By 
ONE day in the future Clogher’s players will undoubtedly reflect back on their Croke Park journey with the kind of pride that comes with knowing that you have done your very best to make the most of a lifetime opportunity to win an All-Ireland Junior Final.
The sense of achievement at reaching the pinnacle of Junior football will return when the pain of defeat eventually eases. But, for now in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s defeat against the Kerry champions Balymacelligott, the wounds of disappointment remain just too fresh.
It was a game in which the Eire Ogs excelled during the opening half, before a series of narrowly missed chances undermined their challenge on the resumption. The final whistle brought an end to their ambitions, but the memories of this journey and how it culminated in Croke Park, will certainly last a lifetime.
Action back in Division Two of the All-County League will soon demand their attention. The boost provided by this progress to the All-Ireland will definitely be a help as they prepare to negotiate the domestic challenges awaiting in 2026.
Few were looking ahead that far under the Cusack Stand as they returned to the silence of the dressing-room after watching the presentation of the Shamrock Cup minutes earlier. But attacker, Marc McConnell, was still taking a longer-term view of where this game sits for Clogher as they move ahead.
“Sunday was a proud day and we’ll always remember that. When you saw the amount of support from Clogher out there, it was amazing. It was nice to see the whole town getting behind the team, and I think most people were probably in Dublin on Saturday night,” he said.
“It would have great to get over the line and deliver for all those supporters. But we didn’t and that’s the end of the journey now.
“But the platform and confidence that gives is for the rest of this year and beyond is a big positive. We’re heading into Intermediate football later this year on a high and hopefully we do be up around the top of the table.
“This has been a great season for all of us, but it just hasn’t finished the way that we wanted.”
The story of the game was often a frustrating one for the Eire Ogs. After a shaky start, they rallied impressively and led at half-time. Then, those missed scoring chances, and a golden spell for the Kerry and Munster champions proved decisive.
Those are the things which will perhaps hurt most in the weeks and months to come. There’s an awareness, too, among the players, management and supporters about just how crucial those moments ultimately proved.
“It’s very disappointing. I think we didn’t really show up in the second half and then we kind of went chasing the game. On any other day, the couple of scores or the shots that went wide would have gone in, but that’s the way it goes sometimes,” he said.
“Fine margins make the difference in games like this. The wind wasn’t really noticeable or a factor. We didn’t get those scores, that left us chasing and then we ended up leaving ourselves more open at the back.
“Obviously, we did well to get to the final and it’s a pity we couldn’t have got over the line. There were a lot of positives in the first half and I don’t think we even played that well at that stage. But we still came in two ahead and our thinking was about building on that and things would get better.
“But things just didn’t go for us in the second half. What can you do I suppose.”
Greencastle in 2007 remain the only Tyrone team to have won the All-Ireland Junior title. But for Clogher and before them Rock and Stewartstown, the achievement of having reached the pinnacle of Croke Park should remain a source of inspiration and pride for all associated with them now in the present and in the future.
As life returns to normal around Clogher, the Croke Park experience will drive them forward on the fields of Tyrone, and maybe even inspire a return to the All-Ireland stage sooner rather than later.
