The legacy of ’86


“The men of ’86, who ignited a flame that’s still burning.” – Peter Canavan, September 2003   PETER Canavan never forgot the men of ’86 in the county’s greatest hour. After hoisting the Sam Maguire Cup aloft in 2003, the Tyrone skipper delivered his iconic speech. Advertisement They’ve won another three All-Ireland titles since but […]


Joe Brolly: RARE AIR


Mark Vancil, the author of Michael Jordan’s biography ‘Rare Air’ said that the difference between Michael and the rest, what set him apart, was that he was “always present.” He never thought about failure. His mind never wandered to what might happen or how the score in a game might end up. If he missed […]


Snow patrol – The Chris Snow story


By Shaun Casey THINGS could have all turned out so differently for Chris Snow, Fermanagh and Ederney. As a teenager, Snow fantasized about sailing across the Irish Sea and making a career as a goalkeeper in England. The possibilities seemed endless. Numerous trials at different clubs suggested that ambition was more than just a dream. […]


20 years on: Mellon recalls an All-Ireland final for the ages


Niall Gartland talks to former Tyrone star Ryan Mellon about an unforgettable All-Ireland final triumph over Kerry in 2005 TYRONE’S finest hour? Some will balk at the notion – surely the honour goes to that historic All-Ireland triumph of 2003, that memorable late-September day where we finally reached the promised land after decades and decades of trying. No longer were we […]


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 […]


Tyrone stars of the noughties pull on their boots to official open state of the art Stewartstown facility


By Michael McMullan TYRONE All-Ireland winning captain Peter Canavan is one a number of former Red Hand stars pulling the boots back on this Saturday. To mark GAA President Jarlath Burns officially opening their playing facilities and state-of-the-art new stand, Stewartstown Harps team of 2005 are taking on a Tyrone team of the decade on […]


Ulster’s Croker match ups


With talk that this year’s Ulster final could be played at Croke Park, we take a look at some of the previous all-Ulster meetings at GAA Headquarters. 2003 All-Ireland SFC semi-final Armagh 2-10 Donegal 1-9 ARMAGH kept their two in-a-row hopes alive in front of 76,000 spectators with an extremely hard-earned win over Brian McEniff’s […]


Armagh v Tyrone: A famous footballing trilogy


Shaun Casey speaks to Gavin Devlin and Enda McNulty about Armagh and Tyrone’s famous trilogy of 2005. GAELIC games are built on local rivalries. Keeping an eye on them ‘uns across the road. Matching, or more importantly, surpassing their success is what the sport thrives on. Back in 2005, Armagh and Tyrone shared a memorable trilogy […]