirth= Co. Londonderry
countryofbirth=Northern Ireland
dob= 6/2/62
feet=5
inches=11
dod=
sport=Football
code=Football
county=Derry
province=Ulster
clposition=Full back
club=Ballinascreen
clyears=1977 -?
clapps(points)=
clcounty=
clprovince=
clubs=Ballinascreen
counties= Derry
icposition=Full back
icyears= 1984-1997
icapps(points)=
icprovince=2
icallireland=1
allstars=4
nfl=3
icupdate=
clupdate=
|

Tony Scullion ( _ga. Antóin Ó Scolláin; born 6 February 1962) is a former Irish dual player who played Gaelic football and hurling with Derry in the 1980s and 1990s. He is chiefly known as a footballer and was part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Championship winning side, also winning Ulster Senior Football Championships in 1987 and 1993. With Derry footballers he usually played in the full-back line and is regarded as one of the best full-backs of his generation [ citation | publisher = | date = 29th May 1994 | journal = 1994 Ulster Championship Quarter Final Programme | title= Derry Pen Pics ] . Scullion played club football and hurling with St. Colm's GAC Ballinascreen.

Scullion is among the few players who won four All Stars over the course of their career and was named full back on the Irish News Team of the Decade in 2004 [cite web |url= http://www.irishnews.com/allstars/decade.html|title= Team of the Decade|accessdate=2007-12-31 |format= |work= ] . The public voted him onto the All-Time Derry Football Team via an online poll in 2007 [cite web|url=http://www.derrygaa.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=407&Itemid=173|title= All-Time Derry Senior Football Team|accessdate=2008-01-21] . He has recently applied for the vacant Derry Senior football manager's job. [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7608760.stm |title=McCloskey among Derry candidates |accessdate=2008-09-11 |work=BBC Sport Online |publisher= |date=2008-09-10 ] Previous clubs he has managed inlcude Ballinascreen, Kildress and Eglish.

Personal life

Born in Moneyneena in Ballinascreen, Scullion attended the local St. Eoghan's Primary School, before going to secondary school at St. Colm's, Draperstown. After a further year at Magherafelt Technical College, he went onto to work as a labourer for 13 yearscite web |url= https://www.irishabroad.com/Sports/gaa/fame/tonyscullion.asp|title= GAA Hall of Fame - Tony Scullion|accessdate=2008-01-14 |format= |work= ] . He now works as Football Development Officer for the Ulster Councilcite web |url= http://ulster.gaa.ie/staff/tScullion.html|title= Comhairle Uladh CLG - Staff - Tony Scullion|accessdate=2008-01-14 |format= |work= ] .

Football career

Scullion was a late developer and never played minor football for Derry. He was asked into the U-21 team in his last year.The side went on to win the U-21 1983 Ulster Championship and went on to be runners up to Mayo in the All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship after a replay.

Playing at full-back, Scullion was man of the match in both the 1987 and 1993 Ulster Senior Football Championship finals. Derry defeated Donegal in the 1993 decider in torrential rain at Clones and he is famed for his diving block in the match. Derry went on to win the 1993 All-Ireland Championship after a semi-final victory over Dublin and final defeat of Cork.

With Derry, Scullion also collected three National Football League medals in 1992, 1995 and 1996.

Scullion (like Derry clubmate Anthony Tohill) won four GAA All Stars Awards (a record for an Ulster defender, in 1987, 1992, 1993 and 1995 (despite Derry only playing two games that year).

Along with Armagh's Martin McQuillan, Scullion won an incredible six consecutive Interprovincial Championship/Railway Cup medals with Ulster between 1989 and 1995. Only one other player ever won six Railway Cups in a row - Cork's Christy Ring. [cite news |first=Kieran |last=Shannon |authorlink= |title=Local rivalry that led to greatness |url=http://www.tribune.ie/article.tvt?_scope=Tribune%2FSport%2FGAA&id=88812&SUBCAT=Tribune%2FSport |work=Sunday Tribune |publisher= |date=2008-06-02 |accessdate=2008-06-02 ]

He was runner up on three occasions for Ballinascreen in the Derry Senior Football Championship.

Hurling career

Scullion was also a keen hurling for both Ballinascreen and Derry. He played in five Derry Senior Hurling Championship finals and was man of the match in the 1989 final, despite never winning a final. He played for the Derry hurling team between 1983 and 1991.

He was part of the Derry side which were runners up to Down in the 1988 All-Ireland B final.

Honours

Football

County

*All-Ireland Senior Football Championship - Winner (1): 1993
*National Football League - Winner (3): 1992, 1995, 1996
*Ulster Senior Football Championship - Winner (2): 1987, 1993
*Ulster Senior Football Championship - Runner up: 1985, 1992
*Dr. McKenna Cup - Winner (1): 1993
*All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship - Runner up: 1983
*Ulster Under-21 Football Championship - Winner (1): 1983

Club

*Derry Senior Football Championship - Runner up: 1990, 1992, 1994
*Derry Reserve Football Championship - Winner (1?): Year?
*Underage awards

Province

*Railway Cup - Winner (6): 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995

Individual

*All Star - Winner (4): 1987, 1992, 1993, 1995
*All Star - Nominated (runner up): 1996, [cite news |first=John |last=Campbell |title=Ulster's 15 'stars' |url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/ulsters-15-stars-13856662.html |work=Belfast Telegraoh |publisher= |date=1996-10-26 |accessdate=2008-10-03 ] more?
*Irish News Ulster All Stars Team of the Decade (1995-2004) - Winner
*Irish News Ulster GAA All-Star - Winner (?): Years?
*Derry Senior football captain: 1995
*Captain Derry National League winning side: 1995
*Captain Ulster Railway Cup winning side: Year?
*Represented Ireland in two International Rules series: 1987, 1990

Hurling

County

*All-Ireland Senior 'B' Hurling Championship - Runner up: 1988

Club

*Derry Senior Hurling Championship - Runner up: Five times 1989, Year?, Year?, Year?, Year?
*Underage awards

Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.

References

External links

* [http://hoganstand.com/Derry/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=65178 Hoganstand article on Tony Scullion]
* [http://ulster.gaa.ie/council/staff/ Ulster GAA profile (as Football Development Officer)]
* [https://www.irishabroad.com/Sports/gaa/fame/tonyscullion.asp Interview with Irish Abroad's Séamas Mac Giolla Fhinnéin]