Tony Scullion

{{Infobox Gaelic games player

|image =

|name = Tony Scullion

|nickname = Scud[http://hoganstand.com/Derry/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=65178 'Scullion, Tony']. Hoganstand, 1 May 1992. Retrieved 12 March 2025

|occupation =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|2|6|df=yes}}

|birth_place = Moneyneany, Northern Ireland

|height = {{convert|1.8|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

|sport = Gaelic football, hurling

|code = Football

|county = Derry

|province = Ulster

|club = Ballinascreen

|clyears = 1978–2000

|clposition = Full-back

|clapps(points) =

|clcounty =

|clprovince =

|clallireland =

|counties = Derry

|icyears = 1983–1996

|icposition = Full-back

|icapps(points) =

|icprovince = 2

|icallireland = 1

|nfl = 3

|allstars = 4

|clupdate =

|icupdate =

}}

Anthony Scullion ({{langx|ga|Antóin Ó Scolláin}}; born 6 February 1962), often known as Scud, is a former Gaelic games dual player who played Gaelic football and hurling with Derry in the 1980s and 1990s. He was part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Championship-winning side, also lifting the Ulster Senior Football Championship in 1987 and 1993. He has three National Football League medals. With Derry footballers he usually played in the full-back line and is regarded as one of the best of his generation.{{ Cite journal | date = 29 May 1994 | journal = 1994 Ulster Championship Quarter Final Programme | title= Derry Pen Pics }} He twice represented Ireland in the International Rules series. Scullion played club football and hurling with St Colm's GAC Ballinascreen.

Scullion is among the few players who won four All Stars 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|access-date=2007-12-31 }} The public voted him on to 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|access-date=2008-01-21}} In 2008, he was a candidate 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 |access-date=2008-09-11 |work=BBC Sport Online |date=2008-09-10 }} Previous clubs he has managed include Ballinascreen, Kildress and Eglish. He was Ulster assistant manager to Joe Kernan for the 2008 Railway Cup.{{cite news |first=John |last=Campbell |title=Ulster looking strong for Rules ties |work=Belfast Telegraph |date=22 September 2008 |access-date=9 December 2008|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/ulster-looking-strong-for-rules-ties-13979725.html }}

Personal life

Born in Moneyneany, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 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 on to work as a labourer for 13 years.{{cite web |url= https://www.irishabroad.com/Sports/gaa/fame/tonyscullion.asp|title= GAA Hall of Fame - Tony Scullion|access-date=2008-01-14 }} He also worked as football development officer for the Ulster Council.{{cite web|url=http://ulster.gaa.ie/staff/tScullion.html |title=Comhairle Uladh CLG - Staff - Tony Scullion |access-date=2008-01-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121152328/http://www.ulster.gaa.ie/staff/tScullion.html |archive-date=2007-11-21 |url-status=dead }} In 2025 Scullion was coaching Gaelic football in Northern Ireland's prisons.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0kxk831 'The GGA Social. Tony Scullion - The life & times of a footballing giant (20:30)']. BBC Sport, 11 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025

Football career

Scullion was a late developer and never played minor football for Derry. In his last year of eligibility the county's U-21 team won the 1983 Ulster Championship and were 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, during which he made a crucial diving block. 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's four GAA All Stars Awards in 1987, 1992, 1993 and 1995 are a record for a defender from Ulster. He shares the record for his county with Anthony Tohill.

Along with Armagh's Martin McQuillan, Scullion won six consecutive Interprovincial Championship/Railway Cup medals with Ulster between 1989 and 1995, to equal the mark of Cork's Christy Ring.{{cite news |first=Kieran |last=Shannon |title=Local rivalry that led to greatness |url=http://www.tribune.ie/article.tvt?_scope=Tribune%2FSport%2FGAA&id=88812&SUBCAT=Tribune%2FSport |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073057/http://www.tribune.ie/article.tvt?_scope=Tribune%2FSport%2FGAA&id=88812&SUBCAT=Tribune%2FSport |url-status=dead |archive-date=2016-03-04 |work=Sunday Tribune |date=2008-06-02 |access-date=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 hurler 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 that were runners-up to Down in the 1988 All-Ireland B final.

Honours

=Football=

==County==

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

==Club==

Derry Senior Football Championship runner-up (3): 1990, 1992, 1994
Derry Reserve Football Championship (1): 2000
Derry Senior Football League Title (1): 1994

==Province==

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

==Individual==

All Star (4): 1987, 1992, 1993, 1995
All Star nomination (1): 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 |date=1996-10-26 |access-date=2008-10-03 }}
Irish News Ulster All Stars Team of the Decade (1995-2004)
Irish News Ulster GAA All-Star (1): 1995
Derry Senior Football captain: 1989, 1995
Captain Derry National League-winning side: 1995
Captain Ulster Railway Cup-winning side: 1991
Represented Ireland in International Rules series (2): 1987, 1990

=Hurling=

==County==

All-Ireland Senior 'B' Hurling Championship runner-up (1): 1988

==Club==

Derry Senior Hurling Championship runner-up (5):

References

External links

[http://hoganstand.com/Derry/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=65178 Hogan Stand article on Tony Scullion]
[https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/gaa/derry-hero-tony-scullion-recalls-27739247 2023 interview with Belfast Live]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20081031221259/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]

{{succession box

| before=Henry Downey

| title=Derry senior football captain

| years=1995

| after=Henry Downey

}}

{{Navboxes

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