Joe McMahon reckons Tyrone are on rise again

Veteran defender Joe McMahon believes Tyrone are on the verge of a second golden era with another talented young team.

The Red Hands used All- Ireland minor and U-21 All-Ireland wins between 1998 and 2001 as the platform for their Sam Maguire successes in 2003, 2005 and 2008.

The retirements of the various players that backboned those senior wins plunged the Ulster outfit into a rebuilding process in recent seasons though there were strong signs last year things are changing. Tyrone claimed another All-Ireland U21 title success, beating Tipperary in the final, and in the senior Championship marched all the way to the last four. Two-time All-Ireland medallist McMahon, 33, has confirmed he will play on this season and believes big things are just around the corner again.

Tyrone have already claimed the Dr McKenna Cup title and beat Cavan in the first round of the league.

“The confidence is there, the ability is there skill wise and the application is there,” said McMahon of the current panel. “The way the game has evolved generally over the years, the athlete is being developed more and maybe that is taking precedence over the skill levels of players but certainly with a lot of these boys in Tyrone, the skill level is there and it is continually being worked on.

“They certainly have the potential to go on over the next number of years to maybe win another All- Ireland. The confidence from winning before will definitely help that process along.”

Tyrone travel to Galway on Sunday in Division 2 of the league knowing that another win will leave them in a great position to gain promotion.

Omagh man McMahon expects to be fully involved later in the campaign after recovering from a groin problem that kept him out of last year’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Kerry.

“I’d like to come back in around April time and go at it again when the ground is a wee bit flatter,” he said.