By Niall Gartland

IF there’s a man with his finger on the pulse of the happenings in two competing counties, it’s Ciarán Meenagh.

Meenagh is steeped in all things Loughmacrory and helped lead his native club to a historic first-ever Tyrone Senior Championship last season. Their road to the top was no overnight success, and he was one of a small group of club people who kickstarted the club’s rejuvenation more than a decade ago. If something stirs in the O’Neill County, Meenagh will know about it.

Likewise, he harbours robust connections with neighbouring Derry. A long-standing teacher in St Colm’s Draperstown, he served as coach of the county’s senior intercounty footballers between 2019 and 2023 (and in 2023 he stepped in as interim manager as they secured their second successive Ulster title).

After a spell in Down, Meenagh is back at the coalface in Derry – this time as full-time manager. So far, though they narrowly missed out on promotion from Division Two, things have been going rather well. Five wins from seven in Division Two was a commendable return, but more to the point, they are producing stellar performances and hopes are high of a productive championship campaign, starting at Celtic Park this Saturday where they are heavily fancied to get the better of Antrim.

Speaking on the similarities between Tyrone and Derry, Meenagh said:

“It is quite similar. It’s probably a more densely populated area, with clubs very much on top of one another. It’s similar to it in that respect – around that south Derry area, you have clubs clustered closely together.

“I suppose the one thing I would compare between Tyrone and Derry is the quality of the facilities in the clubs. I think both counties are way ahead in terms of what their clubs have.

“There’s that parochialism, that pride, and that strong sense of belonging – what the GAA means to people across that whole stretch of Tyrone right into south Derry. They’re very similar types of communities, very similar types of culture.

“In 2023, we would have spoken about that – you could have dropped a pin somewhere around the Lavey area, or between Maghera and Magherafelt, and gone seven or eight miles in every direction, and you’d have taken, by and large, nearly every player in the entire squad, bar maybe one or two. That’s how tight that area is.

“I suppose in some ways you can perceive that as a weakness, but it also works because it’s tighter knit. In terms of training and travelling, you have to try and look for the benefits of it.

“I think when things are going well, it’s an advantage. Then when things aren’t as positive, it can have the opposite effect. It’s about trying to ensure now that we find those positives and utilise them.”

Meenagh is the first to admit that it isn’t an easy gig. The demands of intercounty management are ‘relentless’, but at least there is a little bit more breathing space during the championship.

“To be straight about it, it’s hard to enjoy it on a day-to-day basis because it’s so relentless. When I came in [with Derry], having meetings, doing training in groups, while still going with the club campaign with Loughmacrory and looking after the u-16s, who got to the Grade One league final.

“Then you went into a cycle of pre-season with Derry, getting players back. You had the uncertainty of the club campaign with Newbridge and the Sleacht Néill hurlers, not being sure when you’d get lads back, and then trying to get players ready for the league, and that just flew in.

“That seven games in nine weeks felt claustrophobic, it was relentless. In some ways I’m disappointed that we didn’t get promoted, but I’m also relieved that it’s over and you can narrow your focus down to the last part of the season, which is the provincial championship and into the All-Ireland series.

“As the days lengthen and the weather gets better, my experience over the last number of years is that it becomes more enjoyable because you have a greater amount of time between games, more time to focus on your own performance, and more time to analyse the opposition. So hopefully that will prove to be a more fruitful and enjoyable period.”