By Alan Rodgers

TYRONE boss Malachy O’Rourke may have drafted in a host of newcomers all anxious to prove their worth, but the presence of one particular stalwart is also immensely encouraging ahead challenges beckoning in the coming months

Last Friday night’s McKenna Cup opener at the Athletic Grounds saw Mattie Donnelly back in action, and the grand tally of 1-2 from play emphasised his continuing importance.

The Trillick man, of course, has long been a Tyrone stalwart. He first lined out at senior level in 2010, having been a key part of the county’s All-Ireland minor success just 15 months previously. Career-threatening injuries have failed to stop him from continuing into 2026.

“It was good to get the win over Armagh. I suppose any day you get any sort of result here at the Athletic Grounds is big, especially during the past couple of years. We’ll definitely take it and there’s a lot of green shoots as well,” he said following the 2-13 to 0-17 win over the Orchard County.

“But there’s still a lot for us to work on, which is only to be expected especially as it’s only January 2. There was a big crowd which is understandable because Armagh have a massive following and Tyrone as well. It’s always keenly anticipated when the two teams meet.

“The other factor is that people are mad to get back and see how their teams are doing after the winter. So it’s always going to be well watched, and obviously there’s a bigger game here coming down the track later this year.”

The weather will certainly be warmer when the teams meet in the first round of the Ulster Championship in April. It is also certain that, just as on Friday night, both counties will be anxious to make their mark with an important victory.

Tyrone’s All-Ireland success in 2021, and Armagh’s three years later, has certainly renewed the rivalry between them for a whole new generation of players and supporters, but now attention has turned to their second-round clash against Down on Sunday afternoon.

“The game was in the balance for a while and probably if we had finished our good work then there might have been a few more points on the board. Thankfully, we used the ball well and just about got over the line,” he added.

“Down in Pomeroy is going to be an interesting one. They are on an upward trajectory again, they’ve a young team that will be looking to put a strong foot forward. It’s going to be another good test for our squad and the young players in it.

“That’s what we want. You can’t put the feet up for too long at this stage of my career. I’m just taking things week by week at this stage, training hard and helping out where I can. It’s about seeing what happens week by week as the season goes on.”

Just how 2026 pans out remains to be seen. For now, though, the Tyrone management team, the other players and supporters are no doubt delighted to see Donnelly back in the jersey producing performances which have become his trademark over a long and distinguished career.

With Peter Harte unlikely to commit according to O’Rourke, the task of moulding a team capable of building on last year’s progress to the All-Ireland semi-final remains a firm focus.

One or two more matches in the McKenna Cup will work wonders for the confidence of the new players aiming to reach the status of those more experienced stalwarts such as Donnelly, whose consistency over a long number of years has been exemplary.