'It left an inspirational legacy for the youth' Tyrone hero on 2000s team

Irish Daily Mirror

11-07-2025

Some counties arrive and then depart swiftly. Tyrone came and, to their credit, have stayed.
After Cavan faded as an All-Ireland force in the 1950s, Down emerged in the '60s, winning three All-Irelands, but then they didn't add to their tally until the '90s, when they claimed two more. They have done little since, however.
Donegal and Derry made All-Ireland breakthroughs in the '90s too but struggled to make an impact in Ulster over the next couple of decades.
Armagh's golden era ended post-2008 and while they won their second All-Ireland last year, it came after a couple of stints in Division Three and a lengthy run without even winning a game in Ulster.
Tyrone haven't enjoyed an era as bountiful as that between 2001-10, when they won three All-Irelands, five Ulster titles and two National Leagues, but they certainly didn't fall off the face of the earth in the meantime, regularly reaching the last four of the Championship, picking up a further three Ulster titles, winning another All-Ireland in 2021 and contesting the final in 2018.
And they might be approaching another golden period, similar to 20 years ago, given their recent underage success. It all suggests that the legacy that the 2000s team left has not been squandered, as often happens elsewhere.
'I think it's nice to be part of that,' reflects Stephen O'Neill, one of the most exciting talents in a team gleaming with them back then.
'I suppose if you look at the whole history of it, there were certain things that happened at that time which really bonded the whole county together.
'You think in 1997, Paul McGirr passed away, then Cormac [McAnallen] passing away in 2004 so there were a number of tragedies at that time that gelled the whole thing together and I suppose really focused the whole county and got the whole county in behind us and that's left an inspirational legacy for the youth and that's all you can hope for.
'That legacy and that inspiration will inspire the next generation, which in turn will inspire the next one.
'I look at my own children growing up and they just love going to the matches and all the young lads you'd be coaching, that's their goal, to play at that level and play for Tyrone. You just need success to keep that building all the time consistently.'
Having won three of the last four All-Ireland under-20 titles along with this year's minor crown, their fifth of this century, that success is at hand.
'People are asking, what is the secret? I think it's just the drive within the clubs in Tyrone,' O'Neill explains.
'The county board obviously support it well, but each club is putting in so much time and effort into their underage coaching and really, really pressing it.
'They all have high quality coaches and the children are getting well coached at the club. The schools are pushing it as well; primary schools and secondary schools have good people in them who are pushing the football and the children are responding - they're all mad keen to get playing for Tyrone some day, so it bodes well for the future.
'But it's a big step getting from under-20 to play senior football; even under-20 into senior club football is a big step, so to step up to senior county football is another massive leap for players. It'll be interesting just to see how that goes.
'It's a big job for Malachy O'Rourke to get those young, talented players through and get them developed over the next year or two.'
With Tyrone in another senior semi-final tomorrow against Kerry, the possibility of winning all three All-Irelands in the one year, something only achieved once by the Kingdom themselves 50 years ago, remains alive. It would surely be the crowning glory, for all they have done over the past couple of decades.
'It definitely would be,' O'Neill admits. 'It would be an amazing achievement. I'm sure it's something that the senior team have probably seen in the minor and under-20 success, they'll be delighted with that and they'll be hoping to get over the line.
'It's such a massive thing for the county. I'm sure Malachy O'Rourke will be keeping their minds off that. It'll be one game at a time.
'Kerry is such a big challenge, you're obviously marking three or four of the top forwards in the country, I would say the senior team will be focused on that.
'As a supporter and as a county, to win the three, clean sweep, would be a very special achievement.'