HE had a hand on my shoulder and was half leaning on me as he spoke.
Exhausted, Aidan McCrory had literally run himself into the ground. He was out on his feet but there was a beaming smile on his face.
It’s going to be a big week for the veteran full-back and hopefully all goes well for him. His wife is expecting their second child imminently and next Sunday Errigal Ciaran will play Dublin’s Cuala in the All-Ireland senior club final at Croke Park.
This is McCrory’s 15th season with his club and the defender ranked Saturday’s Titanic battle with Kerry and Munster champions Dr Crokes as the toughest club game he’d ever been a part of.
“It was the toughest battle… definitely the toughest… I’ve come through with Errigal… Aye it was desperate,” he panted after ringing his wife shortly after the final whistle.
“There’s not much energy left… But we’ve a week… It’s gonna be a massive, massive week.”
There was never more than two points between the sides throughout normal time. Errigal edged ahead, then the Crokes pegged them back. After Darragh Canavan’s second half goal it looked like the Tyrone men would win it, but they almost lost it before Joe Oguz found the net in the second period of extra-time.
Errigal had a foot in the final then, but only a one, and it took a brilliant rearguard effort from McCrory and the defence to get the Tyrone and Ulster champions over the line.
“When you’re up against any team that has come this far you know it’ll be a massive game,” he added.
“They are littered with boys that have All-Ireland medals and Munster club medals. We knew it was going to be tough but that was just… It was worthy of an All-Ireland semi-final.
“The boys who came before us had won Ulster clubs (1993 and 2002) and we always aspired to that. This game was supposed to be in Portlaoise but it got moved to Newbridge and there’s a bit of history here (Errigal had lost to Nemo Rangers in Newbridge at this stage in 1994) for the men who went before us.
“So, to get this far… It’s just amazing.”
Starting in the perilous Tyrone championship, Errigal have now won 10 knockout games on-the-trot and six of the last seven have been kick-of-a-ball nail-biters. Dublin star Con O’Callaghan awaits in the 11th next Sunday.
“Training over Christmas was an absolute joy,” said McCrory who revealed that Errigal’s Armagh neighbours had played a part in preparing them to face Dr Crokes.
“We were supposed to train on Tuesday night and then, about 5pm, we got a call to say the pitch wasn’t playable,” he explained.
“We called it off and then, about six o’clock, the boys managed to get a club down the road in Armagh – Clonmore. They opened for us so we went across the border into Armagh and trained in Clonmore, so thanks to them for giving us their pitch for the night.
“It’s just amazing… The boys at home… The call went out on Wednesday to ask if we could get boys to come up with shovels to clear the snow off our training pitch so we could have a bit of a run-out on Thursday.
“There might have been 70 or 80 boys there to do it. The whole club is absolutely buzzing now and we want to pay them back for all the support they’ve given us all year with this win. It’s nice and hopefully we can take the last step now.”
