Mattie Donnelly can’t imagine a more enticing way to launch a provincial campaign than against Ulster’s most successful club.
His Trillick side takes on the legend that is Crossmaglen and its proud history of 11 Ulster and six All-Ireland titles in Saturday’s opener at Omagh.
The Tyrone star will have to sit this one out due to injury, but he’s no less immersed in the challenge than any of those who will take the field at O’Neills Healy Park.
“That’s an exciting prospect for us. They’re obviously the most decorated club in the country,” he said.
“For our club, a small club in the west of Tyrone, to be pitting our talents against them is really exciting.
“That’s what we have been about all year, just seeing what we can do and challenging how good we can be.
“And it doesn’t get much better than Crossmaglen in that regard.”
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Tyrone career not over yet, believes Trillick's Mattie Donnelly
It’s a poignant time for the Donnelly family. Mattie’s father Liam and uncle Gerry each won five Championship medals with Trillick, but Gerry’s death just a week before this year’s county final cast a cloud over the club.
“It’s what we were reared on, those stories of those days and those successes.
“They’re the people you looked up to, they’re the people that moulded you into who you wanted to be, and what they passed down to us has been really special, and we want to pass it on to the next generation as well.
“We’re obviously aware that we need to capitalise on the present, because there’s serious stuff in Trillick at the minute, and serious stuff coming, and if we do the thing right, then we’ll have many more days like we had this year.”
A double blow for Trillick, with the loss of Donnelly and team-mate Mickey Gallagher to season-ending knee injuries, didn’t derail the Trillick Express.
His early season confidence that the Reds could win the O’Neill Cup this year did not dip in the face of the injury setbacks, and the pair set about assessing what they could contribute from the sideline.
“I had a fair idea before the championship began, and I had that conversation with another friend and team-mate of mine, Mickey Gallagher, who was dealt the same fate, that we had a feeling that Trillick were going to win the championship this year.
“We just had that feeling, you had that sense, and we just turned our attention to how can we contribute.
“And that’s very much the approach that ever player in that squad takes, whether they get minutes or not – it’s how they can contribute for the better for Trillick.”
A tight-knit group responded and turned in a series of inspired performances which culminated in an extra-time victory over holders Errigal Ciaran in the final.
“It’s that sort of ethos that we have that got us to days like we had and got us over the line.”
“Because we’re all so close, and because we know how much it means to each of us, and it was the exact same for Mickey.
“We’re all about the one percentage in Trillick. If there’s anything that myself and Mickey feel we can contribute, the good thing is the leaders that are there and fit and healthy are all performing their role, and everyone is playing their part, and the management, the whole way through the backroom team, are all on the same wavelength and pushing the same message.
“There’s different things that we can contribute in the background that would help, and that’s something that we’re very keen to do, but we don’t need to do much different than we have been doing, and that has stood us in good stead.”
