Tyrone’s loss to Kerry: Five Talking Points

How to parse 2025?

SO that’s the end of Malachy O’Rourke’s first season in charge of Tyrone. What to make of it? There were good days, bad days, indifferent days, but you have to credit the fact that we went on our best championship run since our All-Ireland winning year of 2021. It’s just a pity it came to a fairly disappointing end against Kerry in Saturday’s All-Ireland semi-final, a defeat that poses more questions than answers. And there sure is a lot of time to think about it – it will be will another six months before the Tyrone senior footballers play another competitive game of football.

The attack malfunctioned

THERE were some really commendable individual displays last weekend. Darragh Canavan had his best championship outing of 2025, Conn Kilpatrick really brought the fight to Kerry from the opening minute, and in general there was no shortage of effort on what was the hottest day of the year. But anyway, for all the talk about David Clifford, it didn’t help matters that we didn’t really gel up front, particularly during a 22-minute spell in the second half where Tyrone failed to register a score. And even consider the first-half: Tyrone won 16 kickouts to Kerry’s five but we didn’t really make the most of it.

Hold your horses

MALACHY O’Rourke was asked about any potential retirements in the press briefing following Saturday’s game. We do have a lot of vastly experienced players, but that’s a good thing — the likes of Mattie Donnelly, Peter Harte and Niall Morgan (Tyrone’s three longest-serving players) had strong seasons and still have a serious amount to offer. But at the same time, we’re in Division Two in 2026 and that’s a good opportunity to give more of our U20 stars of recent years a chance to become acquainted with senior intercounty football. In the long run, our hopes depend on a successful transition.

Two disappointing semi-finals

FOR all the talk about the new rules, the two semi-finals were fairly disappointing and the quarter-finals weren’t so hot either. Perhaps it’s just a blip – I mean, Meath were never likely to cause Donegal much bother. Hopefully the final is more entertaining and the pieces are in place for a cracker. The bookies can barely separate Kerry and Donegal and it’d be a big pity if it’s a damp squib as the new rules have, in our book, helped improve the game as a spectacle. Anyway, it’ll also be interesting to see if Donegal can come up with a plan for Mr Clifford.

Back in the final

THE Tyrone ladies lost last year’s All-Ireland Intermediate final to Leitrim and they’ve shown admirable resilence en route to making it back to this year’s showdown against Laois, which takes place on Sunday, August 3 at Croke Park. Darren McCann’s side has won back-to-back knockout clashes after extra-time against Fermanagh and Westmeath to take their spot in this year’s final and hopefully there’s a big crowd down in Croker to cheer them on in two-and-a-half weeks’ time. And if all goes according to plan, it’ll be a third All-Ireland title for the county in a matter of months.