By Niall Gartland TYRONE manager Malachy O’Rourke is hopeful that the vast majority of his 2025 panel will be available for selection when the new season commences with the return of the McKenna Cup in January. There is no word yet of possible retirements, though it’s likely that Mark Bradley will be unavailable due to […]
By Shaun Casey KERRY, be warned. The beards are back. Niall Morgan. Peter Teague. Mattie Donnelly. Pádraig Hampsey. Rory Brennan. They’re all engrossed by the spirit of ‘08 and that can only spell danger for the men in green and gold. In 2008, a host of Tyrone stars grew their facial hair and swore not […]
By Barry O’Donnell MALACHY O’Rourke has dismissed the notion that the Red Hands represent Kerry’s ‘bogey team’ but admits the fact that Tyrone have won the more memorable clashes over the past twenty years has probably helped perpetuate that impression. Despite the fact that the Kingdom have won four of the last five Championship meetings […]
IN my last column, I opened up with the fact that with the current format of the championship, coupled with the new rules, the GAA have stumbled upon a system which has proven to be the most exciting in years. And all that has happened in the intervening three weeks has only served to make […]
By Niall Gartland IT’S little wonder that Eoin McElholm has scooped the U-20 Footballer of the Year award when you consider that the Loughmacrory starlet is already tearing it up at senior intercounty level. Now in his second year at senior level, it’s expected that McElholm will play a part in Sunday’s All-Ireland group stage finale […]
By Niall Gartland MALACHY O’Rourke is confident that three key players will recover in time for Tyrone’s third and final group stage clash against Cavan on Sunday week. Captain Brian Kennedy, former captain Padraig Hampsey and u-20 star Eoin McElholm sat out last weekend’s disappointing defeat to Mayo, though O’Rourke hopes to have a clean […]
By Alan Rodgers ONE of the best championship performances from a Tyrone team this decade has transformed them from hopeful contenders to a team with bright prospects of making a very strong mark as the race for this year’s Sam Maguire heats up. There was a quiet sense of satisfaction among the Red Hand players amidst the […]
By Niall Gartland HAVING excelled himself in Errigal Ciaran’s memorable run to the biggest day in club football with a series of eye-catching performances in the middle of the park, Ben McDonnell was duly drafted into the Tyrone Senior set-up by Malachy O’Rourke for his second crack at county football. Ben had been absent from […]
BEFORE I get stuck into this week’s action, I just want to touch on the structures around the championship, the fact that they are set to change next year. I understand in the past that perhaps things might not have worked out as we had hoped with a few dead rubbers here and there, but […]
By Michael McMullan ON Tuesday morning, I took a call from a walking buddy Jarlath Devlin, a Coalisland Fianna man living in Derry, informing me the Red Hands were back. It was a throwaway statement after the toppling of Donegal in fortress Ballybofey. He didn’t really think they were back. They had never really gone […]
