CONNAIRE Harrison was just starting to see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. After months of frustration battling back from osteitis pubis, he was delighted to be brought off the bench for the final eight minutes of Down’s National League victory over Offaly.
Their crucial next game, at home to Leitrim, could see the Mournemen move another step closer to promotion into Division Two, as well as ending the Tailteann Cup concerns that had dogged Paddy Tally’s men through the winter.
The Leitrim game on March 14, almost a fortnight after sinking the Faithful, would also afford Harrison another opportunity to step up his recovery. Over five weeks on, he is still waiting.
A joiner by trade, the Glasdrumman clubman – like so many others – has no idea when he will be able to get back to work, never mind football. Those things you once took for granted have suddenly been brought into sharp focus since the coronavirus crisis took hold.
“We were in Belfast working but it just became a no-go area eventually - the more serious it got, next door neighbours were out giving off and that sort of thing.
“Eventually they just pulled the pin; it wasn’t worth the hassle. My da has a farm so I’ve been tipping away helping him do bits and pieces. We’ve the wee fella at home, he has homework in the morning, not that I would be a big fan of schoolwork – hence the reason I’m on a building site!
“My wife works in the Jobs and Benefits office so she’s a key worker. It’s been a bit of a wake-up call for everyone.”
Harrison has started cycling around the Mourne roads that surround him as he continues to fend off the effects of the condition that left him sidelined for longer than any other time in his career.
It is for that reason, and the uncertainty over when inter-county football will be allowed to return, that he admits it has crossed his mind whether he will even get to pull on the famous red and black jersey again.
“I’m 30 now and it does come into your head because, in sport, you never know what’s going to happen,” said Harrison, who has spent time working in London during recent summers.
“Nobody knows what situation they’re going to be in when they come out of this. It’s going to affect the economy, I’d imagine it’s going to affect my line of work.
“There’s going to be a lot of insecurity after this. At the minute I’m hoping I won’t have to go abroad anywhere – I think London will be out the window for a while.
“But I’d also been injured and I’d just got myself back. I wasn’t fully fit but I was getting there. That was the first proper injury I’ve had that’s kept me out of football for months rather than weeks.
“A year down the line, who knows? If I was to get injured again… I’ve taken work for granted on a few occasions but you only realise now when you’re sitting at home for four weeks – and possibly sitting at home for another four weeks – how lucky you are to work.
“It’s the same with football too.”
And with those two games against Leitrim and then Louth still outstanding, Harrison feels it might make more sense, in the event that any football is played in 2020, to draw a line under the National League before considering jumping into Championship action.
“The longer into the year it goes, the less chance there is going to be of football. I hope that’s not going to be the way of it but it’s not looking likely.
“It might be easier to finish the League rather than starting a whole Championship at the latter part of the year. Obviously with Down, we were sitting quite well with a couple of games left. You want to be further up the divisions so it would be ideal for us to get those games played.
“Obviously there is a much bigger picture at play here, but it needs to be thrashed out sooner rather than later.”
