FORMER Tyrone star Ryan McMenamin joked that his respect for Mickey Harte has “gone up 10-fold” since he took his first steps into inter-county management as assistant to Rory Gallagher at Fermanagh.
McMenamin, a three-time All-Ireland winner with Harte’s Red Hands, is looking forward to putting the Erne county squad through their paces in pre-season training.
It is understood that Gallagher has trawled the county for players and that Roslea Shamrocks forward Seamus Quigley could be in line for a comeback, but the squad for next year has yet to be finalised.
“At the minute there’s no squad,” said Dromore native McMenamin.
“We don’t know who will make the final cut yet.
“You would always have heard good stuff about the Fermanagh boys’ attitude and their willingness to train and I think the boys will put in a good effort.
“We’ll be training to improve their performances and we’ll be asking them to listen to what Rory is saying and buy into the style of football he wants.”
After relegation last season, Fermanagh are in Division Three next year alongside fellow Ulster counties Armagh and Derry.
Three of their first four fixtures are at home and the Ernemen also host Derry in between trips to Sligo and Westmeath.
“It’s the aim of every county at this stage of the season to do well,” said McMenamin.
“I’m sure all the boys would like to improve on last year and Armagh and Derry and Sligo and Wexford will be the same.
“We know what we have to do and we’ve told the boys that we’re going to have to work hard from November 15 because, with the new calendar the GAA have put out, that really is the pre-season.
“From January to the end of the League you could be playing 10-12 weeks in-a-row – you don’t have any time for physical training, any training you do will be more tactical stuff.”
Manager Gallagher was enticed back to the inter-county scene to take the reins at his native Fermanagh after he had stepped down as Donegal bainisteoir in July.
His backroom team also includes former Fermanagh star Shane McCabe and McMenamin joked that life in the dugout has given him a new perspective on Mickey Harte’s achievements with Tyrone.
“I’ve always had great respect for Mickey Harte, but it’s gone up 10-fold now,” he said.
“No, it’s been enjoyable and the lads do make it easier because it is good craic. I probably haven’t been able to get fully into it yet because St MacCartan’s (Tyrone senior ladies champions) are still playing and I’ve been trying to split the time between the two of them. It’s a good experience and working with a good bunch of lads makes it a lot easier.”
Derrygonnelly Harps’ win against Armagh Harps in last weekend’s Ulster Club Senior Football Championship quarter-final has been a boost to Fermanagh football, as has Belnaleck’s progress to the semi-finals of the Ulster Club Junior Football Championship.
“We haven’t seen much of the Derrygonnelly boys or the Belnaleck lads who had a good win as well in Ulster,” ‘Ricey’ added.
“Derrygonnelly have won the last three Fermanagh championships and they have been building towards a breakthrough in Ulster. It gives the rest of the lads a good boost that Fermanagh players are at a good level in Ulster and that they’re not the whipping boys at club level that people once thought.
“I know ‘Archie’ (Martin Greene) the Derrygonnelly manager has done a good job with them and he is a shrewd man.”
