Daly and McCullagh drafted into Tyrone senior set-up

By Niall Gartland

TWO exceptionally talented young Tyrone footballers, Ruairi McCullagh and Callum Daly, have been drafted into Malachy O’Rourke’s McKenna Cup panel ahead of the 2026 season.

McCullagh and Daly were prominent members of the back-to-back All-Ireland U20 winning teams of the last two seasons and will now be afforded their opportunity to show what they can do at senior intercounty level.

Free-scoring forward Ruairi McCullagh, who is still eligible for Tyrone U20s next season, starred for a Loughmacrory side that recently clinched their first ever Tyrone Senior Championship, finishing their unforgettable campaign as the championship’s top scorer.

McCullagh and Omagh St Enda’s clubman Daly both came through the ranks of Omagh CBS and played a crucial role in the school’s unprecedented run to successive MacRory and Hogan Cup titles spanning the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.

They were also part of Tyrone’s Ulster Minor Championship winning team of 2022, so it’s fair to say that their playing careers have been closely connected, and hopes will be high that they can make their mark at senior intercounty level.