Micheál O’Muircheartaigh is one of the best commentators of all time, a legend of the GAA but his greatest trait is his ability to tell a yarn and even better he has a sceal that resonates with everyone he meets. Wednesday night was no different when he met a crew from the Bridge at an event for local sports clubs in Bank of Ireland Limerick.

Ah Sixmilebridge said Micheál, I remember Graigue/Ballycallan beat ye in an All Ireland Club semi final replay back in 2001, the year of the foot and mouth. I remember the Bridge got a penalty at the very end of the game and were trailing by 2 points so up came Davy.

He hit a rocket and it took paint off as it skimmed over the crossbar. The Bridge lost by a point 1-13 to 1-12.

So Micheál said he was in Ballycallan the week of the All Ireland Club final previewing the game and met Johnny Ronan the team goalie and asked him how close the penalty to going under the cross bar in the Semi Final. Johnny smiled and said only for the cross bars in Thurles are lower than normal it would have rattled the net.

So Micheál banked the nugget of information and made his way onto the field in Croke Park on All Ireland Club final day to measure the height of the cross bar. Just above the tops of his fingers, the same story in Clones a few weeks later.

When he got to Thurles for the league final he headed for the goalmouth and could comfortable wrap his hand around the crossbar. The height in Semple stadium was a few inches lower than the norm as Ronan had mentioned.

After the game the groundsman in Thurles asked Micheál why he was measuring the goals to which he was informed about the theory. Micheál reckoned the bar was lowered for an underage game and they forgot to bring them back up but the groundsman reckoned the ground had risen!

Either way when Micheál was back the next day for the Munster Championship the cross bar was raised and back to normal. Funnily enough the game was played on April 1st – May have been Fools Day but this is a true story – Whos to doubt the legend that is Micheál O’ O’Muircheartaigh.

Athenry defeated Graigue/Ballycallan in the final after extra time but a unique event happened when Athenry full forward Eugene Cloonan scored the winning goal with the Ballycallans full backs hurley after his own was broken in that play.

For the record - 

Replay - Sunday April 1st 2001

Graigue Ballycallan 1-13 Sixmilebridge 1-12

Sixmilebridge: D Fitzgerald (0-2, one free, one penalty); K McInerney, J O'Connell, C Walsh; A Mulready, P Hayes, A Chaplin; M Conlon (0-2), C Chaplin; S Fitzpatrick, J Reddan, B Kennedy; B Culbert (1-0), N Gilligan (0-7, all frees), J O'Meara.
Subs: J Chaplin (0-1) for O'Meara (43 mins); R Conlon for Kennedy (46 mins); P Fitzpatrick for Hayes (53 mins).

Draw - Sunday Feb 25th

Sixmilebridge 2-13 Graigue/Ballycallan 1-16
SIXMILEBRIDGE, CLARE: Davy Fitzgerald, Kevin McInerney, John O’Connell, Wayne Kennedy, Alan Mulready, Pat Hayes, Declan Murphy, Stiofan Fitzpatrick, Christy Chaplin (Captain), Robert Conlon, John Reddan, Martin Conlon, Brian Culbert, Niall Gilligan, John O’Meara