By Michael McMullan

UNBELIEVABLE. It’s just one word, but, for Creggan’s Tiarnán McAteer, it keeps rolling off the tongue.

It sums up everything about their magical season that prepares for the latest chapter with an historic debut against Clann Eireann in the Ulster Championship this weekend.

“It was the best feeling of my life and, for a week, we felt like we were floating,” said McAteer of what it meant to end the club’s 67-year wait to get their hands on the Paddy McNamee Cup.

The road lined with green and gold. Fireworks lighting up the sky. Standing on a lorry, as it crept its way towards a magical homecoming, they were heroes.

“It was crazy, I didn’t know there were that amount of people in Creggan,” he laughs.

From the ‘relief and euphoria’ of Sam Maguire’s game-clinching goal hit the net in the final, until the following Wednesday, the emotions swirled around in his mind, until victory began to seep in.

On the way up, minor and u-21 finals came and went, with McAteer peering at success from the outside. Add in the senior final defeats at the hands of neighbours Cargin.

“We have just matured after last year’s final,” McAteer said. “The first final (2018), we didn’t bounce back. When we lost last year, we were hurting and hungry for it.”

The hurt morphed into a performance in the second half of their semi-final win over Cargin that lit up their year.

The training was cranked up ahead of the final and Aghagallon weren’t going to stop their march for glory. Now they’ve made it to the top table and they’ve no interest in parking their season just yet.

“We are taking it very serious,” he said of their Ulster preparations. “We want to represent Creggan and Antrim very well and they (Clann Eireann) will be the same. They will want to push on too after beating Cross.”

McAteer points to the progress they have made from also-rans to champions. Never has he witnessed a focus or a level of commitment in the Creggan camp.

“The training has been unbelievable; we have really knuckled down” he said.

Martin McElkennon’s strength and conditioning has come to fruition, with manager Gerard McNulty asking to chip in with the odd word of advice like the speech before the Cargin game that had the hairs standing on the back of his neck.

“We have now grown into our bodies and everybody has got so much stronger and more athletic,” McAteer points out of the individually tailored sessions.

The management team also contains former All-Ireland Club winner and Derry selector Enda Muldoon. His experience will be invaluable this week.

“He just shows you a different way of thinking about the game, telling you where to go and where you need to be, just using his experience,” McAteer said.

“If big Enda is giving you the ins and outs of being a better forward, you are going to take it on board. In all the games the forwards have bought into it.”

After watching Cargin’s campaigns, which saw them ‘almost pip’ Gaoth Dobhair, McAteer said Creggan know where Antrim football is at and it is only getting better.

“The Antrim Championship, over the last couple of years, has been so competitive.

“Every team is getting better and it’s good for the county with more players experiencing Ulster on the big days.”

ENDING THE WAIT…Creggan midfielder Conor McCann is congratulated by former underage coach Gerard McLarnon after their county final win over Aghagallon. Pic by Jarlath Kearney

21 May 2017; Tiernan McAteer of Antrim in action against Aaron Doherty of Donegal during the Electric Ireland Ulster GAA Football Minor Championship Quarter-Final match between Donegal and Antrim at MacCumhaill Park in Ballybofey, Co. Donegal. Photo by Oliver McVeighSportsfile