JIM Magilton will have plenty to celebrate in the coming days. Not only did the 55-year-old become the Reds first manager since Jackie Hutton in 1979 to deliver Irish Cup success to Solitude, but his beloved Ipswich Town gained promotion back to the Premier League under the guidance of Fermanagh native Kieran McKenna. 

Magilton had a 10-year association with the Tractor Boys as player and manager and was part of their last squad to play in the Premiership back in 2002 and he was keen to acknowledge their achievement before he would take his own personal accolades from the gathered media in the Windsor Park press room in the aftermath of Saturday’s cup final win over Linfield. 

“Oh my god, that’s amazing,” said Magilton. 

“That is just phenomenal. I’m so pleased. Delighted for him [Kieran McKenna], he’s a genius. He’s a lovely lad and it makes two of us. Let’s talk about me” Magilton joked. 

The experienced international midfielder was full of praise of his players for the resilience and courage that they showed and singled out Nathan Gartside and Luke Kenny for particular praise having come into the decider by the interval. 

“To show the courage and the resilience and that mental fortitude to do what we’ve done today, those players deserve so much credit,” he insisted. 

“Two lads who’ve been so strong for us and so important to us, but you have to say Luke Kenny and Nathan Gartside were absolutely brilliant. I’m delighted. 

“It was all hands to the pump at the end. You know the quality that Linfield possess, and you know the game can turn in second. It was just phenomenal and mad. Tactically, they were so switched on, even when they were absolutely exhausted. That’s important. To think of where we started to where we finished. It had just been an incredible journey and I think it’s a justification.”

The route to victory on Saturday was paved similar to the last success in ’79 with victories over Linfield, Coleraine, Larne and Portadown – the anomaly being the order of the ties and an extra round to negotiate this season. 

Magilton’s assessment of their winning campaign was that it was completed the hard way but he places it above everything else he has achieved in his football career to date. 

“When you look at our passage to winning this, there’s four Premiership clubs, a Championship club who is now a Premiership club,” he reflected. 

“We don’t do it the easy way at this football club it seems. I’ve just seen the ’79 group and Marty Quinn - they’re delighted but they didn’t really want to let go of that trophy. It’s off the scale and as great a victory as I’ve ever had in my football life in terms of everything that’s happened. It’s just magnificent.”

It’s hard to believe that Magilton’s appointment on June 6 wasn’t popular with elements of the Red Army faithful as supporters spoke out on Twitter and unfurled a bedsheet across the road from Solitude protesting against Magilton becoming the clubs 29th permanent manager. 

His attacking style of play has silenced many of his critics and on Saturday, the 7,500 within the Cliftonville ranks were praised for giving energy to the players when they were under the cosh. 

“There was a blue wave, but then I think the energy from the crowd lifted the players,” Magilton felt. 

“It was a fantastic spectacle by the way, noise and a proper cup final, it was just amazing. I thought our players fed off that and the players encouraged them. They knew that Linfield are such a good team. To come away and then pick them off, Ronan’s second goal was just phenomenal. He did that in Coleraine when he scored a hat-trick. He has that magic in his boots.”

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Hale has had many strike partnerships in his two seasons at the club, often forging a successful one with club legend, Joe Gormley. 

Gormley and club captain, Chris Curran were the only survivors of the back-to-back Gibson Cup triumphs in the Breslin era, but next season that will change. 

33-year-old Curran has announced his departure as he and his partner Caragh plan to move to America for pastures new. 

Magilton paid tribute to both of his experienced stars who completed their haul of major domestic honours. 

“I apologised to him [Joe], but he was just fantastic. He just wanted to win,” insisted Magilton. 

“It is on his CV now. Captain and skipper and he’s just immense. Joe Gormley is a living legend at this football club and now he has an Irish Cup to add to his massive collection as has Chris Curran. His ten years at a football club is just huge, magnificent for him.”

On Monday Magilton celebrated his 55th birthday and in style as the club honoured the class of ’24 with an open-top bus tour around Belfast, similar to the 2013 one to celebrate that first league title win for 15 years. 

The late Tommy Breslin joins Marty Quinn, Jackie Hutton and other Cliftonville managers that helped to deliver League or Irish Cup success. After less than a year in charge, Magilton joins that list that will be forever remembered in Cliftonville folklore.