By Alan Rodgers

ONE target of All-Ireland Intermediate success continues to be the driving motivation for the Tyrone team that carries the hopes of the county to Croke Park on Sunday.

This time last year, Aoife Horisk from Errigal Ciaran was enjoying her first All-Ireland final at the iconic venue. Now, she is aiming high to walk up the steps of the Hogan Stand after a Red Hand victory.

Tyrone enter the final for the second consecutive season, aiming to put the disappointment of losing to Leitrim in last year’s final firmly behind them with Laois the opponents on this occasion.

But before that is achieved all the players and management, as well as family, friends and supporters know what must be done. Nothing less than a top quality performance is required.

“I can’t wait to get back to Croke Park. We’ve worked hard to get here again and hopefully the team can get over the line this time,” Horisk said.

“The experience of playing in Croke Park is very important. Everyone knows how daunting, loud and everything that goes with playing there brings. Hopefully, we’ve learned from that and the few mistakes that were made last year and we won’t make them again.

“Laois are definitely going to be very tough opponents. They’ve come down from senior, so they’ll be well up for this game and are definitely going to be hoping to get back there immediately. Again, we’ll just have to work as hard again to beat them.

“But we’ve achieved a lot this year. Competing in Division One and the way that we came back in the quarter- and semi-finals and the intensity of those matches has geared us up for the final. We played for over 90 minutes in those games and we just can’t wait now for the throw-in.

“Playing in Division One prepared us massively for this. Last year we reached the final on the high of getting promotion and playing in the league final in Croke Park. This year we’re coming into the game knowing that we’re there or thereabouts at senior level.”

Horisk is a member of the same Errigal Ciaran club as the new manager Darren McCann. He has managed her at club level prior to his appointment with Tyrone, and she is enjoying the new experience that he has brought to the side since coming into the role at the start of 2025.

“I have played with Darren all through underage at the club. He brought us to multiple county title successes and Ulster as well. He is really well respected and has brought that freshness into the county set-up,” added the student nurse.

“Sean O’Kane did great work with the team last year and it would be great to reward both him and the current management by winning the All-Ireland. There has been a lot of team-building done in the past few years since Tyrone last won the Intermediate All-Ireland in 2018. The average age of the team has probably reduced by a couple of years. Most of the players are now in their early twenties. We definitely don’t expect any special treatment from Darren and definitely don’t get it.”

This is a journey to be enjoyed. The team group has become very closely-knit this season, and no matter what the result on Sunday, there will undoubtedly just a tinge of sadness that the journey of this All-Ireland campaign has ended.

Nevertheless, the memories will last a lifetime for both Horisk and her teammates who are aiming to make more history for Tyrone ladies.

“I don’t want this journey to end. We were saying that last Friday night was our last together and it was a bit dull because this is such a great group of girls. We’re all best friends and it’s class.

“It would be great to have that moment of winning. For all of us younger girls, it’s expected of us to go and win this All-Ireland. But at the same time we want to do it for each other and get over the line for such a great group and end the year in the best possible way.”