Eir Sport in the Six Counties

This weekend’s Tyrone match away to Armagh will be broadcast by Eir Sport which is great craic if you live in the north (where both counties happen to be) and don’t happen to have Sky TV through whom you can subscribe to Eir Sport.

It seems a ridiculous decision to choose to broadcast a match between two counties where almost no one from those counties is able to tune in, legally. I’ve been critical of the GAA selling rights to Sky but at least in that instance there are options such as temporary NOW TV passes.

National League matches which aren’t televised in Ireland can be bought for five euro on GAAGO. As Eir Sport have the rights for televising Armagh v Tyrone on the island of Ireland, GAAGO customers will only be able to watch outside of Ireland for ten euro (different price, I’m not making this up).

I contacted Eir Sport about this situation a number of times but received no response. If you aren’t using a dodgy box or fire stick, you could purchase a GAAGO match pass and change the VPN to Manchester on Saturday or hide in a hedge in Armagh. Up to you!

NFL Division 1 North round 1: Tyrone 0-16 Donegal 0-18

The Logan-Dooher era began in Omagh last night in very much the same manner that the Harte era ended, with a narrow defeat to a controlled Donegal side behind closed doors. It was a fourth league or championship defeat in a row to our neighbours who very much have the hex over us in recent times since our championship victories over them three years on the trot between 2016 and 2018.

Michael Murphy turned in another composed performance and his organisational skills proved to be the difference between the sides. It was a more open game of football than last year’s championship showdown at Ballybofey. Tyrone lost Ronan McNamee to a head injury early in the first half and a red card to Michael O’Neill early in the second half effectively spoiled the game as a contest despite the gap never stretching to more than four points on the scoreboard. He was skating on thin ice already on a yellow card and will need to learn from the experience.

The main highlight of the match was the debut of Dungannon’s Paul Donaghy. He felt immediately at home at intercounty level kicking ten points, four of them from play, in an assured performance. Conor McKenna generated most of the positivity surrounding Tyrone last autumn but he was well shackled throughout the game and will regret some poor decision making in front of goal. Donegal’s veteran defender Neil McGee was untested and that will be a source of frustration to Tyrone as will a tally of 11 wides to Donegal’s six.

Tyrone still have key players to return and management will remain confident that we can pick up maximum points against Armagh and Monaghan over the next fortnight to avoid a relegation playoff, most likely against Galway or Roscommon.

Hampsey appointed Captain

Coalisland Na Fianna’s Pádraig Hampsey has been appointed the new Captain of the Tyrone senior football team. Pomeroy’s Kieran McGeary will become Vice Captain.

Hampsey, who won an All Star in 2018, takes over from Trillick’s Mattie Donnelly. I’m not sure of the logic in the change but it may free Donnelly up to concentrate on other duties and focus on his game.

Many are eagerly anticipating the teamsheet for the first competitive game under the joint management team of Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher at home to Donegal tomorrow in the first round of NFL Division 1 North.

2020 – The season that never got going

Last year was as odd a season as I can recall. The coronavirus pandemic ripped a hole right through the middle of the calendar and left the season being completed in winter behind closed doors after club championships had been run across the country in early autumn.

Five significant things happened for Tyrone in what may still be remembered as one of our more uneventful seasons.

• We beat the big three. There aren’t many years where we beat Kerry, Dublin and Mayo. These were all league fixtures with the Mayo game saving us from relegation on the last day. We picked up a league win over Meath on the first day out but infuriating defeats to Monaghan and Galway are best consigned to history.
• Last year, we faced Donegal twice in an autumn fortnight losing narrowly twice and with no backdoor, our championship had ended on day one. This year, Donegal will likely need conquering if we are to win the Ulster title in another straight knockout championship.
• The lure of Australian Rules. The winter was defined by talk of our reigning 2019 All Star Cathal McShane emigrating for a professional contract in Australia. A month later he had committed to a future in Ireland and suffered a season-ending injury against Galway at Tuam. By autumn, Conor McKenna had returned from Essendon and was our brightest light in the two defeats to Donegal and the win over Mayo in Castlebar. They will be two key players for us in the years to come.
• Colm Cavanagh retired before the autumn games. He has been one of our most outstanding players in recent years whether it be in midfield or playing the sweeper role which he made his own. Kyle Coney also called it a day and it is with regret that we probably never got to see the best of Kyle at intercounty level.
• Finally Mickey Harte departed as manager. He brought success that Tyrone people could only have dreamed about in the mid 2000s and kept us competing at the top table right up to 2020. Few have done more for Tyrone football but an exciting new era will now begin under Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher.

Introducing Unofficial Tyrone

I would usually have my season ticket bought with annual leave booked and hotels reserved around the country, ahead of the National League campaign. Unfortunately that is not the case this year as the coronavirus pandemic lingers on.

The certainties of the calendar were taken away from us in March 2020 and it could still be another year before we know when things will get back to normal. The split calendar between county and club is likely here to stay and September All Ireland finals are a thing of the past.

I intend to write my thoughts on everything Tyrone GAA related here in the months to come in what should be a fascinating season as the Harte era ends and the Logan-Dooher era begins.

Tír Eoghain Abú!