HISTORY and tradition are woven into the everyday lives of the people of Carrickmore, a special place with an unconditional love for Gaelic games.
Reigning county hurling champions and record title-holders in the big ball code, it was the footballers who delved deep into the well of resilience that is unique to the Colmcille’s club as they pulled off a sensational victory at the weekend.
Famed for their never-say-die attitude, Carmen rolled back the years to strike late and break the hearts of Dromore in a championship classic.
Four points down going into the final quarter at O’Neills Healy Park, they got themselves level, and deep into stoppage time, Lorcan McGarrity launched a mighty punt high into Omagh’s night sky, and watched it sail majestically, agonisingly, between the posts to set up a quarter-final clash with Killyclogher and send the St Dympna’s crashing out.
“We always refer to that. In the build-up to these games, the conversations sometimes involve people from years gone by that have experienced championship success,” said Carrickmore joint manager Noel Slane.
“We always like to think that we have a never-say-die attitude in Carrickmore.
“It doesn’t mean to say that you win all the games or that you’re better than any other team, but we always think that when we got to the well, there’s something there to take out of it.
“We’re just so grateful to get over that. Dromore are a fantastic club and team, and it was such a championship battle.
“But we have just got to take it to the next round, and we’re really grateful for the two weeks break.”
In his first year in charge along with Ciaran McBride, Slane felt privileged to be standing on the sideline at such a dramatic, emotional moment.
“It was an incredible game to be involved in, and I’m really grateful to have the opportunity just to be involved with the lads, and with Ciaran McBride and our management team.
“It was ding-dust, particularly that last 20 minutes, when it really came to life.
“I always knew that there would be a kick in us. We just needed something to spark it, and I thought that a lot of subs coming on started to lift us into life.
“It was nice to be involved in that last fifteen minutes as the game started to get nip-and-tuck.
“We started to get a few crucial turnovers and our press was working. The game just kicked into life then.”
Carrickmore never led until that 63rd minute winner had Healy Park rocking in a deafening clamour, and at one stage, Slane feared the game may have been slipping away from his side.
“Dromore played well, and there were long spells of the game when, if they had got another point ahead, we might have just run out of steam. But we just needed that kick.
“And credit to Dromore, they played really well, they have fantastic players, but Teague, the Sluddens, they’re all really, really good players, but I suppose it’s just about having the belief in each other.
“We talked about that during the week and before the game, that if we had unity among us, that we would eventually prevail, we would be able to dig out the result.”
But on the balance of play, no-one could have denied their worthiness to go through to the last eight.
They dominated long stretches of a captivating second half, often thwarted by heroic Dromore resistance, and created the game’s two genuine goal chances, McGarrity sending a first half shot crashing against the crossbar, and Lorcan McBride denied by a fine Mark McGale save.
“Our big thing at half-time was that we had six wides, we were very wasteful in front of goals, and we were very disappointed about that.
“We felt there were opportunities there, and we missed those goal chances, so we knew we were really wasteful, but we didn’t think those chances wouldn’t keep coming, as long as we kept persisting.”