Harte: Back-to-back titles on

MICKEY HARTE believes Cork’s record of being the last to win back-to-back All-Ireland football titles can be matched in the near future.

The man who masterminded Tyrone’s All-Ireland victory last season was speaking after sharing the Lucozade Breakthrough award with Armagh manager Joe Kernan for the biggest achievement in football over the past 10 years.

The hurling award went to Clare.

Harte was confident that Tyrone could come back and win another All-Ireland title. “There’s a history there of good under-age success and it’s continuing this year with the minors in the All-Ireland final,” he said.

Harte believes that while it’s not impossible for a team to retain an All-Ireland title, a lot of circumstances can come into play.

“It’s not a simple thing that you’re not necessarily good enough. First-time winners have a unique set of circumstances to deal with and we had an even more unique set of circumstances with the death of Cormac (McAnallen).

“I do believe it is possible, despite the back-door system, despite the fact that it hasn’t been done since 1989/1990.”

*Yesterday’s awards marked a decade of involvement in Gaelic games by the Lucozade Sport, an official sponsor of the Ladies Football Association and a sponsor of 25 inter-county teams.