Emotional Tyrone return to the fray

HEALY PARK in Omagh has been the setting for many a Tyrone comeback in recent years, from both triumph and tragedy, but never will the atmosphere have been as solemn and emotional as at this evening’s Dr McKenna Cup match.

Less than 48 hours after manager Mickey Harte buried his only daughter, Michaela, his Tyrone team will take to the field for their first competitive game of the year. It may only be a low-key affair against the students of the University of Ulster at Jordanstown, but the spirit and memory of Michaela McAreavey will raise the meaning and purpose far above that, and at the same time mark the slow and painful process of returning to some sort of normality.

Harte himself is not expected to be in attendance – and even if he is, the managerial duties on the night will be handled by assistant manager Tony Donnelly and team trainer Fergal McCann. But last week, even before his daughter’s remains had been brought home from Mauritius, Harte gave his blessing for the Tyrone County Board to fulfil their Dr McKenna Cup fixtures.

It was initially agreed last Sunday’s game against Fermanagh would go ahead, but once Monday’s funeral arrangements were put in place that was postponed, so this evening’s game marks Tyrone’s first competitive outing of the year.

A minute’s silence will be observed and flags will be flown at half-mast, as they were at all games played in the Dr McKenna Cup over the weekend.

Harte has always promoted the Dr McKenna Cup as an important and meaningful competition, and indeed Tyrone have won the competition four times in the last seven years, in 2004, ’05, ’06 and ’07. Harte named 10 of the championship team that lost to Dublin last August for the postponed opening game against Donegal, just 24 hours before he received the news of his daughter’s killing, and according to McCann, that’s the sort of team they intend fielding this evening.

“There’s not a doubt about it,” says McCann, “the McKenna Cup is valued highly within the Tyrone squad. Mickey has done so much to promote that tournament, and again, it’s an important part of the whole build-up and we’re going for the National League as well.

“All the players are close to Mickey, but one thing about our boys, is how they feel for Mickey, John McAreavey and the family. There’s no better bunch of lads to do that. A lot of them have come through that before themselves, and they will feel that they want to honour Michaela’s memory in the best possible way.”

The Tyrone team had their first and only planned training session since the Harte tragedy last Thursday, and according to McCann, the spirit and determination to make the very most of their football in light of Michaela’s death was already there: “We did an hour’s football, continued on, because we were going well in the session we had on the previous Sunday, and we didn’t want to lose that momentum either, because we know how important the McKenna Cup competition is to the squad. And it’s the preparation that they need for the National League as well.

“I suppose everybody is striving just to get that bit of normality, and I know, even when we had the session last Thursday night, the boys were keen to get stuck into it for that hour. We’ll get back into things for this match, and gradually that sense of routine will come back round again. They want to get that wee bit of direction too, and it’s something they enjoy as well. It maybe lifted the minds for a wee while.”

Due to the postponements (including the first-round game against Donegal, scheduled for January 9th because of the snow), Tyrone are set to play three games in a week; with the Donegal game set for Omagh this Sunday and the meeting with Fermanagh rescheduled for next Wednesday, in Brewster Park.

Should Tyrone progress to the semi-finals they will also be in action the following Saturday, January 29th, with the final set for Saturday, February 12th.