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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 10 2021
www.irishnews.com
ALL-IRELAND SFC FINAL
IN ASSOCIATION
WITH
MASTERMINDS
‘Nobody has been more
influential in Tyrone
football than Feargal
Logan, and it’s very
befitting that he is now
back in an All-Ireland final’
‘Brian Dooher lives and
breathes GAA from five o’clock
in the morning until three
o’clock the next morning.
He just gives you one hundred
per cent all the time. That’s
how he operated as a player as
well’
BY FRANCIS MOONEY
T
YRONE county chairman
Michael Kerr believes that
the imprint of managers
Feargal Logan and Brian
Dooher have been glaringly
obvious in their team’s run to the
All-Ireland final.
Both have appeared in Sam Maguire
Cup deciders as players, but
tomorrow, they’ll be on the other
side of the white line at Croke Park.
Logan played at midfield on the
team that lost to Dublin in the 1995
final, while Dooher was a three-time
winner, twice as captain, during the
noughties.
They have brought distinctive
influences to a group that has
responded in the best way possible,
according to Kerr.
“Feargal and Brian have come on
board, and they have got the levels
of commitment from the players
that they showed themselves in
their own playing careers,” he said.
“Feargal Logan has been
synonymous with club football and
county football within Tyrone from
the mid-eighties.
“He was a stalwart of the team that
reached the 1995 All-Ireland final,
his performances at midfield were
very important in getting us there
and so close to a first ever title as
we lost to Dublin by a single point.
“Feargal has been a great supporter
on the administration side, on the
playing side and on the coaching
side of the game, and now in
management.
“Nobody has been more influential
in Tyrone football than Feargal
Logan, and it’s very befitting that he
is now back in an All-Ireland final.”
Dooher’s energy and fearlessness
as a player were a driving force
in Tyrone’s All-Ireland triumphs
in 2003, ’05 and ’08, and he has
inspired the relentless spirit in the
current squad.
“Brian Dooher lives and breathes
GAA from five o’clock in the
morning until three o’clock the next
morning,” Kerr said.
“He just gives you one hundred per
cent all the time. And that’s how he
operated as a player as well.
“He was one of our all-time greats,
and he was an inspiration to all
those around him in the way that
he played, with total passion, total
commitment and total fearlessness.
“He was central to the three AllIreland titles we won, and it was
no surprise that he captained the
team to two of those, having been
given the responsibility following
the untimely death of Cormac
McAnallen.
“Brian’s approach is now reflected
in the team that take the field, and
the way in which they play is a
testament to the will, the example
and the leadership shown by our
two managers, not to mention the
important work and influence of our
backroom coaching team of Collie
Holmes Joe McMahon and Peter
Donnelly, all of whom have won AllIreland titles as well.
“The managers had big boots to
fill when they replaced Mickey
Harte, and so far they have done
that with assurance, often in the
most difficult of circumstances
during a season that has presented
challenges that we never
encountered before.”
W
ITH Croke Park operating
at half capacity due to
Covid-19 restrictions, the
scramble for tickets has been even
more frantic than normal.
But the Tyrone chairman assured
supporters that a substantial
allocation has been made available.
“I have to compliment the
authorities in Croke Park, because,
while capacity has been reduced by
50 per cent, the allocation of tickets
to participating counties has not
been reduced by 50 per cent.
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