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Dromore brings out the flags ahead of county final clash

IT’S all systems go around Dromore as the town prepares for a Tyrone County Final appearance this weekend that brings with it the prospect of a fourth O’Neill Cup success.

There was a time when the famous St Dympna’s endured an agonising quest for glory.

But all that changed in 2007 when they won the title for the first time, and then followed that triumph up with further successes in 2009 and 2011.

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Now, a decade after that most recent title, the flags and bunting are once more being flown proudly in the town and surrounding townlands.

proud

Few people are more proud of this latest championship journey than one of the club’s most famous and loyal players.

Tommy Hunter represented the boys in blue over three separate decades, before finally retiring following their 1977 County Final appearance. Now he is watching the progress of the current players with a sense of delight and hope.

“I was only a young boy when Dromore first got to the final in 1946. One thing I remember from that time is the team training in St Patrick’s Hall under the guidance of Harry Hartop’s father, who was also called Harry,” Tommy told the UH.

“But things were going badly when I began to play in the fifties and sixties when we had to go out of football. Myself, John McCusker and Andy Montague and a few others got the team going again. We played in tournaments against some of the best teams across Ulster.

“I played on until we got to the County Final in 1977, which was lost to Carrickmore.

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“They wanted me to stay on, but I was nearly 40 years of age and decided to stop. It’s great what the current team are achieving at the moment.”

Tommy has preferred to watch this year’s magical matches from the comfort of his own home and has been getting regular updates from family members and friends.

Suffice to say, he is hopeful that they can defeat Coalisland this Sunday!

“The players were very determined against Trillick and probably more confident of victory than the spectators were,” he added.

“This is a young team with about six of the U-21 team which won the Ulster title a couple of years ago. The future looks bright and getting to the County Final has brought a great excitement to the whole area.”

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