Two Allstar full-backs are planning a meet-up for what is likely to be an emotion-charged exchange on life after a long career at the top level of inter-county football.
But first, Ronan McNamee and Colm Cavanagh will face off against each other in a crunch encounter this weekend when Aghyaran meet Moy in a sudden death promotion play-off.
They will set friendships aside for an hour as they launch themselves into their respective bids to regain Tyrone Division One status.
McNamee, who announced his retirement from county football last week after 11 years at the top, leaves a void that Red Hand bosses Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher will have difficulty in filling, according to Cavanagh
A renowned sweeper, Cavanagh said his role was made easier by the stoic reliability of the man behind him through the years they soldiered together for Tyrone.
“Words probably can’t describe how much of a soldier Ronan McNamee was,” he said.
“He was just a warrior, he always gave one hundred per cent heart and energy in every single game.
“He’s a leader by his actions, and he was a good man to have in the changing room as well, he gave you that wee sense of stability.
“Playing in front of him for a number of years, I just knew he was going to make my job a wee bit easier, and he was going to be glued tight to his man and he’s not going to give anything easy.
“He was an absolutely brilliant footballer and will be hard to replace, and as a person too he’s an absolute gentleman off the field.”
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Both men play at midfield for their clubs, and the raw emotion of competitive ferocity will take over this weekend when they come into direct opposition.
Moy cleared the initial play-off hurdle last Saturday with a 1-9 to 0-9 win over Beragh, but McNamee’s Aghyaran needed extra-time to get the better of Derrylaughan by 2-19 to 1-16, after the sides were deadlocked on 0-16 to 1-13 at the end of normal time.
The winners will meet Division One relegation strugglers Coalisland in the final play-off for the right to play top level football in 2024.
When all that is done and dusted, Cavanagh, who ended his own Tyrone career at the end of the 2020 season, and McNamee will find a convenient coffee shop somewhere between north and south Tyrone for a catch-up, a reflection on those years of common cause and an exchange of ideas on how to deal with life in a much slower lane.
“I met him a number of weeks ago and I knew this was on the cards for him, and I wished him all the best, because it’s not an easy thing when it’s been such a big part of your life, he’s 11 years going,” said Cavanagh.
“We only had a brief chat, but I did say to him that we’ll grab a proper coffee, and that’s probably important that we do that.
“Some people transition really easily out of it, but when you’re in that game where your life is set out for you for a long period of time, it is hard.
“He’ll have to learn to adjust to not driving to Garvaghey three or four nights a week, he’ll have a bit more spare time on his hands..
“I have seen it myself in the past couple of years, stepping away, and it is a void.
“I have no doubt he will keep his feet on the ground, he’ll soldier on for Aghyaran for a good number of years.
“There’s always a fight for places, but there’s a few people who were always going to be starting, and he was one of those lads.
“He’s seen the good, the bad and the ugly with Tyrone, and he’s been through the patches when we weren’t going well, and there were no titles.
“But there was nobody more delighted than me in 2021 to watch that man lift the All-Ireland, because he had been there a long time. Him and Mattie (Donnelly) and Petie (Harte) had soldiered, they had Ulster titles, but not the big one in the bag.”
Now the managers must ponder the options and find the right man to take on the responsibility of wearing the number three shirt as Tyrone launch another bid for honours in 2024.
“He had a sense of presence on and off the pitch, it’s going to be a massive quality that will need replaced fairly soon.
“I wouldn’t be the man trying to replace him, but I’m sure Feargal and Brian probably have their eyes on a few lads.
“But time moves on on us all, unfortunately, and there has to be a next man up.”
ends