Tyrone Minor coach hopes for double All-Ireland celebrations

THE build up to this weekend has been extra special for one of the Tyrone Minor Ladies backroom team. It’s not every year you have a vested interest in one All-Ireland Final let alone two on the one weekend but that’s the case for Barry McManus.

A member of the St Peter’s club in Lurgan, Barry will patrol the sidelines with manager and close confidant Darren McCann at Brewster Park on Saturday before heading to Croke Park to cheer on his native Armagh on Sunday as they battle for Sam Maguire.

McManus came into the Tyrone Minor camp alongside Darren last year and in that debut season Tyrone reached the Ulster Platinum Final. One year on and it’s Sligo in the All-Ireland they are focusing on this weekend in Enniskillen.

“I have loved my time here with the team and really I have been made feel so very welcome by the players, the management and the executive,” stated Barry, who has been a teacher has at St Ciaran’s Ballygawley for the past thirteen years.

“ I’ve looked at the schools feeder clubs for many years but it was great to get out and about to other parts of the County as we built our squad,” confirmed the Lurgan man.

He admits that life in his home town has gone into a frenzy over the past fortnight as the Orchard County countdown to their meeting with Galway this Sunday.

“ It is such a big weekend and Lurgan has turned orange and white overnight and I’m enjoying the buzz but for me it’s the buzz around this group that’s the focus. For me it’s Saturdays final and then I can turn my attention to Croke Park.”

McManus was the lead performance analyst with Antrim for three years, before becoming a coach with Moy and Tyrone. He feels that if the Minors bring the same level of performance and character to the final that they showed against Dublin they won’t be too far away come the final whistle.

“I wasn’t surprised by the way the girls played against Dublin as we see that intensity at training every week. Hopefully we can carry that level into the final and give a good account of ourselves. Whatever the outcome though the girls can be so proud of what they have achieved.”