By Francis Mooney
THE man who guided Errigal Ciaran to their maiden Ulster Club title back in 1993 believes the current crop can break new ground by taking the club to its first All-Ireland final.
Danny Ball was the man in charge 31 years ago when the Dunmoyle men made history as Tyrone’s first provincial title winners, and they remain the only club from the county to do so, having clinched a third with victory over Kilcoo last month.
Ball, who went on to manage Tyrone, sees striking similarities to between the class of ‘93 and the modern-day version.
“At that time I had a special group of players. It’s the same sort of thing coming through again. You see the spirit of Errigal, the fight and the determination and the discipline,” he said.
Ball’s team defeated Downpatrick to clinch the Seamus McFerran Cup at the Athletic Grounds on a historic day for the club.
But he believes it was the semi-final victory over Kilcar that was the making of his band of warriors, the bold statement that put Errigal Ciaran on the map.
Following a drawn game, it was in a low-scoring replay that the Red Hand champions finally got over the line by 0-5 to 0-3 against a star-studded Donegal side.
“We started off with Lavey, who had been previous All-Ireland champions. There was nobody giving us a pup’s chance, but we just took each game as it came.
“The two games against Kilcar were the making of this club. The first match was a drawing game. The second match was 5-4, 5-3.
“People may say it wasn’t a great game of football, but to me it was one of the games that made Errigal Ciaran the club that they are. They just carried that spirit on.”
Peter Canavan was the star man up front back then, and now it’s his sons Darragh and Ruairi who weave the magic in the Errigal Ciaran attack.
In the Ulster final, the pair were held to a single point by a resilient Kilcoo defence, bur the former boss felt their performances were no less effective than on the days when the rack up the scores.
Ball is excited by the workrate, hunger and intelligence of the brothers, enthralled by the manner in which they are willing to sacrifice their own game by creating chances and making space for others with their clever decoy runs, particularly in the Ulster final against Kilcoo.
“You take the two Canavans, they were held to just a point, but their contribution to the team was enormous, they were running off the ball, creating space.
“They were playing against a very, very good side. It’s probably one of the paciest teams I’ve seen for a long, long time.”
Ball has been keeping a close eye on the progression of the Dunmoyle club since those breakthrough days of the early nineties.
“You see similarities, of course, in the way the club approaches it and the way the players approach it, the way the club sets out their stall.
“Back then, Mickey Harte would have been the chairman. The likes of Seamus Horisk, who has passed on, there were some great men back then in the club.
“They were leading the club from behind the scenes. It’s the same today.
“Emmet McGinley is now the chairman, Peter (Canavan) stepped up as vice-chairman.
“It’s brilliant, it’s good for the future, it’s good for Tyrone football.”