IT is one of those classic Ulster club quirks of fate that throws Enda McGinley into championship combat against Cargin on Sunday.
The Tyrone All-Ireland winner’s wife Geardine is a sister of the McCann brothers – Mick, Tomas, Paul and Gerard - who have been central Cargin’s dominance of the Antrim championship during the past decade, delivering eight county crowns in an unprecedented spell of success.
During his playing pomp, McGinley was a second half sub when Tyrone came up against the Saffrons, including a fresh-faced Mick and Tomas, in the 2009 Ulster final. Fellow Cargin stalwarts Kevin O’Boyle and Justin Crozier also played that day and, 15 years on, remain key cogs in the Cargin machine.
McGinley also managed most of those men, as well as the likes of Pat Shivers and Jamie Gribbin, during his time in charge of Antrim. That the game takes place at Corrigan Park, a familiar stomping ground during that two year stint, only serves to strengthen the connection.
“It was tough on my mum and dad. I knew I was self-destructing. And I also knew the next phase of that, if I had carried on, it was not being here. I was in a very dark place...” - the life and times of Caolan Mooney
“I felt as if the world was going to end...” St Colman’s College sports studies students submit articles on the game, fight or issue that mattered most to them this year…
So much of that stuff can be usually parked as paper talk, of course. Irrelevant, in the grand scheme of things. That is not the case here.
As well as having a personal working knowledge of the characters and personality traits, of several of Cargin’s main men, few people will have seen more of them at close quarters during a period when the Erin’s Own have gone from strength to strength.
“I would know Cargin fairly well alright,” smiled McGinley in the wake of Errigal’s dramatic Ulster preliminary round win over St Eunan’s last Saturday night.
“I’ve been lucky enough to watch them for a long number of years and enjoyed watching them, obviously supporting the brother-in-laws and the rest of them.
“In terms of their experienced players, they have a remarkable bunch, between Kevin O’Boyle, James Laverty, Justy Crozier, obviously Mick and Tomas, then you’ve got the middle age group of boys like Jamie Gribbin, Pat Shivers, and then a new group of players, the likes of Conhuir Johnston and Benan Kelly, so they have a superbly settled team.
“I am fully aware of the challenge that’s ahead of us.”
In contrast to Errigal, facing a third championship outing in 16 days, Ronan Devlin’s men have had a month to pick the bones out of their latest Antrim championship triumph.
Given the physical toll taken from a gruelling final clash with Portglenone, extra-time and all, they may have needed it. Typically, in the face of whatever challenge is thrown at them, Cargin found a way.
Pat Shivers brought Cargin level as half-time of extra-time loomed, before a Tomas McCann free and a late score from sub Eunan Quinn eventually put paid to the Cargin challenge.
McGinley was there too, of course, by then knowing a collision course was possible, but also knowing – with the Tyrone decider still to come - a hell of a lot of work was required on Errigal’s side to make it happen.
“I was just in awe of the resilience they showed that day, and I know how angry they were at their performance.
“They’ve had four weeks now to get the focus in, I know how determined they are to go out and show what they can do because they didn’t feel they did in the county final, and it’s amazing to be able to win a county final and not be anywhere near their top gear.
“The way they go about their business is remarkable.”
The same can also be said of Errigal.
Nobody comes out of Tyrone, especially not twice in the space of three years, without possessing something beyond the ordinary.
The class of county stars like the Canavan brothers Darragh and Ruairi, Joe Oguz, Ben McDonnell and the evergreen Peter Harte have stood up at critical junctures along the way, but Errigal would not be here without the depth and quality of the supporting cast.
They had to hold on against Pomeroy on the first day out, needed a replay to get past Clonoe, a Harte winner four minutes into added time to eventually kill off Killyclogher, and contend with a Storm Ashley-enforced delay before just about beating Trillick to lift the O’Neill Cup.
Time has not been on their side either. An eight-day lead in from that titanic tussle to St Eunan’s was a huge ask, and it was clear that the Dunmoyle men were out on their feet at times.
But, guess what? They got the job done. Trailing heading towards the last, McDonnell stood tall to break Letterkenny hearts.
“Despite the tiredness, despite everything else, they stood up, got their hands on the ball and got the critical scores at the end,” said McGinley.
“You can’t buy that element within a team - but we definitely need to be playing better football.”
Doing so against Cargin will not be easy.
The Antrim kingpins are among the best at stifling attacking fluidity, as reigning All-Ireland champions Glen can testify after two tense, tight battles in recent years.
The Toome men are sick of near misses and, having cemented their standing inside county borders, are determined to make it count in Ulster. Against a battered and bruised Errigal, they have a big chance to set up a semi-final showdown against either Newbridge or Clann Eireann.
The McGinley factor could be key, however. He knows Sunday’s opponents inside out and, having watched his men navigate a path around the challenges that have come their way so far, will hope the Tyrone champions can show they are made of different stuff once more.
