Errigal boss Enda eyes up Crokes clash

A PLACE in the All-Ireland Club Final for the very first time is now the massive prize which beckons Errigal Ciaran after what has already been a glorious season.

They are aiming to become the first team from Tyrone to reach the showpiece club occasion in the GAA. But first they must defeat the Kerry and Munster champions, Dr Crokes of Killarney, at Portlaoise on Sunday (3.30pm).

The Dunmoyle-based team have already captured the Paddy O’Neill and Seamus McFerran Cups. Now it’s the Andy Merrigan Cup that’s in the sights of team manager Enda McGinley, the players and several thousand fans who will make the trip to O’Moore Park with confidence and expectation.

It’s their first All-Ireland semi-final since 2003 and third overall. Both of the previous games saw them lose out to Cork champions, Nemo Rangers. However, there is a feeling that this could be their best chance of reaching the decider. One thing for certain is that they will definitely not be overawed by the challenge posed in this latest instalment of the legendary rivalry between Tyrone and Kerry teams at both club and inter-county level.

Team manager, Enda McGinley, has, of course, experienced all this before as both a young fan, then as a player and now as the man on the sideline making the decisions. He has no doubts about the ability of Dr Crokes, or indeed his Errigal Ciaran team which has brought such joy to their parish and county during the past few months.

“We’ve got a once in a lifetime or once in a generation chance for the players to try to compete with Dr Crokes and go for a place in the All-Ireland Final,” said McGinley.

“It’s imperative that we make the very most of that chance. It’s amazing how quickly it’ll go in because one time you’re sitting a fortnight out and then you’re sitting right in the mouth of it again.

“This is a huge task. They’re easily the most experienced and everyone’s talking about how open the All-Ireland is, and I suppose it is, but there’s one team that’s certainly been there and done that and has loads of experience of getting to Croke Park within their squad and loads of experience of the biggest days in Croke Park.

“Yes, we are up against it, but it’s a game where neither team knows each other too well. The homework in terms of video analysis is done, but it’s exceptionally hard to get really your inside line on a team until you play them. There’ll be a lot of learning in the early phases of that game, but we’ve a lot of games under our belts now, a lot of tough games as we know and those learnings will count.”

This has definitely been a memorable year for Errigal from the victory over Pomeroy in the opening round of the Tyrone championship, the draw clash against Clonoe and the County Final win over Trillick. Then, of course, there have been the four wins over St Eunan’s, Cargin, Clann Eireann and Kilcoo which led to a glorious provincial triumph.

For McGinley, the memories of Errigal’s last All-Ireland semi-final defeat in 2003 remain painfully fresh. But there’s a determination to make amends this time around.

“We’ve lost two and as I said to the boys the other day, the loss in 2003 was easily the worst of my career. I was only 21 at the time and I knew sitting outside the ground, as sick as I was, I knew how unlikely it was that you would ever get all the way back again and so it passed. I never got close to it again,” he added.

“They are exceptionally precious, particularly coming out of the Tyrone Championship to try and navigate that first. We have to make the very most of it when we’re there.”