By Alan Rodgers
STRONG tackling against the top forwards in the u-20 grade has been the hallmark of the quiet efficiency displayed by Omagh’s Eoin Corry as Tyrone marched to the All-Ireland title in the grade.
The St Enda’s player has gone about his business in this 2022 season with expertise, commitment and discipline. No wonder, then, that he was so delighted to have crossed the finish line in such magnificent fashion against Kildare.
He is a grandson of the late Paddy Corey, a star defender for Tyrone in their Ulster breakthrough years of 1956 and 1957. Older readers may perhaps see in young Corry qualities displayed by his Granda 60 and more years ago.
But Eoin is making his own history and is keen to keep progressing as the dust settles on a sixth triumph for the Red Hands in the grade – following on from 1991, 1992, 2001, 2002 and 2015.
“It’s been some season for us because as the start we mightn’t really have been fancied to go all the way. But as a Tyrone team you always expect them to do well and this team has always played well when our backs were against the wall,” he said.
“We have never been down and out and always have that belief that we always get over the line at the end and that’s what we kept doing all through the season. Here we are now as All-Ireland champions.
“Dermoy (Carlin), Paul (Devlin) and ‘Mugsy’ (Owen Mulligan) have always instilled that belief in us in every training session. Dermy was always preaching about our bodies going at 100 miles per hour and our minds staying calm. We’re smart footballers who adapt to the game and that’s what we’ve done.”
Corry was one of two St Enda’s players in the panel. The other was Fionnbharr Taggart, who was introduced as a second-half substitute in the final and performed well in the period that he was on the field.
Both are products of Omagh’s big emphasis on youth development, and were on the team which lost out to Carrickmore in the county minor final two years ago. Now, they have All-Ireland medals and will be looking forward to the future with confidence.
“I’d say the most important game for us was probably the Donegal one (in the Ulster semi-final). We had a shaky enough performance against Down, and after the Donegal game and the way we came back in extra-time showed us that there was something special about this team,” he added.
“This success is a great boost for all the young players coming through Omagh. You think you’re still young and then you see all these young people looking up to you. We win this and go to summer camps and other events and you realise how special it is.”
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