The son of a famous father helped the St Malachy’s achieve an unlikely Tyrone SFC crown

After a decade-and-a-half of dedication to the cause, Harry Og Conlan had come to accept that the fruits of his labours would amount to no more than a couple of Intermediate championship medals.

To most in the Edendork community Tyrone senior championship titles were for greater forces, beyond the reach of a small rural club surrounded by established powers.

But the underdog barked loudest this year, and the O’Neill Cup has found a home at Pairc Arthur Mallon.

“I have been playing for Edendork for many years and I genuinely didn’t think I’d ever see it,” said Conlan.

“We have been going and watching other teams win county championships, and to have finally done it is unbelievable.”

Edendork’s dramatic victory over Errigal Ciaran in a gripping final replay brought to a triumphant conclusion a project shaped over 10 years, the painstaking construction of a team built around generational talents Darren McCurry and Niall Morgan.

Conlan (33) said: “My generation, the likes of Niall, Darren, and myself, we’re the older members of the squad, but there’s been a couple of men that have come in every year.

“Conn (Kilpatrick) coming in and Ben Cullen has been fantastic, the likes of Fiachra Nelis, boys who have come in and put their shoulder to the wheel and added to the squad.

“It has all come together in the team that we have today and we have got over the line in a county final, which is just the stuff of dreams.”

Low numbers in a club of Edendork’s size present their own obvious challenges, and strength in depth has historically not been one of its primary assets, but all that has changed.

“It really is a squad of players that we have and we never had the luxury of that.

“We were known as a team of 12 or 13 men, and we had very little to come in off the bench.

“But this squad is totally different, we have men to come in, and the 15 men on the field don’t feel that pressure, because there is somebody to come in and take their place.

“And the experience that Niall and Darren bring from county level is just unbelievable.”

It was Tyrone goalkeeper Morgan who stepped up to send the winning 45-metre free (worth two points) over the bar deep into stoppage time at O’Neills Healy Park to clinch a one-point win for the first-time finalists.

“The nerve that it takes to kick that two-pointer at the end, knowing that it’s the last chance, is just fantastic, and fair play to Niall for doing it.”

As a focal point of the community, the St Malachy’s club, founded in 1932, has given to and taken from its people, providing a home not just for its footballers, male and female, and camogs, but also a range of other activities.

“A lot of people over the generations have added to the club and we hope they’re looking down proudly.

“It’s a full community of people who put their shoulder to the wheel to get the players on to the field, and we’re very thankful to them.

“We may be the boys going up and lifting the cup, but it’s for the whole community.

“We see the children running about enjoying it, we see all the flags and the bunting, and Edendork is a lot bigger, really, than we think.

“There’s an awful lot of people who have added to it, and thankfully they have got their rewards, and everybody can enjoy it.”

Understandably, the celebrations have been joyous and sustained, but with a mere one-week turnaround to Edendork’s debut appearance in the Ulster Club SFC, the players have had to quickly turn their attentions to Saturday’s first round clash against Down champions Clonduff in Newry.

For some, a maiden Tyrone SFC triumph is seen as the ultimate achievement, but Conlan insisted that no effort will be spared in their endeavours to succeed in the provincial series.

“I can guarantee you that Brian (McGuckin, manager) will be trying to get our minds turned towards that, and take that opportunity that we have.”