Another happy moment for Harte and Errigal Ciaran

By Alan Rodgers

NOTHING beats that feeling of euphoria following a big Championship victory.

That was certainly the case around Ballygawley on Sunday, night into Monday as the players, management and supporters celebrated their marvellous Ulster Club success. It was one 22 years in the making and the club enjoyed marking just a third provincial-title triumph. Trips to various local hostelries emphasised just how much they relished last Sunday’s success over a Kilcoo side which had proven its worth at Ulster and All-Ireland level in the past.

Peter Harte has been involved in many happy moments for both his club and county over the years. He was in no doubt about just how special this latest one was for both him personally, the Errigal team and management and the supporters.

“It’s unbelievably special to have won this title,” he said afterwards.

“Everyone just put their shoulder to the wheel for this game when the going got tough. It was that sort of game where there was never more than a point or two between the teams. We just tried to get forward to work a score and then get back to defend as quickly as possible.”

Now, 2024 can be added to those previous successes in 1993 and 2002. On both of those occasions, the team lost out at the All-Ireland semi-final stage. Now Dr Crokes of Killarney stand between Errigal and an All-Ireland Club Final appearance at Croke Park.

The Kerry champions comfortably defeated Loughmore-Castleiney of Tipperary in the Munster final also on Sunday. Crokes have won the All-Ireland before, but Errigal will certainly not be overawed by the challenge ahead of them.

That fresh challenge can await, however, as the club relishes the joy of this provincial title.

“It’s been a funny year,” added Harte.

“In some other games, we haven’t kicked as much as we would have hoped for as a team. Everybody just found wee ways to get a score and eke out wins.

“We knew it would be nothing less against Kilcoo, we had to be better than we’ve been so far. You know they’ll take you to the wire. They went down to 14 and it didn’t even affect them and they just kept coming and coming.

“If we’d been able to pick some man to take that shot it wouldn’t have been Ogie (Peter Óg McCartan), but he did it. He stepped up in the big moments and he’s been doing it all year. It was some score to win it.”

The Tyrone player has represented the club throughout his life and now just one accolade remains for him to capture.

He and the rest of the team will now be fully focused on their All-Ireland challenge, and the prospect of crossing swords with a Dr Crokes side also with high ambitions.

Neither team will take their eye off the ultimate prize of a place in the All-Ireland Final.

It promises to be a titanic battle when they meet on the weekend of January 4 to decide which of them progresses to that showpiece club occasion.