Tyrone are back without ever really going away

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 away. Not really.

Our walk chatter covers many a topic from the price of a pint, to work, to life, but it mainly centres around football. Hardly a surprise.

Tyrone. Derry. Styles of play. The O’Neill Cup. It’s roll of honour. Rules. And whatever else floats in the wind.

“Mal McMullan, you know what I’m gonna tell ye, Tyrone have been there since 1984,” was a statement made one dark evening on a lap of Maghera.

I knew the answer, but I asked anyway.

Big Frank’s 11 points. Nearly there in ’86. Another Ulster in ’89. The men of ’95 and ’96. Mickey Harte. Minor and u-21 glory. The noughties. Sam times three.

There was an 13-year gap until ‘uimhir a ceathair’, but there was a steady stream of underage and school success. A senior final in 2018. Semi-finals four years out of five.

The Tyrone and Dublin players parade before the 1995 All-Ireland final

They’d always be rubbing shoulders in Division One. A big dog. Not always right at the cutting end, but always in the conversation. Always in the conversation.

It’s been some week in the Red Hand County, a place where everyone is fanatical about football.

The senior footballers crept out of the long grass to do a number on Ulster champions Donegal.

A shock Donegal lost more than the fact Tyrone won.

McGuinness, Donegal and Ballybofey is quite the combo.

Victory now gives Tyrone a leg up towards topping their group. The last eight is where the contenders lie.

Tyrone were both angry and measured. It was the right sort of anger. Controlled aggression.

Celebrating turnovers is always a good sign. It doesn’t win games but it told us Malachy O’Rourke had the Red Hands plugged back into the grid.

When Donegal need a break glass in case of emergency, Shaun Patton lands a kick-out on top of Michael Murphy.

Patton was injured and when Gavin Mulreany humped the size five towards Murphy, Peter Teague attacked the ball like he’d never play another minute. Ravenous.

Add in the magic dust and it might tempt the bandwagon Red Hands to fill the flasks and jeeps again. Croker time is within reach. Time to set the alarms.

Action moved into Sunday and a 26th Ulster minor title. The only surprise is that Tom Markham hasn’t been visitor since 2010. The shock of that stat says it all.

Tyrone were always the benchmark in Ulster. Enough for Donegal to look at their school structures. Derry got their house in order at minor level.

With more schools playing at MacRory Cup level than anyone, Tyrone are always going to be an underage contender. Anyone who attends a minor trial can dream it’s the start of something big.

In a bad year, the minors might get to an Ulster semi-final. But it gives them a taste and in a fanatical county, a senior jersey is something worth dedicating a couple of years of body care towards.

Sam 2021 is still in the recent memory. Success breeds success and all that.

If Saturday and Sunday excited the Gaels of Tyrone, then Wednesday night will have added to the voltage.

An eighth All-Ireland u-20 title. A grade closer to senior. Three in four years and the third time they’ve done back-to-back.

That’s where the “we’ve been here since ‘84” statement resonates. The 1991 and ’92 u-21 crop pulled the seniors to a questionable refereeing decision away from Sam in ’95.

The 2000 and 2001 u-21s were the golden generation to turn a nearly group into champions. Virtually an entire team worth of player came though.

With the county in All-Ireland limbo, a core of the 2015 u-21s helped the push for the 2021 senior All-Ireland.

Then there is the now. With the region of 48 minutes gone in Wednesday’s u-20 decider, Louth had pulled themselves back into contention after Noah Grimes had torn them to shreds.

It had the makings of a tight finish. There is something exciting in Louth too. A minor final with a stylish pattern of play under the coaching eye of Tyrone All-Ireland winner Gavin Devlin. The seniors had the guile to beat a Meath team that dumped out the Dubs.

Celebration time as Tyrone saw off Louth on Wednesday night to retain the u-20 All-Ireland

The difference on Wednesday night was inches and precision. When a high ball looked like creeping over the line, Joey Clarke’s game smarts and footwork prevented a certain goal.

Tyrone tagged on a point. Some respite. Louth then rattled the crossbar. Tyrone replied with a point. More respite.

Like Conan McGarvey’s save to deny Donegal and Callum Daly thundering onto a Derry kick-out to start the move for Tyrone’s game breaking score, the Red Hands have the answers. Caolan Donnelly’s afterburners another weapon.

On the wings, Conall Sheehy was running and covering. His GPS tracker again well tested. The fact he cramped when kicking a worldie against Derry said it all. Matthew Quinn the same on the other wing.

Neither played minor for Tyrone but Paul Devlin saw enough value to slot them in.

Back to Wednesday. Louth are still hanging on until the dam bursts. Eoin McElholm is the final stick of dynamite. His two goals take his tally to 2-4. Grimes with 2-6. Shea McDermott is hardly off the bench and he kicks over a spinner. He hammers a fifth goal.

The camera flicks to the stand. Malachy O’Rourke and Ryan Porter. Penny for their thoughts. You’d love to know how many of the players on canvas in front of them get a phone call to join the quest for Sam.

In planet Tyrone, very little changes. There is silverware often enough to keep a county believing. The young bucks on Gerry Donnelly’s minor team will keep their hands up too.

And there are always forwards. Dangerous ones. With a kicking element to Paul Devlin’s teams, players needing watched.

His mantra has been consistent. Bring in a management team. Coach the players, inspire them, let them express themselves and get them to senior level.

Winning, as much as it’s important, will come it if comes.

Every county will be able to get enough people to carry the piano. It’s the pianists who really matter. A Frank McGuigan or a Peter Canavan.

Jarlath Devlin is partly right. Tyrone is back above the midpoint of the ladder, but they never really got off it.

Seanie O’Donnell’s facial expression in Ballybofey tells the country the fire is burning.

Gerry Donnelly and Paul Devlin have trailers of firewood to last another handful of winters.

In Tyrone, the bigger picture tells more than the six inches in front of your face.

Top their group and the 14/1 for Sam each way bet on the night of O’Rourke’s appointment looks as good as any.

The predicable summers are over. Talking about football is enjoyable again.

For Tyrone, they hope it the beginning of another ascension.

Check out this week’s Gaelic Lives podcast with Seanie Johnston and Kevin McKernan looking ahead to the weekend of All-Ireland SFC action.