THREE HOURS AFTER the Tyrone county final threw in, two dozen hardy souls in Loughmacrory were still on the Healy Park pitch, sucking the last goodness out of their day of days, like the final draw from a cigarette.
53 years after founding a brand new club, one in which they hadn’t even their own parish to draw out of, but rather a corner of Termonmaguirk parish, shared with Championship leaderboard toppers Carrickmore, they were finally on top of the tree.
Champions. Of Tyrone. One of the smallest clubs in terms of members.
It makes one think that in every dressing room in Ireland when teams gather up in January, setting their goals for the year ahead, the name of Loughmacrory will be cited as the example of what can happen when good people are prepared to bleed for a cause.
They have but one primary school to draw out of. No matter. They have serious football men in Ciaran Meenagh and Ryan Keenan who have commitments to other teams. No matter. They are hamstrung and fenced in and there’s never enough volunteers.
No matter. Any of it.
They beat Trillick on an emotional Tyrone final.
In another world it might have ended happier for Trillick. They are, as a people, cut open and wounded from the loss of their manager Jody Gormley who passed away last winter just weeks from losing the county final to Errigal Ciaran.
They wanted to honour his memory. But they have done that.
It was there in their late burst against Dungannon in Carrickmore. It was present when they overcame Pomeroy when being outplayed and it was never as much there as when they beat Errigal Ciaran in the semi-final.
Defeat does not diminish them.
James Garrity for Trillick. John McVitty / INPHO
John McVitty / INPHO / INPHO
Nor did Loughmacrory need a Tyrone title to justify their excellence and quality. But they have it now and when everyone departed Omagh to head for the bend in the village where they would greet their newly-minted champions, they knew that some of the best days of their lives were imminent.
Trillick began the game assured and in control. Loughmacrory came back, snaffling up six consecutive Joe Maguire kickouts. That gave them the platform to know that they belonged on this day.
That marching behind the Sion Mills Pipe Band and the village turned black and amber, that postponed Sunday Mass and painted cattle and various livestock all meant something.
They could have outdone themselves. Trillick grabbed a fortuitous goal in the first half when Lough goalkeeper Oisín O’Kane spilled a speculative Lee Brennan effort and Ciaran Daly was surprised to find the leather in his hands, standing just steps from an empty net. Goal.
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And when they opened the second half with Cathal Donaghy hitting three peaches of points to accompany his wonderous two-pointer in the first half, they were motoring.
But sandwiched between the second and third, Trillick got a kickout away smart. Matthew Donnelly made a long run upfield, laid off to Daly who drilled low across goal to the net.
For 24 torturous minutes, Loughmacrory scored just one point; from the sparkling Ruairí McCullagh.
Eoin McElholm. John McVitty / INPHO
John McVitty / INPHO / INPHO
Trillick drew level after Loughmacrory committed a three-man breach, Lee Brennan kicking the point.
Eoin McElholm, such a livewire in the first half, seemed to have retreated into a shell.
We weren’t paying attention. McElholm has a game intelligence seldom seen. He was drawing players into areas, opening spaces for others. At the back of it all, there was a little bit of energy preservation going on. He would be needed for the finish.
He made four final plays. One of them he dished off to Gareth Donaghy for the winning point. Other times he scared the bejaysus out of the Trillick defence. One other ended with a wide he set up.
He was there, doing the hard things.
And by the time referee Mark Loughran put his whistle to his lips to signal that there would be a fresh name etched on the O’Neill Cup, they had delivered.
The Tyrone club championship had delivered.
Trillick had played an heroic part.
And Loughmacrory ended up with everything they ever dreamed of, going back to those courageous, half-mad small group of men who decided at some point at the beginning of the ‘70s, that Loughmacrory needed an identity all of their own.
Now everyone knows.
Scorers for Loughmacrory: Cathal Donaghy 0-5 (1 x 2 point), Ruairí McCullagh 0-4 (3 frees), Eoin McElholm 0-3 (1 x 2 point), Gareth Donaghy, Cathaoir Gallagher 0-1 each.
Scorers for Trillick: Ciaran Daly 2-0, Lee Brennan 0-5 (3 frees, 1 x 45), Rory Brennan, Liam Gray, Mattie Donnelly, Charlie Donnelly, Richard Donnelly 0-1 each.
Loughmacrory
1. Oisin O’Kane
2. Dara Curran 3. Nathan Kelly 4. Arnoldas Macidulkas
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Loughmacrory shock and awe as they beat Trillick to deliver their first Tyrone championship
Loughmacrory 0-18
Trillick 2-11
THREE HOURS AFTER the Tyrone county final threw in, two dozen hardy souls in Loughmacrory were still on the Healy Park pitch, sucking the last goodness out of their day of days, like the final draw from a cigarette.
53 years after founding a brand new club, one in which they hadn’t even their own parish to draw out of, but rather a corner of Termonmaguirk parish, shared with Championship leaderboard toppers Carrickmore, they were finally on top of the tree.
Champions. Of Tyrone. One of the smallest clubs in terms of members.
It makes one think that in every dressing room in Ireland when teams gather up in January, setting their goals for the year ahead, the name of Loughmacrory will be cited as the example of what can happen when good people are prepared to bleed for a cause.
They have but one primary school to draw out of. No matter. They have serious football men in Ciaran Meenagh and Ryan Keenan who have commitments to other teams. No matter. They are hamstrung and fenced in and there’s never enough volunteers.
No matter. Any of it.
They beat Trillick on an emotional Tyrone final.
In another world it might have ended happier for Trillick. They are, as a people, cut open and wounded from the loss of their manager Jody Gormley who passed away last winter just weeks from losing the county final to Errigal Ciaran.
They wanted to honour his memory. But they have done that.
It was there in their late burst against Dungannon in Carrickmore. It was present when they overcame Pomeroy when being outplayed and it was never as much there as when they beat Errigal Ciaran in the semi-final.
Defeat does not diminish them.
Nor did Loughmacrory need a Tyrone title to justify their excellence and quality. But they have it now and when everyone departed Omagh to head for the bend in the village where they would greet their newly-minted champions, they knew that some of the best days of their lives were imminent.
Trillick began the game assured and in control. Loughmacrory came back, snaffling up six consecutive Joe Maguire kickouts. That gave them the platform to know that they belonged on this day.
That marching behind the Sion Mills Pipe Band and the village turned black and amber, that postponed Sunday Mass and painted cattle and various livestock all meant something.
They could have outdone themselves. Trillick grabbed a fortuitous goal in the first half when Lough goalkeeper Oisín O’Kane spilled a speculative Lee Brennan effort and Ciaran Daly was surprised to find the leather in his hands, standing just steps from an empty net. Goal.
And when they opened the second half with Cathal Donaghy hitting three peaches of points to accompany his wonderous two-pointer in the first half, they were motoring.
But sandwiched between the second and third, Trillick got a kickout away smart. Matthew Donnelly made a long run upfield, laid off to Daly who drilled low across goal to the net.
For 24 torturous minutes, Loughmacrory scored just one point; from the sparkling Ruairí McCullagh.
Trillick drew level after Loughmacrory committed a three-man breach, Lee Brennan kicking the point.
Eoin McElholm, such a livewire in the first half, seemed to have retreated into a shell.
We weren’t paying attention. McElholm has a game intelligence seldom seen. He was drawing players into areas, opening spaces for others. At the back of it all, there was a little bit of energy preservation going on. He would be needed for the finish.
He made four final plays. One of them he dished off to Gareth Donaghy for the winning point. Other times he scared the bejaysus out of the Trillick defence. One other ended with a wide he set up.
He was there, doing the hard things.
And by the time referee Mark Loughran put his whistle to his lips to signal that there would be a fresh name etched on the O’Neill Cup, they had delivered.
The Tyrone club championship had delivered.
Trillick had played an heroic part.
And Loughmacrory ended up with everything they ever dreamed of, going back to those courageous, half-mad small group of men who decided at some point at the beginning of the ‘70s, that Loughmacrory needed an identity all of their own.
Now everyone knows.
Scorers for Loughmacrory: Cathal Donaghy 0-5 (1 x 2 point), Ruairí McCullagh 0-4 (3 frees), Eoin McElholm 0-3 (1 x 2 point), Gareth Donaghy, Cathaoir Gallagher 0-1 each.
Scorers for Trillick: Ciaran Daly 2-0, Lee Brennan 0-5 (3 frees, 1 x 45), Rory Brennan, Liam Gray, Mattie Donnelly, Charlie Donnelly, Richard Donnelly 0-1 each.
Loughmacrory
1. Oisin O’Kane
2. Dara Curran 3. Nathan Kelly 4. Arnoldas Macidulkas
5. Shane Dobbs 6. Ronan Fox 7. Shea Conway
8. Aodhan Donaghy 9. Cathal Donaghy
10. Gareth Donaghy 11. Eoin McElholm 12. Cathaoir Gallagher
13. Pauraic Meenagh 14. Ruairi McCullagh 18. Michael McNamee
Subs:
20. Ryan Grimley for Meenagh (72)
Trillick
1. Joe Maguire
2. Daire Gallagher 3. Peter McCaughey 4. Stephen O’Donnell
5. Colm Garrity 6. Rory Brennan 7. Michael Gallagher
8. Liam Gray 9. Ciarán Daly
10. Seanie O’Donnell 11. Mattie Donnelly 12. Charlie Donnelly
13. James Garrity 14. Lee Brennan 21. Simon Garrity
Subs:
30. Daley Tunney for O’Donnell (40)
22. Richard Donnelly for Charlie Donnelly (44)
15. Liam Corry for Simon Garrity (48)
Referee: Mark Loughran (Errigal Ciaran)
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Loughmacrory Trillick Tyrone final Tyrone SFC final