56 years of provincial pain in the Ulster Club for Senior champs

One of the great mysteries of Tyrone GAA is just why the county’s senior champions have almost completely failed to make an impact in the Ulster Club Championship.

Since its inception in 1968, the provincial title-race has grown steadily in stature. But, while clubs from Derry, Down, Monaghan, Antrim and Donegal have all made their mark at various points, the record of the Red Hand county is dismal to say the least.

Only Errigal Ciaran have managed to clinch the Seamus McFerran Cup, but we have to go back more than two decades to the second of their triumphs in 2002. Other clubs have tried hard to bridge that gap, but the litany of failures continues to prove immensely frustrating.

Even the number of teams which have reached the final is disappointing. Alongside Errigal, only Trillick (1974), Coalisland (1989) and Omagh (2014) have managed to progress to that last stage before losing out. What’s even more confusing is that, while our senior clubs have struggled to make an impact, the Junior and Intermediate champions have regularly won Ulster and All-Ireland titles since those competitions were introduced in 2004.

But what are the reasons for Tyrone’s poor record senior level. Afterall, during the 56 years that have passed since 1968, the county has been the most dominant in Ulster football. Perhaps, it’s the competitive nature of the Tyrone Senior Championship, or the fact that no club has dominated, or the often short time between the County Final and the start of the provincial competition.

Whatever the reasons, the fact remains that those Errigal Ciaran triumphs in 1993 and 2002 remain as memorable milestones.

Three decades ago, Danny Ball, was one of the top managers in the county. After guiding Tyrone to Minor and U-21 titles, he managed the Dunmoyle-based side to the Ulster Club title in 1993 and remembers well the little margins which can make the difference between success and failure at this level.

“It’s fine lines in the Ulster Club. In 1993, we beat Lavey in the first round. They had won the All-Ireland in 1991 and had been put forward as Derry’s representatives. After winning the Tyrone title that year, the provincial championship was something which myself and Doonan Gallagher definitely thought about,” he said.

“ I remember when we defeated Trillick in the first round that year thinking and saying to Doonan that I felt there was a county title in the team and maybe they could go even further. We didn’t set out to win the Ulster title, but we kept looking for more after the Tyrone final and that was a good Errigal side. We had some very good players and also got a little bit of luck.

“ In any match, there is always a moment somewhere along the line when something will happen. It’s invariably down to those small margins. There’s also that belief to have the conviction to make a mark.”

One possible factor is the time allowed between a County Final and the opening round of the Ulster Club. Recent years have seen Tyrone attempt at least to give the county champions a two-week break prior to embarking on the provincial championship. That hasn’t been the case this year, due to the unforeseen circumstances of the O’Neill Cup decider being postponed due to adverse weather.

Nevertheless, it is hoped that the task facing the Red Hand representatives will be eased by a slightly longer period for preparation. After the sheer joy of lifting the O’Neill Cup, it does take time to refocus on the provincial title-race.

>body2_text<“I cannot recall exactly what the timeframe was between winning the county title and the start of the Ulster Club. One thing I’m certain about is that boys definitely and rightly celebrated their county title. Then they knuckled down, and we decided then to go for the title,” added Danny Ball.

“But now 31 years on, I can hardly believe that no other Tyrone club has achieved an Ulster senior club title other than Errigal Ciaran and it’s 22 years since the last one. There have been teams as good and they haven’t got across the line. Omagh are the last club team to reach the final and that’s nearly ten years ago.

“ My belief is that it’s only a matter of time before another Tyrone club wins the Ulster senior title. You think of Errigal two years ago and they were very unfortunate against Glen. Once they get out of Tyrone, they believe that they can do well, and Trillick did really well to reach the semi-final last year.

“ No Tyrone team has done a back to back since Carrickmore in 2005. Yet, in other counties, the likes of Crossmaglen, Kilcoo, Glen and so on are winning consecutive county titles and then going into the Ulster Club. In Tyrone, it’s often the case that the county title is the main target. Provincial titles at the moment definitely mean a lot.”

Half a century ago, Trillick blazed a trail to their first O’Neill Cup since 1937. One of the key players on that famous Reds team was Barney McAnespie. He believes the very particular circumstances of that 1974 did have an impact on the St Macartan’s, not least the delays caused by the brutal murder of councillor Patsy Kelly in July that year, which caused the postponement of their semi-final clash against the four-in-a-row chasing Ardboe.

“Our football was broken in Trillick because of Patsy Kelly’s murder. There were no games, and then we started up again to take the Championship seriously. We knew the side was capable of beating anyone. I remember Pat King really took it seriously,” he said.

“ Once we got on the road and achieved that momentum we were going well. We had no fear of Carrickmore in the county final at Omagh. Because we had a two month break, the campaign hadn’t been that long and we were fresh and determined in the Ulster Club.”

A win over Derry champions, Ballinderry, marked their provincial debut. From then on, Trlllick’s confidence grew.

“We drew with Ballinderry in Magherafelt and hammered them in Omagh. We played Teemore then and knew them from Tournament matches and being at school with them around that time. Our win over them was a surprise as they had a lot of Fermanagh county players.”

Following those wins, Trillick met a Clann na nGael side from Armagh which was then at the peak of its powers. Unfortunately for Trillick, the result went aganst them.

In 1975, Trillick won a second consecutive title. However, a tough draw against Cavan Gaels in Breffni Park, proved to be their only outing. There were also missed opportunities when they won their three county titles in 1980, 1983 and 1986. Their struggles since that groundbreaking achievement in 1974 have reflected the failures of almost every other Tyrone champions team.

“The fact that Tyrone teams don’t enjoy the same level as dominance as clubs in other counties is definitely a factor. Our teams win the county title and then celebrate, whereas the celebrations for some other dominant teams in other counties aren’t as prolonged,” he added.

“Any of the teams that are successful like St Gall’s of Antrim, Crossmaglen, Kilcoo and Glen are winning multiple county titles and then focusing very exclusively on the Ulster Club.”

Now, as the 56th Ulster Club beckons, the Tyrone champions will once again put their ambitions on the line. It’s a competition which has become a big focus for clubs and this will be reflected in the anxiety of this year’s champions to reach the later stages and perhaps even progress to the final.

Whether that happens or not depends on many factors, including perhaps the weight of history from a competition that continues to grow in stature.