Meenan relishing minor journey with Tyrone

NOTHING beats that feeling of winning an Ulster title with the players you’ve got to know so well through the regular training sessions and matches which have been taking place since this 2025 season began in earnest earlier in the year.

Thomas Meenan from Killyclogher is relishing the journey which takes the Tyrone Minors this Saturday to Portlaoise and an All-Ireland quarter final clash against Cork. It’s big games like these which inspire and motivate the teenage Red Hands as they aim to continue their burgeoning inter-county careers.

Success in the Ulster League and championship has whetted the appetites of this Tyrone team for more. But they’ll be taking nothing for granted as they prepare to meet a Cork team that defeated them in a challenge game earlier this year and are expected to be very formidable opponents.

“I’ve been enjoying the season definitely. Playing every week gives us the chance to assess our performances and see where maybe things went wrong or good and how you can improve.That’s how you keep building on,” said the young Omagh CBS student.

“It’s great to be moving onto a national level now. We’ll settle now,prepare as best we can for it. But whatever Cork throw at us I believe this group of lads are capable of giving their all.”

As the advert for the Minor championships goes ‘this is major’ and for the Tyrone lads their involvement on the All-Ireland stage is a source of pride for not only the players but also the management, and their families.

But that only counts for so much and the aim now is to maintain their involvement in a season which the young Killyclogher lad feels has been going well so far.

“Gerry Donnelly and the boys will get their research done on Cork. We’ll have the work done on them with the videos and so on. It’s all going to be learning coming into this because you don’t know what to expect against these teams that you haven’t really played before,” he added.

“The time really has flown for us since the start of the year when a day like this seemed to be very far away.It’s about us making the most of this chance now. Not too long ago, we had won the league and now we’re Ulster champions and looking forward to the All-Ireland quarters.

“But it’s a good experience to get and to be here and still to be on the pitch is unforgettable.”

“These are the type of games you want to be involved in. Last year we were in the B competition, so to be challenging for the All-Ireland now in the quarter final is great. The A competition is where you want to be playing.”

Tyrone, then, are aiming to reach the All-Ireland final for the first time since 2021 when they lost narrowly to Meath. Suffice to say that this group of lads are well capable of maknig the most of this national opportunity.