By Michael McMullan

THERE is nobody in Ciarán Meenagh’s backroom team that he doesn’t know inside out.

The Loughmacrory man has surrounded himself with people on the same page.

They’ve been in the trenches with him somewhere in the past. That’s how he rolls. Trust and familiarity.

Martin Boyle is one example. The man who headed up Loughmacrory’s O’Neill Cup project is from Ballinascreen, where Meenagh taught for years.

Boyle is a friend and a footballing right-hand man but as a former minor manager he ticks another version of familiarity in Derry’s senior inner circle.

Seven of the Derry senior squad were part of Boyle’s 2020 All-Ireland minor winning team. With Covid pushing the competition back to 2021, the group built a deeper bond than most.

Boyle always speaks of the group who started as lads but ended up as young men. And champions of Ireland.

“It’s ultimately about playing, making your senior club team and ultimately progressing through to the senior county team,” Boyle said of the step after minor.

“It’s really pleasing that we have a good share of the boys (2020 minors) on the panel and on the team at the minute.

“It gives you great satisfaction that, for us all, we’ve played a small part in the development.

“It’s very fulfilling to see the boys progress, achieve and perform at senior level.”

Matthew Downey was Boyle’s captain and stepped forward to hammer home a crucial penalty in the piercing Tullamore sun, sinking Kerry.

Eoin McEvoy played at the heart of their defence. Lachlan Murray was their potent inside forward. Dan Higgins a monster at midfield.

Patrick McGurk was the attacking defender Boyle moulded into a full-back. Niall O’Donnell was the MacRory Cup star who helped shape their attack. Charlie Diamond was also at the forefront of their attack.

Another would have been Mark Doherty who began this season on the Derry squad before stepping aside to focus on Newbridge.

A series of injuries forced Donncha Gilmore into a revolving chamber of recovery but is back playing club football.

Will he be back on the county scene? Time will tell, but it is quite the return from one minor group.

From the Kerry team, Armin Heinrich, goalkeeper Sean Broderick and Keith Evans were in Jack O’Connor’s 26 last weekend.

Boyle is full of praise for Derry’s structures but is tuned in enough to realise inter-county senior is a different planet again.

Patience

Speaking after Tyrone’s u-20 win over Derry, manager Paul Devlin spoke out about Tyrone fans not giving young players time to grow. Boyle agrees.

“Lads have to be allowed time to develop physically, to be ready for it,” he said.

“They also have to be allowed time to make mistakes, allowed time to learn, allowed time to grow.

“In many ways it’s a different sport, senior inter-county football.

“Players just don’t pick it up and go, even the top players, it’s a big step up and players do need time.”

Boyle also references how players need supported in the darker days when injury creeps in.

“I just think that players feel if they have people who really believe in them, it’s half the battle,” he adds.

From Boyle’s final minor team, who lost narrowly to Galway, in 2022, Conall Higgins, Ruairi Forbes and James Murray are also on the senior panel.

After getting some action in the last two years, Forbes is now a regular. Bar the 14 minutes when he was replaced by Eoin McEvoy in Ardee, he has been an ever-present.

“By Ruairi’s nature and characteristics, is he’s just a brilliant young fella and he’s quiet,” Boyle said.

“Ruairi’s personality isn’t of somebody that’s going to come onto a senior team and just sort of impose himself.

“Ruairi was always going to be a slow burner,” Boyle added.

“The progress he’s made this year is really, really pleasing and you can see him in every passing game, expressing his personality.”

GROWING OAK…Ruairi Forbes in action for Derry minors in their 2022 All-Ireland quarter-final win over Cork.

Boyle speaks of how Forbes made his name as a “middle third player” at underage with an attacking mindset.

“He has had to learn straight away as a marking defender and he has adapted brilliantly to it,” Boyle pointed out.

“He’s so coachable and played a lot of league football this year. He was backed.

“I thought he gave a brilliant performance (against Antrim) and he’s now at the stage where he’s stepped up the field and he put the ball over the bar.

“That is the next stage of his evolution, which is what he’s capable of.”

Boyle lists the reasons why Saturday’s game with Monaghan is so important. The winner can challenge for an Ulster title and will be handed a home draw a seeded team in the All-Ireland series.

As a coach, he can see the value in playing on Ulster’s biggest day.

“With an Ulster Final and the experience that it brings, you have to go for it big time,” he said.

Monaghan will have other ideas but Boyle knows how much the younger players will learn from life in the fast lane.

That’s why Meenagh has him by his side. Knowledge is one thing, but with familiarity comes calmness. Derry will need it all this weekend. The championship is about to get real. Just ask Donegal.