By 
JANUARY REVIEW
DESPITE a heroic second half fightback Errigal Ciaran’s dreams of a first All-Ireland Senior Club Championship title are dashed by Dublin side Cuala at Croke Park. Much of the damage to Errigal’s high hopes of success came during the opening quarter when their slow start proved disastrous. A nine point deficit even at that early stage of proceedings proved decisive in ending any real chance that they had of capturing the Andy Merrigan Cup. Peter Harte scored a wonder goal in the second half but the Tyrone men came up short 3-14 to 1-16. The week before the Canavan brothers starred (registering 1-13 between them) as Errigal acounted for Dr Crokes of Kerry after extra-time in a thrilling semi-final in Newbridge, 2-18 to 1-18.
MALACHY O’Rourke’s much anticipated managerial debut drew a bumper crowd to Healy Park as Tyrone saw off Derry 2-13 to 1-9 in their National League Division One opener. In the first competitive game for either side played under the new ‘rule enhancements’ introduced to improve football as a spectacle, it was Tyrone who adapted better to the radical changes. It was a constructive night overall for the home side, who gave first starts to Shea O’Hare and Ronan Cassidy. They did their cause no harm, while another member of last year’s All-Ireland winning Under-20 side, Eoin McElholm produced a sparkling second half cameo when introduced, and experienced campaigners like Matthew Donnelly, Kieran McGeary and Michael McKernan also impressed across the duration. McKernan and Peter Teague were the goal scorers.
TYRONE LADIES’ eagerly awaited return to top-flight football ended in defeat to a vaunted Meath side in a game that was overshadowed almost in its entirety by the merciless weather conditions at Newtownstewart, 4-4 to 0-2 the final scoreline. All Tyrone mustered across the hour was two Maria Canavan frees.
A TOUGH learning curve for the Tyrone hurlers in the new Division Two of the National League began with a game that saw them battle well against their old rivals from Derry only to lose out 1-13 to 0-14. Fionn Devlin, Dean Rafferty, Seamus Sweeney, and Rory Weir worked hard to gain a foothold. Aidan Kelly hit ten points.
OMAGH CBS had their three-in-a-row hopes dashed as Patrick O’Donnell hit a late injury time winning goal for Southwest Donegal in the MacRory Cup quarter-final at Healy Park. Adrian McGurren top scored for the Brothers with 1-4.
FOR the first time in over fifty years an Omagh team will compete in junior football with confirmation that the club will field a new third team in Division Three of the All-County League in 2025. The decision that had been muted over for over a decade was made due to what St Enda’s vice-chairman Joe McMahon described as ‘bumper’ numbers now available to the club. The new team will compete in Division Three, as well as the Junior Championship.
DEAN Maguirc Carrickmore booked their spot in the MacLarnon Cup Final for the first time in the school’s history with a 2-11 to 0-15 victory over St Pius X College. The Dean played some magnificent football typified by the efforts of forwards Shea Curran and Odhran Curran and their energetic half-back Eoghan Conway. The U16 Dean girls team lost out to St Pat’s Dungannon after extra-time in the Ulster Ladies Post Primary Schools ‘B’ Final. Katie Marley (Dean) and Lauren O’Neill (St Pat’s ) each hit 1-7 for their respective sides.
