Steelstown won the All-Ireland Intermediate Club title on Sunday after beating Trim 3-14 to 2-5 in an action-packed Croke Park decider.
Cahir McMonagle, Ben McCarron and Emmett Deane all found the back of the net for the Derry city side, who had Eoghan Concannon sent off early in the second half.
Mikey Cullen’s early goal had put Trim in the ascendancy, but Steelstown were devastating in attack, with Eoin O’Connor’s late major nothing more than scant consolation for the Meath club.
It caps a remarkable a few months for the Brian Og’s having completed the clean sweep of county, provincial and All-Ireland honours.
Steelstown were founded just 35 years ago in a city dominated by its soccer team, but they have brought GAA to the fore with their remarkable journey.
The club was named after Brian Og McKeever, who died from leukaemia aged 17, and the current panel certainly did their former player proud as they regrouped after Cullen’s early strike to produce a scintillating display.
Having bounced back from Cullen’s early strike to lead by five points at half-time, Steelstown stretched their lead out to six with an Eoghan Bradley score before the game burst into life.
Concannon was shown a straight red card on 36 for a high tackle on Trim defender Ciaran O Rourke.
Trim narrowed the deficit to five before Steelstown sprung a rapid attack which culminated in a penalty.
Trim captain Alan Douglas was black-carded for his foul on Bradley and McMonagle thumped his penalty high into the net to put Steelstown eight clear.
McCarron, dangerous and full of running throughout, got the goal his performance warranted when he cut back on his left foot and thundered past Peter Farrell.
O’Connor raised a late green flag for Trim, but by that stage the game was beyond them as Steelstown became the first club from Derry to win the All-Ireland Intermediate title, capping a joyous trip to Dublin with a well-worked move that was finished off by substitute Deane.
At full-time, the Steelstown players embraced each other as a range of emotions came to the fore after a fitting climax to the club’s remarkable campaign.
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