“It hasn’t really sunk in yet, it’s unreal. Playing and winning in Croke Park is unbelievable. You try not to let the occasion and the surroundings get to you. It’s a deadly pitch and a deadly stadium, and you always want to play in it.”
DANNY Tallon was standing in the mouth of the Hogan Stand tunnel clutching TG4’s man of the match award when he spoke those words.
Except it wasn’t two weeks ago, when he earned the same accolade after a brilliant start helped Glen see off Moycullen, but rather just shy of a decade ago.
He had just scored 1-2 and run the show in one of the great Hogan Cup final displays by any team. Stevie O’Hara beside him kicked four points. Captained by Connor Carville, he was flanked on the wings by Cathal Mulholland a young Conor Glass.
Oisin Hegarty and Conor Gallagher in the full-back line, Conor McDevitt and Conor Convery coming off the bench.
In goals, Ciaran McCloy. His battle with addiction, documented in an interview with The Irish News last year, stunted his progress. He’s the only one of the ten that doesn’t have a senior championship medal with Glen.
McDevitt had big roles to play last year but went abroad after their run came to an end with defeat by Kilcoo.
When St Pat’s got back to a second straight Hogan final the following year, McCloy, Hegarty, Mulholland, Glass, Tallon and Convery were all still on the team, and had been joined by Jack Doherty and Paul Gunning. They lost the second outing to Colaiste Chorca Dhuibhne.
No matter how good an underage crop might be, it’s very rare to get three or four players at most right through to become long-term senior footballers.
Although he lives out the Craigadick Road now towards Tobermore, Danny Tallon lived in Mullaghmore at the bottom of the town, beside Conor Glass and Cathair McCabe, when they were growing up
The Mulhollands, the Bradleys, the Dohertys, Ryan Dougan, they all lived at the other end of the town, between Beaver Drive and Beaver Crescent.
Then Tiarnan Flanagan, Stevie O’Hara, Ciaran McFaul, Ryan McDonnell were just out of the middle of the town on Hall Street.
They were all different groups pulled together through club and school.
Of the 19 players used in the 2012 Ulster minor final, twelve of them have played championship football in the last two years. Eight of them will start, which would have been nine had Ciaran McFaul been at home.
Michael Warnock and Emmett Bradley had already passed through by then. Jack Doherty came behind that. The only three that didn’t come through the minor teams were goalkeeper Connlan Bradley, a year too old, and Doherty’s younger brothers Alex and Ethan.
That they’ve stayed together in such remarkable numbers is where the great success of Glen’s journey lies.
“It’s hard to put a finger on,” Tallon says when asked why they’ve all stayed.
“Most of us are similar age and came through the four Ulster minor winning teams. We’ve just always been together and knew nothing different than playing football.
“It was never in my head about giving it up and I’d say it’s the same for everybody else. It’s always been top priority.
“It definitely helped but I think we would have stayed together regardless. Obviously, it gave you great confidence, the minors and 21s. It took us a while to bring it to senior level but thankfully we have now.”
His own career trajectory is testament to perseverance at least. He had everything as a minor, could have played anywhere, but found that as time wore on, that began to turn into a detriment.
In Glen’s first ever senior final against Magherafelt in 2019, he spent most of the day ferrying the ball from around the middle of the field. Days he was wing-forward, days in the centre, then the corner. You could have found him anywhere but you never knew where that anywhere would be.
“In previous years, up until last year, every other game you were playing somewhere else,” he says.
“You were half-forward, full-forward, wherever you were at, never really a settled position. From last year, barring league football, I’ve been basically full-forward nearly every game.
“You get that wee bit settled there and try to improve easier when you’re always in the same position. But different games, different things are needed.”
He hasn’t given it much thought but it feels like the best football of his adult career at the minute. Scorer of crucial goals last year against Slaughtneil and Scotstown, his overall performances have been more consistent, particularly over the last six weeks.
Tallon was excellent against Errigal Ciaran, TG4’s man of the match against Cargin and Moycullen, and kicked five points from frees in the Ulster final win over Kilcoo.
“Throughout the Derry championship I probably wouldn’t have been happy with how I was playing. The last few games, the Ulster campaign and the semi-final, a bit happier with my performances.
“When you’re winning you’re happy. I haven’t really thought about that. You’re winning and you’re contributing, that can only be a good thing.”
Tallon flirted with county football twice but it didn’t click.
Club football is plenty to be at. Malachy O’Rourke’s stewardship has been invaluable but so too the expertise of Ryan Porter.
He told them the first night they got together that by the time the championship came around, they would be the fittest team in Derry.
“He has that down to a tee. You don’t come away from training thinking ‘I’m gassed’ or ‘I’m hanging together’ but I think it’s clear to see, the last two years we’re as fit as we’ve ever been. It’s testament to Ryan.
“We do gym work but I wouldn’t say heavy, there’s no over-emphasis on it. It doesn’t feel like you’re doing much more gym work than in previous years. To be honest, I don’t know enough about it myself to know how he gets it so right, but he does.”
The less-is-more approach has certainly worked for Ryan Dougan. The Glen full-back has had an exceptional year since going off travelling for months at the start of 2022, taking in Bali among other southern hemisphere destinations.
“He’s definitely playing the football of his life. That plays into it too. There’s a lot to be said for fresh minds. He maybe had injuries as well, it’s maybe done him no harm that way.
“We took a good break, the Kilcoo game was December 18 I think and we started back six weeks before the league, so mid-February. It was a right break we took.
“I played a bit of soccer with [Maghera] Strollers and did a bit of gym work just, nothing mental. I enjoy playing a bit of soccer, but you’re maybe only there two months and then you’re back at it. It keeps you ticking over.”
Interesting it was that Glen and Kilcoo both had a handful of men that went off to America for the summer and were still the last two teams standing in Ulster. This time it was Glen that survived their duel in Armagh.
Now they’re back in Croke Park. The differences from there to anywhere else are subtle. Tallon notes how deceiving it can be to stand on the 45’.
“It nearly seems you’re very close to the posts, it’s deceiving. It looks as if you’re closer than you actually are.”
It’s terrain Kilmacud know well. Far better than they should. Seven of their last ten championship games have been at Headquarters. They’ve enough natural, and unnatural, advantages without that too.
But it’s been a good venue to Danny Tallon so far.
