All-Ireland Club SFC: Destiny awaits Tyrone’s Errigal Ciaran

As they prepare to step into unchartered waters, these Errigal Ciaran players will not have far to look for advice, help and support given manager McGinley and his assistant Paul Horisk are survivors of the 2003 All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Nemo Rangers.

McGinley labelled it the worst defeat of his career – as even though he was only 21 years old, he knew he might never get the chance to play in an All-Ireland semi-final again, and so it proved.

Both Errigal’s All-Ireland semi-final defeats came at the hands of Cork kingpins Nemo Rangers, a 1-13 to 0-11 loss in Newbridge in 1994 and a 1-12 to 0-11 loss in Portlaoise in 2003.

This time it is an experienced Dr Crokes team, backboned by Kerry stars like Tony Brosnan, Gavin White, the wily Kieran O’Leary and Michael Burns – who was jettisoned by Kerry manager Jack O’Connor for the 2024 season.

Brosnan and Burns in particular are excelling up front for Crokes, each kicking 0-5 in their Munster final win over Loughmore-Castleiney.

With Christmas and New Year celebrations pretty much cancelled in Ballygawley and Killarney for those with a vested interest in Sunday’s game, the training is now complete and the video analysis will have been done on both sides.

But there remains a sense of the unknown with Dr Crokes the only one of the four remaining sides to have experience at this exalted level, with Dublin’s new Leinster champions Cuala and Sligo’s Connacht champions Coolera Strandhill as inexperienced as Errigal.

The Tyrone champions will hope their knack of edging tight games continues, and Dr Crokes will be well aware that if they haven’t kicked on and the game is still in the melting pot with 10 minutes to go, Errigal will smell blood.

A precious opportunity lies ahead for one of these four clubs, one that may not come around again for a generation, for whoever can take it.