WITH Tyrone anxiously awaiting the outcome of Monday’s All-Ireland qualifier draw, Red Hand great Peter Canavan believes it is too late in the day for any of the latest crop from the county’s production line to be drafted into the senior set-up.
Canavan’s son Ruairi added to his burgeoning reputation by grabbing 1-7 in a man-of-the-match performance as Tyrone swept to All-Ireland U20 final victory against Kildare on Saturday, and the Errigal Ciaran ace is one of many expected to make the step up in time.
However, the fact that competition has just finished, while Tyrone managers Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher attempt to bounce back from defeat to Derry, means the window of opportunity may have passed for any of those young guns to be drafted in.
“Yeah, I would say it probably is [too late] at this stage,” said Canavan, an All-Ireland U21 champion with the Red Hands 30 years ago.
“If the U20 competition had finished earlier on in the year, I’d say you’d expect a few boys to be brought in. At this stage, with the Championship only a few weeks around the corner, and Tyrone have a big panel of players there as it is, so I’d be surprised, at this late stage, if anybody was drafted in.
“Feargal [Logan] and Brian [Dooher] were here today so they are thinking further down the line, I would imagine.”
On a personal level, though, it was another day for the scrapbook.
It is just eight months since he watched son Darragh help Tyrone become All-Ireland champions at Croke Park, with Ruairi – who rattled the back of the Lilywhite net after just 19 seconds on Saturday - following in those footsteps with an exhilarating display in Carrick-on-Shannon.
Is it something he is getting used to?
“I don’t know about that,” he said, “it is always nerve-racking when you are watching your own. It was a great team display from Tyrone from start to finish.
“We got off to a great start. Kildare did come back, but Tyrone finished the first half very strong and hit some great scores.
“You could go through every player on the team and they all made a massive contribution from goalkeeper out. Stevie McMenamin out, he was superb. The backs, the turnovers, especially in the second half – Kildare found it very hard to break them down and we were able to hurt them up front as well.
“From start to finish, I’d say Paul [Devlin], Owen [Mulligan] and Dermy [Carlin] must be delighted. When you see a team you’ve worked with click so well together and play so well together on the big stage, I’m sure it is a great source of satisfaction for them.”
And, looking at the bigger picture, it keeps the conveyor belt of talent coming in Tyrone.
Canavan was involved with Logan and Dooher in 2015 when the Red Hands were crowned All-Ireland U21 champions – nine of the side that started that day went on to represent the county at senior level, with captain Padraig Hampsey, Frank Burns, Conor Meyler, Cathal McShane and player of the year Kieran McGeary all stalwarts of the side that lifted the Sam Maguire last September.
“It proves that we have the stuff there that when it comes to winning All-Irelands, they can still do it. A long time ago, when Tyrone teams got to an All-Ireland, we were glad to be there.
“Now, when a lot of Tyrone teams get to All-Ireland finals, they expect to win it. There has been a sea change in mentality there and these lads will definitely push on.
“But, it is no guarantee, looking at previous minor and winning U21 teams, it is no guarantee that a lot of these lads will come through.
“Regardless of whether they come through or not, they’ll never forget today and they’ll never forget the games they played this year, winning an All-Ireland title. That’s a fabulous achievement in itself.”
