McDonnell hails the blend of youth and experience in Errigal ranks

By Niall Gartland

EVERY successful team needs its fresh legs and its old heads, and Ben McDonnell knows Errigal Ciaran are all the stronger for having both in abundance.

By our reckoning, the experienced midfielder has played every single minute of five Tyrone Senior Championship finals – namely, the 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024 showdowns. That’s certainly no mean feat.

There are men who are older in years on the Errigal team though (Ben recently crossed the 30 mark). Aidy McCrory is no spring chicken, but he’s sure playing like one! Peter Harte is an elite performer of enduring class, and then there are others who are your classic club stalwarts.

McDonnell, who has returned to the starting line-up after an injury-hit league campaign, said: “I need to spend a bit more time with Aidy, Petey and ‘Jingle’ because their bodies are in better shape than mine! Ah, it’s a credit to those boys. They’ve been leading us for a long, long time. I’ve always looked up to those boys, and still do. They’re keeping their bodies right, and to be staying on the pitch is something in itself.”

Then there’s the sight of Shea McDermott, who still has a year left with the Tyrone U20s, blazing through opposition defences. Or how about Aodhan Quinn, who has slotted in seamlessly in his first year of senior adult football. The exuberance of youth, and McDonnell says it’s a ‘joy’ to play alongside fearless young lads like that.

“We’re very lucky to have them coming through. They’re super footballers, and this year they’re bringing a new hunger and determination to training. They’re driving standards for us older boys, who are probably taking on more responsibility. Those boys definitely keep us on our toes. They’re a joy to play with. They play with no fear and a lot of energy, so it’s class to be playing with them.”

McDonnell also commented on the family ties bridging the generations. Aodhan’s father Hugh and Shea’s father Damien both won Senior Championships for Errigal Ciaran in decades past.

“The Quinns are a big, big footballing family. Young Michael Mullin, who played the last day [against Trillick], his father played. Shea’s father was excellent, too. Thankfully, those boys are following in their footsteps, and it’s good to see those family bloodlines coming through.”

Errigal Ciaran have been hugely impressive from the outset of the championship. They dismantled Killyclogher, clinched a hugely impressive 1-16 to 0-12 win over Trillick on their second day out, and dethroned the reigning champions Loughmacrory at the semi-final stage. Speaking after their win over St Teresa’s, McDonnell expressed his relief at getting over the line.

“We knew going into it that they’re a very youthful team. I’m 30, and their oldest player on the pitch is a year younger than me. We know they’re going to be around for a long time. They’re magnificent champions, and we’re just grateful to get over the hurdle. We’ve probably had to dig deep in a lot of the games. We’ve been tested. Even today, they [Loughmacrory] got a run on us near the end, but the boys dug deep.”

Errigal Ciaran have already clinched one Senior Championship title this year – their ladies have completed a league and championship double and get their provincial campaign underway this weekend. Among their ranks is Ben’s wife Eimear, a native of Emyvale who has joined the Errigal ranks this year (“It’s her first year with the club. It’s class to see her win in the Errigal jersey”).

The club is clearly thriving, but McDonnell is wary of what could be coming down the track this weekend with Edendork bidding for a first ever O’Neill Cup triumph.

“It’s nice for the club but we don’t doubt what’s ahead of us here. We played Edendork earlier in the league and Dazzler [Darren McCurry] hit 18 points. We can never seem to get one over on them; they’re always beating us in the league, and they’re fully deserving of being in the final. People talk about the spine of their team, but their other players have all played underage county football and have been on the road a long time. You saw how strong they are when they beat Donaghmore.”